Museum Studies

The Blanton Museum of Art is currently seeking interns in the areas of Latin American Art Curation, Marketing & PR, and Visitor & Volunteer Services. Interns typically work 10-15 hours per week. Academic credit may be possible, but the student is responsible for arranging this directly with his or her academic department.

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Latin American Art Curatorial Internship

DESCRIPTION:

The Latin American Art Curatorial Intern will assist the Curator of Latin American Art and the Assistant Curator of Latin American Art with aspects of exhibition planning, including collections research, archiving of past projects, and database administration. The position will offer valuable exposure to exhibition logistics, academic research, and museum operations.

DUTIES:

• Assist the curators with light art historical research, archiving past exhibition materials, and other projects as needed
• Compile artist and object files (and organize those that already exist)
• Help create and manage checklists in Microsoft Word and Excel
• Respond to inquiries from scholars, outside institutions, and the public

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

• Time Management and Organizational Skills
• Technology Related Skills
• Professionalism and Leadership Development
• Ethical Standards
• Work Ethic and Habits
• Communication and Editing Skills Qualifications

REQUIREMENTS:

• Good organizational and writing skills
• Must be willing to learn, be curious about new subjects, and have a positive attitude
• Must be reliable, punctual, able to meet deadlines, prioritize tasks

PREFERRED BACKGROUND:

• Any field in the fine arts, liberal arts, or social sciences, including history, art history, anthropology, modern languages, etc.
• Ability to read Spanish and/or Portuguese a plus

TO APPLY, PLEASE SEND:

• Resume with education, employment history, and contact information for 3 references
• 1 letter of recommendation
• Cover letter addressing your interest in the position. If applying for more than one position, please include order of preference.
• Short academic writing sample (10 pages maximum)

Submit as PDF (please no doc files) to internships@blantonmuseum.org by January 15, 2020

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Marketing & PR Internship

DESCRIPTION:

With a collection of approximately 19,000 works, the Blanton Museum of Art is a resource for The University of Texas at Austin and the city of Austin. Through exhibitions, public programming, and educational outreach, the Blanton plays a vital role in the arts and cultural realm in this city and beyond. This internship offers an opportunity to work in the communications team of a dynamic and well-respected art museum. Working closely with the museum’s social media and PR managers, the intern will participate in projects that promote and position the museum’s collections, exhibitions, programs, and initiatives to a wider public. This internship is a valuable chance to learn more about communications in a nonprofit setting and best practices and trends in the art museum industry, while sharpening writing and other communications skills.

Applicants studying Communications, Media Studies, Advertising and Marketing, Journalism, any majors in the College of Fine Arts, PLAN II, or any majors in the College of Liberal Arts are encouraged to apply.

REQUIREMENTS:

• UT student currently pursuing a degree, or recent graduate
• Excellent writing, editing & proofreading skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word & top social media platforms; familiarity with WordPress, Sprout Social a plus
• Creative, motivated & strategic thinker

DUTIES:

• The intern’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
• Compiling press mentions & developing press summary reports
• Tracking/monitoring social media mentions & developing social media summary reports
• Submitting event details to publication event calendars
• Distributing promotional collateral to Austin businesses/organizations
• Drafting content for blogs and social media posts
• Assisting with photo and video shoots
• Other projects related to the interns’ skillset developed in concert with supervisory team

TO APPLY, PLEASE SEND BY JANUARY 6 TO PR@BLANTONMUSEUM.ORG:

• Resume with education, employment history, and references
• Cover letter addressing your interest in the position
• Link to online portfolio/writing samples

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Visitor & Volunteer Services Internship

DESCRIPTION:

The Manager of Visitor & Volunteer Services manages 250 volunteers for the Blanton Museum. Volunteers help us greet 200,000 visitors a year from UT and the surrounding community. Our interns help operate the Visitor Services area on a daily basis and help with general office duties as well as supervising volunteers. Interns also help as greeters, way-finders, information providers, gallery monitors, art activity facilitators and special event hosts.

The Visitor & Volunteer Services Intern will assist in all aspects of customer service, including helping Members. They will assist during large events such as Explore UT and Blanton Block Party. The position offers valuable, hands-on experience in customer service, visitor engagement and routine organizational procedures. Interns will also be able to experience myriad Blanton programs and events that volunteers support such as Third Thursday and concerts like SoundSpace. This is a great opportunity to gain an insider’s view of a large non-profit organization and to contribute not only to one of Austin’s most prestigious art institutions but also to the vitality of Austin’s art community in general.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Current or incoming UT undergraduate or graduate student
• Strong organizational and people skills
• Academic background in Art History, Communications, Management, Marketing, or a related field
• Excellent communication skills
• Must be a confident, independent worker with an outgoing, positive attitude
• Museum or art history experience is a plus
• Must be reliable, punctual, able to meet deadlines, prioritize tasks

DUTIES:

• Serve as Visitor Services assistant for the Blanton’s Explore UT and Blanton Block Party events, on Saturday, March 7 and Saturday, March 28.
• Assist the Manager of VS with supervising volunteers, checking on volunteer assignments, monitoring entrance of Kelly’s Austin, and helping visitors with lockers and other security needs.
• May periodically help in various other volunteer positions during breaks and gaps in the volunteer schedule.

TO APPLY, PLEASE SEND:

• Resume with education, employment history, and names of 3 references
• 1 letter of recommendation
• Cover letter addressing your interest in the position

Submit via email in PDF format only (please no doc files) to Martha Thomas, Manager of Visitor and Volunteer Services, at martha.thomas@blantonmuseum.org

Job Location: Dripping Springs, Texas

Position: Fall internship (unpaid)

Museum Overview: The Dr. Pound Historical Farmstead is an historic house museum located on five acres in Dripping Springs, Texas. It tells the story of Dr Joseph and Mrs. Sarah Pound, one of three families who settled Dripping Springs. The Museum explores the history of pioneer life on the unsettled frontier and early Texas history

The Museums Collections Intern assists the Collections Coordinator, who works in collaboration with the Collections Committee, in cleaning, restoring, properly storing, and cataloguing the collections for the Dr. Pound Historical Farmstead. This position may also have the opportunity to assist with new exhibit planning and implementation.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 3rd or 4th year history or museum studies student preferred; can include but is not limited to majors/minors such as American Studies, Cultural Anthropology, History
• Dependable and punctual
• Be available 6-8 hours a week
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office and familiarity with Past Perfect is preferred