This position is for art enthusiasts interested in gaining curatorial experience in a gallery setting. Interns work with curators on installation, documentation of artwork, client and guest relations, and general functions of the gallery.By the end of the program, you’ll be experienced in administrative tools such as Salesforce, Shopify, Microsoft, and Photoshop. There are days where you may also get dirty from painting walls and installing gallery display objects. The position will also touch on nonprofit art administration, some marketing and sales, allowing the intern to gain valuable experience in preparation for entry into today’s competitive job market.
As part of PIVOT (Programmatic Interns and Volunteers Organized Together), the Society of Arts + Crafts seeks a Gallery Intern. The dual mission of the Society is to encourage the creation, collection, and promotion of the work of contemporary craft artists and to advance public appreciation of fine craft. The Gallery Internship Program was developed in 2001 to provide internships to undergraduate and graduate students seeking to learn about and contribute to the exciting field of contemporary crafts.
Timeline:
This internship is a semester or summer long opportunity, with the Gallery Intern working between 8 – 16 hours a week. We request 1 full work day or 2 half days during the week and one Saturday per month. Additional hours are available if the internship is for credit, dependent on program requirements. Work schedule is to be determined within open gallery hours: Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm. The Society is open until 9 pm on Thursday evenings. A full academic year internship would be considered upon request. College credit can be earned through the intern’s college or university. We also understand and encourage that staff go on vacations and need to occasional adjust work schedules. You will work with your fellow interns and staff manager to handle scheduling solutions.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Interns work directly with the exhibition gallery staff and retail gallery staff on a variety of tasks such as: processing artist documents, assembling artist and media materials, , communicating with artists via phone and email, and daily administrative duties. Interns are integral to successful exhibition preparations and an important presence in the gallery.
- Contribute to our artist biographies for artists we represent in the gallery.
- Build upon our online store (Shopify) by entering products, product photography, and item descriptions
- Interns will be required to attend and review a craft exhibition in the Boston area and prepare the review to be submitted to a publication. You are not required, but encouraged to submit your writing to a publication. Similar writing assignments are welcome.
Goals:
- Intern will receive meaningful, project based work experience
- Intern will learn about how a small nonprofit arts organization operates, with many opportunity to meet and interact with staff in various positions
- Intern will have the opportunity to have their cover letter and résumé reviewed at the conclusion of the internship, as well as practice interviewing skills
Basic Qualifications/Requirements:
- An interest in the arts
- An enthusiastic and reliable nature
- Interest in being involved in the administrative side of a non-profit arts organization
- Ability to engage with artists and gallery guests
- Basic knowledge of Microsoft Office and design applications preferred. Comfortable with Google Drive.
Evaluation:
Intern shall be provided feedback throughout the internship, with formal evaluations at the halfway mark and following completion. Intern shall be given the opportunity to give feedback and critique of their experience. Additional steps will be taken if internship needs documentation for class credit.
Compensation and Benefits:
This is an unpaid internship. The core staff takes time to educate its interns as much as possible, sharing previous work experience, reviewing cover letters and resumes, and offering an exit performance interview with constructive criticism. The Society considers its internships as an educational experience and strives to help our interns succeed.
Please send resumes to CraftBoston Director, Lindsay Miś at CraftBoston@societyofcrafts.org
Society of Arts + Crafts is located in the Seaport District at 100 Pier Four Blvd, Suite 200, Boston, MA 02210. For more information about Society of Arts + Crafts, visit our website.
