The RISD Museum’s Mellon summer internship program introduces students to museum work and offers in-depth experience working in a specific department of the RISD Museum. Interns contribute to departmental projects with Museum staff as supervisors. As a cohort, interns discuss museum practice, build professional skills for working in the arts, and learn about how museums live up to their missions. This is designed as an introductory experience for students without prior experience or access to similar opportunities.
Planning to apply? Drop by virtual office hours on Friday, January 17, 12-1 pm, or Monday, January 27, 5-6 pm, to ask questions and get advice on your application.
- Program Details
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Applicants should have a strong interest in museum work and the topics related to the specific internship projects, but no previous museum experience or academic background in art history is necessary. This program is open to currently enrolled college and university undergraduate and graduate students; students graduating in the 2024-25 academic year are also eligible. Students who are not U.S. citizens are welcome to apply for the internship if they have a visa that is valid for the entire internship program (through mid-August 2025).
The ten-week internships begin on June 2 and end on August 8. Interns are expected to work for 20 hours a week. Participation in group seminars and workshops focusing on museum studies and professional practice is included in these weekly hours. Interns will develop an independent project related to their interests alongside these seminar sessions and at the end of the program, each intern will publicly reflect on their experience and share their work. Interns will receive a $4,000 honorarium. A limited amount of funding is available for travel assistance and may be awarded to accepted students who would not otherwise be able to take advantage of this opportunity.
The deadline for submitting applications is Friday, January 31, 2025, at 11:59 pm. Selected candidates will be interviewed in March and all applicants will be notified by the end of that month. Questions should be addressed to museum-academic@risd.edu.
Participants may arrange for academic credit for the internship through their college or university. To do so, they will need to fulfill the number of hours required for credit at their home institutions and any additional requirements, such as paper assignments, to qualify for that credit. Museum staff will provide supervision for such assignments as well as letters of support verifying the student’s participation in the internship program.
The Mellon Summer Internship Program at the RISD Museum is made possible by an endowment from the Mellon Foundation.
- Positions for 2025
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Curatorial Internships
Each curatorial intern will assist a curator or curatorial team with tasks related to researching and interpreting works of art and design, which may in some cases be associated with upcoming exhibitions or prospective additions to the collection. The intern will also assist with ongoing collection management. This may include taking inventories of objects, confirming descriptions and measurements, and entering and updating data in the Museum’s internal database system. The intern will gain an understanding of managing a collection area in a museum and will be introduced to writing about objects for platforms such as in-gallery texts and scholarly publications. Strong candidates will be detail oriented and will possess good organizational and research skills.Curatorial Internship: Asian Art
The Asian Art department oversees works that encompass vast geographical areas, broad time spans, and diverse cultures. Ranging from two-dimensional works such as prints, paintings, manuscripts, and books to three-dimensional sculptures, ceramics, metalwork, and more, the collection includes a wide representation of works in different media. The intern will assist with preparatory work (such as organizing and locating information in the museum’s object database), for an upcoming exhibition on Japanese prints, as well as collection management tasks such as cataloging and maintenance of curatorial research files. Candidates with knowledge of Japanese or Chinese language are preferred.Curatorial Internship: Decorative Arts and Design
The Decorative Arts and Design collections encompass European and American furniture, silver, metalwork, wallpaper, ceramics, glass, and jewelry from the medieval period to the present. The intern will focus on researching and cataloging the department’s collection of historic and contemporary jewelry. Additional projects including research, writing, and hands-on collection projects will be assigned on an as-needed basis. Candidates should have some knowledge of historical and/or contemporary jewelry as well as strong research skills.Digital Initiatives Internship: Digital Storytelling
The Digital Storytelling Intern will work collaboratively with the Digital Initiatives team to create compelling multimedia content that enhances the museum’s digital interpretation and storytelling efforts. Responsibilities include assisting with audio production, script drafting, and editing narrative content to craft engaging, documentary-style stories. The intern will help identify key audio components, edit interviews, and support the development of multimedia projects that connect audiences with the museum’s mission and collections.
This role provides hands-on experience in both visual and audio storytelling, including drafting and editing scripts, researching archival materials, and creating polished audio content. Strong writing skills with a journalistic approach, cultural competency, and an ability to adapt to various storytelling styles are essential. Preferred skills include familiarity with audio editing software, such as Adobe Audition, and video or photo editing tools in the Adobe Creative Suite. The intern will work closely with other members of the Digital Initiatives team, fostering a collaborative and creative environment. Applicants for this position should upload work samples in the allotted section of the application form.Digital Initiatives Internship: Photography
The Photography Intern in the RISD Museum’s Digital Initiatives department will assist with the documentation of museum programs, events, and activities, as well as the photography of collection objects. Working closely with the Museum Photographer and the Digital Initiatives team, the intern will gain hands-on experience in still photography, video capture, and basic post-production tasks, including editing and file management. Responsibilities include photographing events and exhibitions, as well as assisting with studio-based projects and maintaining photographic equipment. Preferred skills include familiarity with professional DSLR or mirrorless cameras, basic studio lighting, and a working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite (e.g., Photoshop, Premiere) and DaVinci Resolve. This role offers a unique opportunity to develop technical and artistic skills while contributing to the museum’s creative and educational initiatives. Applicants for this position should upload work samples in the allotted section of the application form.Registration Internship: Collection Information and Digital Asset Management
The Collection Information and Digital Asset Management Intern will learn how the museum's information and digital assets are organized and managed using two databases: the Collection Management System, which houses data about objects, events, exhibitions, etc. (information about the museum’s collection and programs), and the Digital Asset Management System which houses images, videos, audio recordings, etc. (information about all the digital files related to the museum’s collection and programs). The intern will work directly with the Registrar for Collection Information and Documentation gaining hands-on experience building database records and then importing, updating, and linking assets to those records. A successful candidate is detail oriented, possesses computer fluency (and interest), and has excellent organizational skills.Registration Internship: Collections Management
The Registration intern will learn about the care and management of the museum’s permanent collection and loans. The intern will assist with the rehousing of objects from the Decorative Art and Asian Art collections, catalog historic coins, assist with documentation of incoming acquisitions and loans for an upcoming contemporary ceramics exhibition, and help execute storage inventories in conjunction with curatorial departments. The intern will become familiar with the roles museum registrars and collections staff play and will gain knowledge of basic museum collections management practices, information systems, collections care, and an introduction to art handling skills. A successful candidate will possess attention to detail and computer fluency. - Frequently Asked Questions
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What are the seminars?
Seminar sessions focus on topics in contemporary museum practice, with the goal of providing a big-picture introduction to the philosophical considerations and the day-to-day realities faced by museum professionals. Seminar sessions include conversations with staff, discussions of readings and other assigned media, and field trips to other types of arts organizations.What is the independent project?
Interns have the opportunity to develop an independent project for the museum’s website during their time at the museum. Independent projects take a single object (or small group of objects) as their starting point. The format and content can be interpreted loosely and creatively and may include text, images, multimedia, or any combination of the above. Browse former interns’ perspectives on the collection here.Who do interns work with? Do they learn from staff other than their supervisor?
Interns’ primary staff resources are their individual supervisor, who oversees their work in their department, and the Director of Academic Programs, who runs weekly seminars and oversees independent projects. Department work often involves working alongside other staff members outside the department. Seminar sessions focus broadly on museum theory and practice, introducing interns to museum staff in a wide range of positions.
What are your criteria? What do you look for in an application?
We look for students who have a distinct perspective to lend to the work, who have a clearly articulated interest in exploring museum work, and whose career growth would be significantly impacted by this opportunity. Students may have some background relevant to the project selected, but the internship is geared towards those without extensive prior experience in museums and those who may not have had access to similar career opportunities. Successful applicants typically dedicate effort to the two statements, demonstrating a clear interest in the complexity of museums, in the RISD Museum, and in the position as it has been described.When listing the courses I’ve taken in my current course of study, how many should I include? Do they need to be art-related?
There is no maximum; please feel free to include any that would help us to get to know you and your interests. It is not necessary for you to have taken art-related courses. Think expansively about knowledge and skills that you think are relevant to the position, and the courses that have helped you gain them.Will you accept late applications if I was unaware of the opportunity before the deadline, or if I am prevented from submitting on the due date as a result of unforeseen last-minute circumstances?
For the sake of equity for all applicants, we do not accept any late applications. We recommend planning to submit your application prior to the due date, and if you are not able to apply this year, we encourage you to apply in the future, since this program is run annually.What is your review and interview process?
After the application deadline, there will be approximately one month for internal review. At the beginning of March, candidates will be contacted to schedule a video interview with the Director of Academic Programs and their prospective departmental supervisor.I’m located outside of Providence/Rhode Island and getting there may be difficult for me. Are there virtual opportunities or travel assistance?
We will not be offering fully virtual internships, but we do offer travel funding for those who need assistance. On your application, you can indicate that you would require a travel stipend.How and when are recommendations submitted?
As an applicant, you must let your recommenders know in advance that you are requesting letters of recommendation. They will receive a prompt to upload the letter when you submit your application. Letters should be received no later than February 9. You are responsible for planning ahead and requesting letters with enough advance notice.
As a recommender, you will receive an email from Submittable.com, the application platform we use, with a link to upload your letter. That will allow the letter to be filed with the application and considered by the selection committee. If you are not able to meet this deadline, please contact us at museum-academic@risd.edu.
Both applicants and recommenders, please note that the application system does not allow museum staff to upload a letter, update a previously uploaded letter, or re-send an upload request email; for any of these issues, please reach out to Submittable at www.submittable.com/help/submitter/.