Library Collections Assistant Internship

NOTE: Applications submitted through Handshake will NOT be considered.

Graduate Music and Performing Arts Curatorial Internship

Part-Time Hybrid Internship

$425/week

January 25 – April 23, 2027

Desired Majors and Areas of Study: Museum Studies, Music, Film, Television, Theater History and/or Performance Studies, American History

This internship is an opportunity to do meaningful curatorial work at one of the most prominent cultural institutions in the country building advanced skills in African American collecting and cultural preservation while expanding professional networks. As part of NMAAHC’s commitment to strengthening the museum talent pipeline, this position is designed to support graduate students in deepening the knowledge and experience that advance careers in African American history and culture. The skills developed through this internship (research, writing, critical analysis, project management, and professional communication) directly support careers across a wide range of museum positions, including curatorial, collections, education, public programs, and outreach, as well as related fields such as publishing, journalism, archival work, cultural policy, and the broader nonprofit and public humanities sectors.

The NMAAHC Music & Performing Arts Collection includes over 5,000 objects from celebrated artists, institutions, and historical events, as well as artifacts that reflect the role of creative expression in the everyday lives of individuals in their homes, churches, schools, and local communities.

The Office of Curatorial Affairs advances NMAAHC’s mission of sharing the history and culture of African Americans and all people of African descent with a diverse public by collecting, preserving, researching, and interpreting artifacts of lasting cultural significance. The Music and Performing Arts Curator contributes to this mission by stewarding a collection that spans the full breadth of African American creative expression (including music, television, film, theater, dance, comedy, and popular culture) from everyday creative life to landmark performances, recordings, and cultural movements. All of these areas are available to the intern. As a graduate intern, you will work directly with the curator on collections acquisition and processing, object documentation, research, and writing, contributing to an active list of ongoing projects throughout the internship. Before your start date, you will be given a list of Music and Performing Arts collections to select which collection(s) you want to focus on, allowing you to align the experience with your academic research and professional goals. This internship will strengthen your research and writing portfolio, expand your professional network across the museum, and deepen your expertise in African American curatorial practice.

This is a hybrid internship, combining remote work with scheduled onsite days at NMAAHC in Washington, DC, and a storage facility in Maryland. Start and end dates are to be determined in coordination with the intern and supervisor.

During the internship, you will develop hands-on expertise across a range of curatorial responsibilities, including conducting object research, assisting with acquisition proposals and exhibition texts, and handling and documenting objects and archival materials. You will also research and prepare donor briefs and profiles in support of the curator’s work with potential donors. In addition, you will engage with staff across the Office of Curatorial Affairs and other departments. By the end of the internship, the intern will be able to:

• Navigate and use the TMS (The Museum System) collection information database to locate and document collection records;
• Handle and process objects and archival materials following professional conservation and preservation standards;
• Assist with the creation and review of collection inventories, contributing to the Museum’s collections stewardship goals;
• Conduct independent object research and produce accurate collection documentation as directed by the curator;
• Research and prepare donor briefs and profiles that support the curator’s donor cultivation and community stewardship efforts;
• Draft, evaluate, and edit collection and exhibition texts to a professional standard;
• Author an object acquisition proposal and evaluate proposals critically using curatorial criteria;
• Produce a fully developed proposed exhibition, including interpretive labels and an exhibition narrative, drawn from the NMAAHC Music & Performing Arts Collection;
• Independently research, write, and present a formal acquisition justification to the NMAAHC Collections Committee;
• Complete and present a self-directed, independent project that reflects their specific research interests and advances their educational and professional goals;
• Develop an understanding of museums as institutions of cultural stewardship and gain insight into the importance of collecting and preservation through direct engagement with the collection and curatorial practice.

The ideal candidate is a graduate student with coursework or a research focus in African American history and culture, specializing in music, performing arts, popular culture, or museum studies. A genuine curiosity about Black history and culture, and their relationship to music and the performing arts, is essential. An interest in developing advanced research and writing skills in a museum setting is important. Prior experience with curatorial or archival work is a plus but not required. Comfort with word processing and spreadsheet software is expected; experience with collection management systems is welcome but not necessary.

The internship culminates in three final projects:

The first is a fully developed proposed exhibition of your choice drawn from the NMAAHC Music & Performing Arts Collection. You will curate a selection of objects and images, conduct in-depth original research, produce a comprehensive exhibition narrative, and write interpretive labels resulting in a substantial piece of work that can serve as a signature work and a writing sample.

The second is a formal acquisition justification: you will research and write a proposal for an object or collection of your choice and present it to the NMAAHC Collections Committee.

The third is a writing project of your own design, developed in consultation with the curator, that reflects your specific areas of interest and aligns with your educational and professional goals.

Duties Include (but are not limited to):

• Attend curatorial team meetings to observe institutional decision-making and gain familiarity with museum operations
• Develop proficiency with the TMS (The Museum System) collection information database to locate and document collection

Records

• Handle and document objects and archival materials following professional conservation and preservation standards
• Assist with the creation and review of collection inventories
• Conduct object research and produce accurate collection documentation as directed by the curator
• Research and prepare in-depth briefs and profiles for the curator’s visits with potential donors
• Draft, evaluate, and edit collection and exhibition texts to a professional standard
• Author and critically evaluate object acquisition proposals under the curator’s guidance
• Write interpretive labels and supporting materials for the final exhibition project
• Research and write a formal acquisition justification and present it to the NMAAHC Collections Committee
• Independently research, write, and present a self-directed project developed in consultation with the curator