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Contemporary Craft Research and Administration Undergraduate Internship

Museum of Fine Arts Boston
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Contemporary Craft Research and Administration Undergraduate Internship - Fall 2025

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston’s Department of Contemporary Art is actively looking to hire a talented current junior or senior undergraduate with interest in a museum career for a fall 2025 paid internship position in Craft Research and Administration. This position focuses on curatorial work done in conjunction with living makers and artists in the world of contemporary craft. You don’t need to know too much about craft, but you need to be curious about it and excited to learn. 

The internship is housed within the Department of Contemporary Art which is responsible for the acquisition, study, and display of art created from 1955 to today. Contemporary art at the MFA encompasses many media including film and video art, sculpture, installation, photography, paintings, design, craft, decorative arts, and performance. In September 2011, the Museum opened its renovated Linde Family Wing as a space dedicated to contemporary art, vastly expanding the department’s capacity for exhibition. 

The fall intern for Craft Research and Administration will undertake administrative tasks related to an upcoming contemporary craft reinstallation of permanent collection works, including work on TMS (The Museum System) database, tracking installation and conservation requests, and general exhibition planning. The intern may also work on elements of an upcoming book on craft, including permissions and copyediting.  This intern may also be asked to conduct research, support special projects and events within the department, and assist with the administrative functioning of the department. While the position will interface with all Department staff, supervisory mentorship will be provided by the Wornick Curator of Contemporary Decorative Arts.

For this role, we encourage applications from candidates who are strongly interested in curatorial work in a museum setting, but who may not yet have had the opportunity to experience it much or at all. The internship will suit someone with a love of and true facility in reading, writing, and research, and who wants to learn how to direct these skills as part of museum work.

The ideal candidates must be able to work onsite 2 days (14 hours) per week, (within Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm parameters), from September 12 through December 12, 2025, including attendance at the Museum Pathways & Practices professional development course from 12:30-2:30pm on the following Fridays: Sept 19, Sept 26, Oct 3, Oct 10, Oct 17, Oct 24, Oct 31, Nov 7, Nov 14, Nov 21, and Dec 5.

The intern will be paid at a rate of $16.80 per hour and will receive a $90 per month transportation subsidy. (*This subsidy is subject to taxes.) 

As we amplify our efforts toward becoming a truly inclusive institution, ensuring that diversity, equity, and access are lived values, we actively encourage candidates from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds to apply to the program.

Essential Functions: 

  • Work directly with multiple members of the Department of Contemporary Art to ensure substantial first-hand experience in Museum curatorial work
  • Track contemporary craft reinstallation project status across offsite and installation requests, take meeting notes across stakeholder meetings, action items from these meetings, and generally assist with administration of this project
  • Use TMS to enter information about status of artworks in craft reinstallation project (Training to be provided if necessary)
  • Track contemporary craft book image permissions and proactively follow up as needed
  • Assist in researching collection objects for the purpose of writing web texts to enable the Contemporary collection to have a more visible and research-friendly public-facing digital platform
  • Assist in the imaging of collection objects by helping to arrange for their transfer to the MFA Photo Studio
  • Obtain permissions and copyright clearance for images and maintain accurate credit lines for newly imaged works, and help to ensure accuracy of information on publications, in print and online
  • *Prepare and offer a 3-minute final synoptic presentation of the internship as part of the Museum Pathways & Practices professional development course

Required Qualifications: 

  • Enrolled in an (under)graduate program concurrent with the internship period 
  • This position is open to junior and senior undergraduates (i.e., class of 2026 or 2027) only. 
  • Curiosity about contemporary craft
  • Proven ability to work as part of a team as well as comfort to work independently 
  • Previous TMS or other database experience helpful 
  • Excellent organizational skills with keen attention to detail
  • Demonstrated written and communication skills with strong research abilities 
  • *Ability to commit to 2 days (14 hours) per week, (within Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm parameters), from September 12 through December 12, 2025, including attendance at the Museum Pathways & Practices professional development course from 12:30-2:30pm on the following Fridays: Sept 19, Sept 26, Oct 3, Oct 10, Oct 17, Oct 24, Oct 31, Nov 7, Nov 14, Nov 21, and Dec 5. 
  • Ability to attend orientation on Fri, Sept 12, 2025, 10am to 3:30pm. 

How to Apply 

  • DO NOT INCLUDE any document, (e.g., transcripts, writing samples, or even recommendations), that is not specifically requested within this description.
  1. Combine your cover letter and resume into a single document, (Word or PDF). The cover letter must include all of the following: 
    1. the title of the internship for which you are applying (one internship per application)
    2. how the named internship fits into your academic and/or career goals
    3. why your specific skills/experience/interests qualify you for the internship
    4. any periods when you are not available for an in-person interview 
    5. your contact information including e-mail and daytime phone 
  2. Save your document file as (LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME_POSITIONTITLE_Fall2025)
  3. Candidates may apply for no more than two internships per season, and must submit a separate cover letter/resume document for each position.  
  4. **Direct any/all questions to: intern@mfa.org before submitting your application. Applications not conforming to these guidelines may be deemed ineligible.   
  5. Upload the single document as your resume via the ADP portal Internships | Museum of Fine Arts, Boston ASAP before August 11, 2025.