Design Gallery Intern

Original Record - Gallery Intern
 

47 East Market Street, Rhinebeck, New York

Part-Time  ·  12 to 18 hours per week  ·  Paid, $18/hour

Starting November 2026, with the option to continue through the spring and summer.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Original Record is a shop and design studio for curated vintage and antique furniture, lighting, art, and objects, opening on East Market Street in Rhinebeck this fall. We are looking for a student to work alongside the founder and the gallery team in the first months of the shop.

This is a hands-on role. You will move furniture, organize storage, research the pieces that come through the door, and help build the displays people see when they walk in. It is not an observation internship, and it is not coffee runs. If you want to learn how a design business actually runs, from the back room to the front window, this is that.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

– Organize and maintain inventory and storage, so that every piece is findable, tagged, and accounted for.

– Keep the gallery and back room clean and ready: dusting, floor care, packing materials, tools.

– Research pieces: makers, dates, materials, provenance, and comparable sales, and write up what you find for the piece's dossier.

– Move, carry, and position furniture and objects for installation, photography, deliveries, and client visits.

– Design and build vignettes in the gallery, working from the founder's direction and increasingly from your own eye.

– Visual merchandising: rotating displays, styling shelves and tabletops, editing items for sales through and restocking displays.

– Help with photography setups, shipping prep, and whatever else the week needs.

SCHEDULE

Hours are set around your class schedule. Most of the work happens Thursday through Saturday, when the gallery is open, and on one weekday for research, organizing, and installation. Some Saturdays are required.

WHO THIS IS FOR

– A current student, ideally in art history, studio arts, architecture, design, or writing. The major matters less than the eye.

– Curious about objects: who made them, why, and what makes one better than another. You will learn to think with a curatorial eye.

– Organized. You notice when something is out of place and you fix it.

– Comfortable with physical work, including lifting up to 50 pounds with a partner and being on your feet for a shift.

– Reliable. The gallery is small and the schedule depends on you showing up.

– Google Workspace is expected. Instagram, Claude, Shopify is a bonus, not a requirement.

WHAT YOU GET

Direct experience in sourcing, research, installation, and retail design at a business small enough that your work is visible. Writing samples for your portfolio from the dossiers you research. A reference from the founder, as you earn it. The position pays $18 an hour.

TO APPLY

Send a short note about why this interests you, a resume, and a portfolio if you have one, otherwise a few photos of a space or display you arranged following a description of your choices and why.  No cover letter template required, let us know why you want to learn here.

studio@originalrecord.com