Emerging Art Leaders Internship - Publishing (Summer 2019, PAID)
Position Summary
The Department of Publishing creates smart, beautiful books that help readers make meaningful connections with the museum’s collections and exhibitions. Embracing both print and digital formats, we publish deep art historical scholarship and also transform that research into engaging, affordable guidebooks designed to meet visitors just where they’re at. Publishing is a form of outreach, and we’re always working to create books that excite new readers in new ways.
As the summer 2019 Emerging Art Leaders intern, you will do just that as you help us reinvent one of our most important publications: the Art Institute’s Pocket Guide, which includes works from every corner of the museum, appears in five languages, and sells nearly 19,000 copies in the museum shop annually. Instead of simply updating the book, we’re rethinking its approach, content, and design entirely and you will play a key role on this important and highly visible project.
Over the course of this internship, you will learn how to make a museum book from the ground up, which involves working with staff across the Institute. You will also have the opportunity to research innovative publications from peer institutions and collaborate with Interpretation staff, learning how to talk with visitors about what they want. Additionally, you will consult with curatorial departments, assessing which objects to include and how best to describe them. Finally, you will work with editors and production specialists on the Publishing team to make crucial decisions about how the new Pocket Guide will read, look, and feel, all the while being exposed to the exciting and important role of publications in the art museum field.
INTERNSHIP OUTCOMES
- Mentor relationships with field practitioners
- Peer-to-peer relationships with fellow interns
- Awareness of the inner-workings of a large art museum with a global collection
- Richer understanding how books are conceived and realized in a museum context.
- Direct experience with visitor research and its use to create books for general audiences.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Research potential models for the new Pocket Guide created by peer institutions around the world.
- Work with the Interpretation team to learn visitor research methods and conduct a visitor study of the current Pocket Guide.
- Collaborate with the Publishing team on creating an editorial and design vision for the new Pocket Guide.
- Connect with curatorial departments to select works for inclusion in the book.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Undergraduate or graduate student in the Chicago metropolitan area; recent graduates (within one year of graduation) with relevant experience will also be considered
- Committed to the goal of promoting inclusive, pluralistic museums
- A love of books and a curiosity about how they’re created in an art-museum context.
- An enthusiastic and flexible person who’s looking to embrace a wide range of duties.
- Team-oriented and interested in collaborating with staff across departments and areas of expertise.
About the Emerging Art Leaders Internship:
This program is a museum-wide effort to provide students from diverse backgrounds, including those underrepresented in the museum field, the opportunity to gain experience, career awareness, networks, skills that will together position them to succeed as future art museum leaders. Those selected join an intern cohort and have access to a range of programs to support their development in addition to their specific departmental placement. Mentorship is provided throughout the intern experience. Interns are also encouraged to remain connected to the museum and to other interns as part of an alumni network.
The Emerging Art Leaders Internship is open to all qualified candidates, with priority to those who demonstrate commitment to the goal of promoting inclusive, pluralistic museums. Individuals from groups historically underrepresented in the arts museum field are particularly encouraged to apply.
The Emerging Art Leaders Internship is made possible, in part, through the Diversifying Art Museum Leadership Initiative (DAMLI), funded by the Walton Family Foundation and the Ford Foundation.
APPLICATION
Application must include the following materials:
- Resume
- Cover letter that also includes answers to the following questions:
- What you hope to gain from this internship experience
- What you will contribute to this internship
- What challenge(s) or barrier(s) you face (personal, cultural, socioeconomic, educational, etc.) as you consider pursuing a career in the arts, and how this internship might play a role in helping to surmount those obstacles
Please combine all application materials into a single PDF for upload.
PRIORITY DEADLINE
For fullest consideration, applications should be submitted by March 12, 2019, 5:00 pm CST.
Intern Information
Length of Program: Summer Term (June-August), up to 35 hours/week
College Credit: Available
Compensation: Paid
The Art Institute of Chicago is an equal opportunity, equal access employer fully committed to achieving a diverse and inclusive workplace.