History Museum Intern

SPIRITS Museum is seeking dedicated interns to assist with research and writing, digital content development, and outreach. SPIRITS is based in Williamsburg, Virginia, with a collection installation featured at our partner distillery Eight Shires Coloniale Distillery, but the museum itself is primarily virtual and hosts changing exhibitions through our digital platform at spiritsmuseum.org. 

Our mission is to advance scholarly research of colonial-era distillation, while offering visitors immersive and educational experiences surrounding the practice, use, and origins of distillation from the American Colonial to Revolutionary era (1584-1797). Colonialism has become a challenging topic as American society reconciles with its troubling past. Our research and exhibition programing seeks not only to celebrate and record the discoveries of early American distillers, but also looks to highlight the involvement of women and minorities in the practice and commercialization of distilling.

The Role

Interns will ideally work remotely 2 days a week for approximately 4 hours a day (possibly more or less dependent on schedule). The position is unpaid so we are flexible with hours; we will work with your school to ensure your hours translate into course credit if offered. You will be working closely with the head curator, with opportunities to independently visit research libraries, historic sites, and museums. 

There are 2 different internship roles we are looking to fill for the upcoming semester: 

1). Virtual gallery curation internship: We are working on converting the virtual gallery layout for our past online exhibitions, and would like to work with a student interested in curation for this project. It will involve translating the exhibition from its current platform on ArtPlacer to a web-based layout directly on our website. The images and information have already been curated, so it will be up to the intern to organize that material concisely in a new format under the direction of the curator. 

2). Grant research internship: This role would be excellent for a student looking to enter the nonprofit sector. The project entails identifying different funding opportunities from grants to alternative sources, compiling the requested grant material, and working with the curator to complete submissions. Grant writing is an integral skill for those in the nonprofit sector but can also be a great skill for the commercial world, as well. This internship is geared to help students learn what a succesful grant application looks like, discern what museums may or may not qualify for, and give insight on how to find grant opportunities. 

Please note that we are also open to project proposals from interns to facilitate their own learning in their specific field.  

All interns will work closely with the curator on all projects in a mentorship format. 

The position start and end date are based on student schedule. If based in the Hampton Roads/Richmond area of Virginia, there may be on-site opportunities to work with the collection installation at Eight Shires Coloniale Distillery, but there is no geographical preference as this internship(s) can be completed remotely.

General Tasks

• Work with curator to reformat virtual gallery to allow for ongoing public access 
• Find helpful primary and secondary sources related to colonial-era distillation, as it pertains to spirits, perfumes, science/alchemy, and medicine
• Research objects currently in the collection
• Compile prospective grant opportunities and assist curator with drafting applications/proposals
• Develop digital content for posting on social media and source public domain imagery for both social media and future exhibitions
• Weekly zoom call with curator to review assignments and progress
• Site visits: Interns are encouraged to visit historical sites or museums, and afterwards will submit site visit reports detailing their experience

Qualifications

Candidates must:

• Have an appreciation for and interest in American history
• Be professional, adhering to deadlines and joining zoom calls as scheduled
• Have excellent attention to detail and organizational skills
• Be proficient in Microsoft Office and Google Suites (knowledge of Adobe Suites a plus)

To apply, please submit an application through Handshake, or email a resume/CV along with a cover letter OR writing sample to the curator, Clanci Jo Conover, at info@spiritsmuseum.org.