McMullan Arts Leadership Internship — Engagement Programs, Planning and Evaluation (Summer 2025)

McMullan Arts Leadership Internship —Engagement Programs, Planning and Evaluation (Summer 2025)

The Art Institute of Chicago shares its singular collections with our city and the world. We collect, care for, and interpret works of art across time, cultures, geographies, and identities, centering the vision of artists and makers. We recognize that all art is made in a particular context, demanding continual, dynamic reconsideration in the present. We are a place of gathering; we foster the exchange of ideas and inspire an expansive, inclusive understanding of human creativity.  

• Expected Range: $16.73 per hour
• Job Classification: Intern
• Grade Level: Not Applicable

This role is not eligible for benefits or PTO.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Art Institute of Chicago’s Engagement department seeks an enthusiastic and organized intern interested in planning and evaluation of museum programs.

The Engagement Programs team develops and produces live programmatic content, centering museum collections and exhibitions, for our visitors and members. In building a comprehensive auditoria calendar, we collaborate with teams museum-wide—including all 11 curatorial departments, interpretation, conservation, philanthropy, civic engagement, marketing, experience design, audiovisual solutions, and external partners, among others—to ensure the programs we present are seamless in production, exceptional in substance, and thoughtful in stewardship. We lead in providing the highest level of hospitality to our presenters and visitors, connecting audiences through the diverse stories we elevate from across museum collections, and rigorously evaluating outcomes to inform future planning.

This internship will support member and public programming as well as ongoing reporting and evaluation projects. In this role, the intern will develop and deepen skills in audience research, qualitative and quantitative data analysis, and program production and evaluation through collaboratively-designed projects that may include researching programming and audience engagement at other cultural institutions, analyzing audience feedback, and evaluating program experience. The internship will provide a balance between learning about audience engagement and arts programming and hands-on experience with program production and evaluation.

The intern will join a museum-wide intern cohort and have access to a range of programs to support their development in addition to their placement with Engagement Programs. Mentorship is provided throughout the experience and connections with an intern alumni network will be established.

Goals of the McMullan Arts Leadership Internship Program

The McMullan Arts Leadership internship program is part of a museum-wide effort to provide students the opportunity to gain experience, career awareness, networks, and skills that will position them to thrive as future art museum leaders.

The primary objective of this internship is to support students who will encounter economic challenges if considering a career in the arts. Aligned with this goal, we aim to shape a diverse group of leaders whose actions are informed by a wide range of perspectives, varying career paths, and values inspired by their own lived experiences.

INTERNSHIP OUTCOMES:

• In this position, the intern will have the opportunity to:
• Gain an understanding of arts program design, development, and production;
• Develop audience research and engagement skills;
• Develop collaborative skills;
• Develop project management skills;
• Become familiar with art museum processes, organization, and trends;
• Develop strong communication and organizational skills;
• Develop mentor relationships with field practitioners;
• Build peer-to-peer relationships with fellow interns.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• With guidance from the position’s mentors, the intern will be responsible for:
• Assisting with planning and production of member and public programming;
• Researching potential programs and initiatives designed to increase participation and engagement among members and visitors, with a focus on driving key museum priorities;
• Supporting program reporting and evaluation by analyzing program data and survey feedback, and presenting findings through written reports and data visualizations;
• Attending weekly check-ins with mentors: the assistant director of engagement programs, associate director of engagement programs;
• Attending intern cohort professional development programs and museum practice seminars.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Undergraduate or graduate student; recent graduates (within one year of graduation upon applying) will also be considered
• Applicants must be based or attending school in the Chicagoland area and eligible to work in the US during the summer internship term
• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
• Strong research and analysis skills, prior experience with data analysis projects preferred
• Ability to be open-minded and work collaboratively with colleagues across the museum
• Willingness to interact with visitors of all ages, dispositions, and backgrounds
• Proficiency in Microsoft Suite and Google Suite
• Detail-oriented mindset and demonstrated organizational skills; ability to multitask and be flexibly prioritize when appropriate

APPLICATION:

You must upload all of the requested materials below (résumé and essay responses) into only pdf document and list your last name and “Summer 2025” in the title of the file (example: [LAST NAME]_SUMMER2025.pdf.) Please upload your materials where asked in the online application.

PLEASE NOTE: You will be considered if any requested application element is missing.

To apply for this internship, tell us your story. We want to understand who you are, what motivates you, how you think, and where you’re coming from. Please submit the following materials:

• Résumé
• Instead of a traditional cover letter, please respond to the following questions in short essays (no more than 300 words per answer.) We encourage you to provide specific examples to support your answers or to illustrate your ideas:
•  
  • What about this opportunity interests you the most?
  • With the goals of the McMullan Arts Leadership intern program in mind, what unique values, experiences, or perspectives would you bring to this role?
  • How do you envision this opportunity helping you towards your professional goals?

DEADLINE:

This application will close on Friday, March 7th at 11:59 pm CDT. Selected applicants will be asked to interview via video call approximately two weeks after the deadline passes.

INTERNSHIP INFORMATION:

Duration of Position: 10 weeks / June 2025 (start date anytime during the week of June 2–6) through August 2025 (end date anytime during the week of August 4–8)

Compensation: Paid – $16.73/hr – 28 hrs/week – Temporary

Schedule: This is a part-time, 10-week position for a currently enrolled or recently graduated undergraduate or graduate student. The intern will work 28 hours per week, for a total of up to 280 hours over the course of the internship. Work days will occur between Monday–Friday; the start date and schedule will be determined upon agreement with the candidate and the host department.

Hourlong virtual and in-person intern professional development programs will be scheduled throughout the internship term that the student is strongly encouraged to attend. These programs will occur during the week; we ask that the intern make this part of their internship schedule.

Format: The internship will occur fully onsite. Due to onsite necessity, applicants based or attending school in the Chicagoland area during the internship timeframe will be prioritized. Internet access and appropriate technology will be necessary to complete this internship, but technological accommodations will be provided by the Art Institute of Chicago.

Number of openings: 1

The Art Institute of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits, hires and promotes qualified individuals without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, veteran status or citizenship. The Institute complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact the Department of Human Resources at apply_help@artic.edu.