The Allentown Art Museum is seeking organized and motivated candidates for our summer 2026 Curatorial Research internship. This individual will focus on conducting research in support of the department’s goals. This may include researching possible acquisitions, upcoming exhibitions, or future rotations in the Museum’s newly reinstalled American galleries. This research supports key activities including the interpretation and presentation of works in the galleries, the evaluation of gift offers and potential purchases, and increasing institutional knowledge and understanding of the collection.
Interns will gain practical experience and skills in object-based research and gain hands-on experience using the Museum’s collections database. For each research project, the intern will compile a file of documents from trusted and relevant sources. Through the course of the internship, students will learn about the day-to-day work involved in running a curatorial department and preparing for an exhibition.
Qualifications
The Curatorial and Collections department is seeking an individual who is detail oriented and passionate about the arts. The successful candidate must be a senior or graduate student with a demonstrated history of excellent academic research, including an ability to locate primary sources and use interlibrary loan and archival resources as needed. This intern must possess the ability to work independently and show a strong background or course work in art history or a closely related field is required.
Compensation
The Allentown Art Museum is proud to offer a $2,000 stipend to interns accepted into the program upon the completion of 120 hours of work. Stipends are provided in three intervals during the semester. Other benefits include complimentary student membership, which gives access to discounts at several local shops and eateries as well as in the Museum Store.
Application Instructions
Applicants must submit a resume and a cover letter outlining how their qualifications and experiences align with the position description and a resume. State and federal clearances and a background check (including a criminal-records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can begin work. Submit application materials to HR@allentownartmuseum.org.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Allentown Art Museum is an equal-opportunity employer and does not discriminate against persons on the basis of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and expression, marital status, age, disability, pregnancy, medical condition, or covered veteran status.
The deadline to apply for internships:
- Summer – April 15 application deadline
- Fall – August 15 deadline
- Spring – December 15 deadline