Internship, Registration Dept.- Natl. Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution

CALL FOR SUMMER INTERNSHIP

National Museum of African Art
Smithsonian Institution

Registration Department


SUMMARY
The Smithsonian National Museum of African Art (NMAfA) is seeking an enthusiastic summer intern to work with the Registration department on a host of tasks and projects. The intern will learn the fundamentals of stewardship and best practices in collections management both by assisting and shadowing the Head and Assistant Registrars and actively participating in departmental projects. He or she will gain proficiency in The Museum System (TMS), learn the standards for proper object handling, and understand the process for depositing and accessioning works of art. By attending weekly and monthly meetings, he or she will gain a solid understanding of how the Registration department functions within the museum as a whole.

DUTIES
The intern may assist with the following projects:
- Yearly inventory of 10% of the permanent collection.
- Processing deposits, including unpacking, condition reporting, photography, and generation of paper and electronic records.
- Applying semi-permanent object numbers to the accessioned collection.
- Packing objects in preparation for outgoing loan.
- Preparing housing for a recent acquisition.
- Researching artist’s points of contact for the purpose of generating copyright requests.
- Digitizing object labels.
- Digitizing accession paperwork.

QUALIFICATIONS
- Graduate student or rising senior pursuing a Museum Studies, Art History, Anthropology or related degree
- Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office Suite
- Strong organizational and interpersonal skills
- Interest in pursuing a career in collections management

HOW TO APPLY
This internship is offered in a full-time or part-time capacity for a period of 8-10 weeks. Send resume, list of three professional references, and a cover letter explaining how this internship will further your professional goals to Clarissa Fostel, Head Registrar, fostelc@si.edu. Applications accepted until April 11, 2015. Please email with any inquiries.

Visit our website to learn more about the mission, collections, exhibitions and programs.
(http://africa.si.edu/)