As a Brooklyn Museum intern, you’ll join a dynamic group of emerging arts professionals to reenvision the future of museums while gaining workplace skills through hands-on, real-world projects. We’ll equip you with the latest methods and tools for your field of interests, assign projects tailored to support your personal and professional growth, and provide space for critical dialogue about museums’ role today and tomorrow.
Our paid internships are for undergradute and graduate students, recent graduates, and adults 21+ who aren’t enrolled in higher education.
We offer paid, full-time internships in the summer and paid, part-time internships during the academic year. Interns receive free admission to most NYC museums and enjoy employee discounts at the Museum Café and Shop.
Teens: check out our teen programs.
Internships combine two elements:
Departmental placements: As an intern, you’ll be paired with a supervisor and integrated into one of our departments, participating fully in day-to-day workplace activities and projects with the guidance of full-time staff members. Your placement is based on interest and relevant experience, and you’ll work alongside our expert staff on key tasks, gaining skills while making important contributions to the Museum as a whole. Interns also receive ongoing training and mentorship from department leaders who are committed to supporting interns’ growth, as well as their autonomy and agency, over the course of the program. Please refer to the online application for a list of available departmental placements and descriptions. While departmental placements change with each application cycle, there are usually several open positions in Curatorial, as well as in Development and Conservation.
Weekly seminars: Our internships combine practical experience with professional development through weekly seminars that focus on the role of museums in society. During our fall and spring internships, seminars take place on Tuesdays, 9:30 am–12:30 pm, and in the summer they are held on Tuesdays, 9:30 am–5:30 pm. Attendance is mandatory. The seminars look critically at the history of museums; question how museums have responded to current events, trends, and social issues; and ask interns to envision what the next generation of museums will look like. Seminars include intimate conversations with Brooklyn Museum curators, conservators, educators, and collection and exhibition specialists, as well as invited artists and outside experts. Interns also visit local museums and other cultural institutions. Over the course of the internship, interns gain skills and perspectives on museum work, and learn how to transfer those skills to other types of professional experience.
Summer 2024 internships
May 28–August 2, 2024
Applications for summer internships open on February 2, 2024, and close March 3, 2024, at 11:59 pm EST. Summer internships are paid, full-time opportunities ($17 per hour, 35 hours per week). In addition to working in their department, interns must attend seminars every Tuesday, 9:30 am–5:30 pm.
Fall 2024 internships
September 20–December 13, 2024
Applications for fall internships open in June 2024. Check back for updates. Spring and fall internships are paid, part-time opportunities ($17 per hour, 18 hours per week). In addition to working in their department, interns must attend seminars every Tuesday, 9:30 am–12:30 pm.
Intern Convenings and “A Handbook for Our Future”
The Brooklyn Museum’s annual Intern Convening is an opportunity for interns and emerging arts professionals to think critically about how cultural institutions can help create an equitable and just society. Our first convening, in 2021, comprised five days of virtual workshops created and led by Brooklyn Museum interns. Guests from various disciplines spoke to 250 attendees about art and public health, criminal and immigration justice, and ways that cultural institutions can support underrepresented groups.
Emerging professionals who attended at least one of the sessions returned for the culminating event to document their ideas about cultural institutions’ role in social justice. Those ideas are now presented in the digital publication “A Handbook for Our Future.” This handbook reflects interns’ and other professionals’ collective vision and intentions for the future of cultural institutions and their intersections with social justice issues. Although not intended to provide concrete solutions, the handbook serves as a framework for young arts professionals to consider and utilize.
Internships FAQ
Do you require letters of recommendation?
No; instead, we ask that you provide two references (name, title, and contact email). References should be current or previous supervisors, professors, or other professionals who have worked with you in some capacity.
Do you offer visas?
Unfortunately, we do not sponsor international visas for interns requiring employment sponsorship now or in the future. Candidates seeking an opportunity at the Brooklyn Museum must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship consideration.
Do you offer unpaid internships?
The Brooklyn Museum offers only paid internships in an effort to provide financial support for emerging professionals of all economic backgrounds. However, if you have been awarded a stipend through your college or another program, we do welcome outside funding.
Can I apply to be an intern if I’m not enrolled in college or graduate school?
Yes! We accept a variety of levels of experience and education. For those without higher education, we require three years of work experience in any industry (including retail and service fields). Individuals who have completed their associate’s or bachelor’s degree are also eligible to apply.
I interned at the Brooklyn Museum before. Can I apply again?
Although we would love to host interested alums again, we do not award internships to the same person twice. Each application cycle aims to bring in new emerging professionals who have yet to participate in our programming.
Do you provide credit for internships?
We don’t provide credit. However, if your college or university offers credit, we can serve as a host institution.
When will I receive notification about my application?
Each internship cycle has a different notification date. Once you submit your application, you’ll receive an automatic confirmation email that includes the notification date.
I applied for an internship in the past and was not accepted. Can I apply again?
Yes! We encourage you to apply again. Please let us know when you applied and share your latest experiences, as well as the skills you’ve honed or acquired, since you submitted your last application.
If you have any questions, email internships@brooklynmuseum.org.
