Peter A. Krueger Internships | Summer 2023

curatorial INTERNSHIP – Department of product design & decorative arts

The Curatorial department generates the content that fills Cooper Hewitt’s galleries and can be experienced by walking through exhibitions, reading museum publications, and perusing online. Curatorial practice is centered on ideas and research, using objects, themes, and people to tell stories. The Department of Product Design and Decorative Arts (PDDA) is home to nearly 39,000 three-dimensional objects dating from antiquity to the 21st century.

The Krueger intern will work with the curatorial team on a range of exhibition development tasks that may include researching and writing accessible and engaging in-gallery labels, planning and creating exciting online content, improving object information in the museum’s database, and providing feedback on exhibition contents and design.

Skills and Qualifications:   

• Curiosity and interest in researching and learning about both historic and contemporary design
• Strong sense of organization, accuracy, and thoroughness
• Strong communications and writing skills
• Knowledge of art history and/or cultural and social history
• Care and willingness to learn museum-level object handling skills
• Willingness to learn the museum’s database software, TMS
• Computer Skills: Microsoft Office (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams)

To apply, create an account and complete the application on Smithsonian Online Academic Appointment System (SOLAA). Once you have an account established, click Start Your Application and then search “Krueger” in the Program Name field.

curatorial internship – contemporary design

Cooper Hewitt’s curatorial department creates object-driven stories about design that audiences experience in our galleries, publications, and online. Our permanent collection includes more than 215,000 objects spanning 30 centuries and several collecting areas, including drawings, prints, and graphic design, product design and decorative arts, textiles, wallcoverings, and digital works.

This intern will support the curators of a monographic exhibition celebrating the work of a soon-to-be announced contemporary artist and designer.

Assisting the curators with the final phase of the project, the Krueger intern will primarily prepare content for the digital exhibition, which will expand the impacts of the in-gallery experience to global audiences online. The intern will be responsible for organizing, uploading, and helping to develop web content that adapts the exhibition narrative to a screen-based journey. As part of their duties, the intern may also assist with ensuring the exhibition is accessible to visitors of all abilities, which could include drafting and uploading image descriptions, sequencing objects for large-print labels, preparing object records for extraction to the collections website, and other tasks as assigned.

Skills and Qualifications:   

• Background or specialization in art, art/design history, theater design, or performance
• Interest in contemporary design and performance, particularly as it intersects with theater, opera, fashion, immersive installations, etc.
• Strong writing skills
• Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office and Google Suites as well as Dropbox

To apply, create an account and complete the application on Smithsonian Online Academic Appointment System (SOLAA). Once you have an account established, click Start Your Application and then search “Krueger” in the Program Name field.

GRAPHIC DESIGN INTERNSHIP

The Communications and Marketing Department raises public awareness about Cooper Hewitt’s exhibitions and public programs through public relations, social media, marketing, and advertising initiatives.

As a part of the Communications and Marketing team, the graphic design intern will collaborate with many different departments and experience the design process from plan to execution. This internship will offer an opportunity to produce graphic design materials to promote Cooper Hewitt as a contemporary local, national, and international design resource for its target audiences.

The intern will help implement design systems and guidelines for visual communications that extend and complement the Cooper Hewitt brand identity and ensure consistency of the museum’s identity and brand on all digital and print pieces.

Skills and Qualifications:   

• Strong graphic design portfolio
• Excellent computer skills, including Adobe Creative Suite, HTML/CSS/JS, MS Office
• Understanding of WordPress and MailChimp theming/templating environments
• Working knowledge of various social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, is required
• Animation skills are a plus

To apply, create an account and complete the application on Smithsonian Online Academic Appointment System (SOLAA). Once you have an account established, click Start Your Application and then search “Krueger” in the Program Name field.

Interpretation & inclusion internship

This internship will occur between two departments: Cross-Platform Content and Learning and Audience Engagement, with a special focus on interpretation and accessibility initiatives. Cross-Platform Content is involved in the content development and workflow for books (print and digital), video, exhibition didactics, digital interactions, and website. Museum interpretation is led by cross-departmental collaborators and is developed to produce accessible and discoverable storytelling for all audiences.  Cooper Hewitt’s Accessibility and Inclusion Manager is also a key part of the Interpretation team and works to ensure that all museum materials and programs are accessible.

This internship will be built around how museum content strategy and development intersects with the interpretation process. This cross-departmental role will participate in developing programmatic resources and digital content while learning about embedding accessibility into every step of the process.

Skills and Qualifications:   

• Interest in museum work, including education, publishing and content development, accessibility, and/or interpretation
• Basic computer skills (Microsoft Office, basic Adobe)
• Interest in current issues in museum interpretation and content development

To apply, create an account and complete the application on Smithsonian Online Academic Appointment System (SOLAA). Once you have an account established, click Start Your Application and then search “Krueger” in the Program Name field.