About Art Bridges

Art Bridges Foundation is the vision of philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton. Since 2017, Art Bridges has created and supported projects that bring outstanding works of American art out of storage and into communities. Art Bridges partners with a growing network of over 200 museums of all sizes and locations on nearly 800 projects across the nation, impacting over 5 million people, to provide financial and strategic support for exhibition development, loans from the Art Bridges Collection and Partner Loan Network, and programs designed to educate, inspire, and deepen engagement with local communities. For more information, visit artbridgesfoundation.org.

Required Documents to Apply:

Job Description:

The Art Bridges Internship Program

Since its launch in 2020, the Art Bridges Internship Program has hosted over 50 students and emerging arts professionals from across the country in positions throughout the foundation. Our Internship Program is committed to providing a wide array of professional development opportunities to individuals with any level of experience or exposure to working in the arts, nonprofits, or philanthropic organizations.

Job Description

Position: Art Bridges Academic Year 2024-2025 Intern

Location: Bentonville, AR (Hybrid)

Position Type: Paid internship

Number of Available Positions: 8

Duration: September 3-November 22, 2024; January 13-April 4, 2025

Work Schedule: This is a part-time, hybrid role. Interns are expected to complete 10-15 hours of work per week and come to the Art Bridges office once per week to fulfill a portion of their hours. An intern's 10-15 hours can be split as deemed necessary by the intern's schedule, prioritizing completion within Art Bridges' operating hours of 8am-5pm, Monday-Friday.

Timeline:

Applications Due by: June 28, 2024

Interns Selected by: August 9, 2024

Interns Start: September 3, 2024

About the Positions

The Art Bridges Internship Program seeks eight interns for the 2024-2025 academic year (AY 2024-25). Hiring departments include:

Curatorial:

• Stewards the research and presentation of the Art Bridges Collection, conducting object research, label copy writing, and exhibition consultation discussions with Art Bridges partners.

Evaluation:

• Helps partners collect data to better understand audiences, measure program impact, and make responsive, visitor-centered decisions.

Fellows and Internship Programs:

• Provides new arts professionals with opportunities to immerse themselves in museum and nonprofit operations by placing Fellows in three-year appointments at an Art Bridges partner institution and training Interns in the Art Bridges office, receiving mentorship and professional development experience throughout the course of their fellowship or internship.

Funding & Awards:

• Oversees the distribution of awards to Art Bridges partners, providing assistance to partners throughout the award-making lifecycle, including communicating Art Bridges funding priorities to potential partners, application review, reporting, and maintaining and updating records.

Learning & Engagement:

• Works with Art Bridges partners to activate their loans and engage new and diverse audiences through multidisciplinary, community-building, and transformative programs.

Partner Loan Network:

• Brings art out of storage and into communities across the country by partnering with museums that have extensive American art collections available for long-term loans at partner museums.

Partnership Development:

• Leads Art Bridges' national partner growth and museum engagement efforts by coordinating outreach across the foundation, promoting Art Bridges core programs and driving interest in partnering with Art Bridges across the country.

Registration & Traveling Exhibitions:

• Registration monitors, maintains, and updates the policies and care measures considered for objects within the Art Bridges Collection. Traveling Exhibitions engages with museums of all sizes to develop and travel exhibitions drawn from a single institution's collection, supporting the creation, preparation, and presentation of traveling exhibitions with lending and borrowing partners across the country.

Internship Inclusions and Events

• Compensation: Paid and eligible for course credit
• Mileage stipend if driving to Art Bridges office
• Site visits to regional cultural institutions.
  • Past trips include: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Momentary, Shiloh Museum of Ozark History
• Participation in the Art Bridges Speaker Series
  • Past guests include: Brooke Lampley (Vice Chairman of Fine Arts, Sotheby's), Jason Herrick (Chief Philanthropy Officer, The Metropolitan Museum of Art), Nisa Mackie (Director of Learning & Audience Engagement, MoMA)
• Professional development workshops and trainings
  • Past topics include: resume building, cover letter writing, curriculum vitae development, job interview preparation
  • Networking opportunities with staff across Art Bridges and within other regional cultural institutions and organizations
• Introductory meeting with Art Bridges CEO
• Additional recreational and social activities such as intern coffee chats, staff events

Candidate Requirements

• Currently enrolled in a degree program (at the undergraduate or graduate level) at the University of Arkansas or Northwest Arkansas Community College, or a recent graduate (<1 year) residing in the Northwest Arkansas region, with an interest in entering the workforce as an emerging arts professional
• Enthusiasm for working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and ability to work effectively in a team and independently
• Strong organizational and coordination skills with attention to detail
• Effective time-management skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 required, and familiarity with CRM systems and research and Web-based search tools is strongly preferred

Application Requirements

Please provide a copy of your resume and a cover letter explaining your interest in the Art Bridges Internship Program. If desired, you are also welcome to include a writing sample, though this is not required.

When submitting their application, candidates will be asked to list their top three preferred internship positions and can indicate if they are open to being interviewed for other AY 2024-25 internships at Art Bridges. Candidates will be evaluated for their top three internship positions and, if the candidate consents, considered for AY 2024-25 internships in additional departments.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical demands: Occasionally, while performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to travel independently, regionally, and in communities served. This position requires working at a desk and utilizing a computer and a telephone for prolonged periods of time and good eye/hand coordination, bending and stretching for filing, and physical stamina to lift a minimum of 25 pounds to a height of at least three feet for art materials storage and preparation and as appropriate for the demands of the office. Visual acuity to review written materials is required for this job.

Work environment: Work will be performed in an office environment, museum spaces, and in communities served. Occasional evening and weekend hours may be required. The noise level in the office is usually low to moderate.

Computer equipment: Laptops will be provided to interns.

Art Bridges and DEAI

At Art Bridges, diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are central to all work and decisions made within our organization. We support our colleagues and partners in learning and growing together to make this important work part of our daily lives.

Art Bridges is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building and maintaining a culturally diverse workplace that is free of discrimination and harassment of any kind. We encourage all qualified applicants including women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.

All offers of employment are contingent on your successful completion (where permitted by state law) of a confidentiality agreement and background check. In addition, you will need to provide proper identification verifying your eligibility to work in the United States on your first day of work.