2026 Venue Operations Intern

The Momentary is a venue for the music, art, and food of our time; and a catalyst for creativity and economic vitality. An extension to Crystal Bridges, the Momentary is a ‘living room’ where community gathers to be inspired, connected, and joyful. Job Description: Position Title: 2026 Venue Operations Intern Position Type: Part-Time Classification: Non-Exempt Department: Guest Experience Operations Reports to: Venue Operations Manager Date Reviewed: November 2025 About Crystal Bridges & The Momentary: Crystal Bridges is a museum of American art located in Bentonville, Arkansas. We explore the unfolding story of America by actively collecting, exhibiting, interpreting, and preserving outstanding works that illuminate the American heritage and artistic possibilities. Founded by Alice Walton in 2005, the museum opened in 2011 and is a public, non-profit charitable organization with free admission. The Momentary is a venue for the music, art, and food of our time, and a catalyst for creativity and economic vitality. An extension to Crystal Bridges, the Momentary is a ‘living room’ where the community gathers to be inspired, connected, and joyful. The Momentary enriches lives through music, art, and food experiences that inspire creativity, build community, and create joy. You belong here, make the most of this moment. Position Summary: The Venue Operations Intern will work with the Guest Experience Operations Team, dedicated to ensuring high-quality and safe guest experiences at events through meticulous planning and seamless day-of-event execution. This role offers invaluable firsthand experience in the planning and execution of a wide variety of events and concerts, catering to audiences ranging from 50 to 5,500 guests. The Venue Operations Intern will play a pivotal role in creating welcoming, mission-aligned guest experiences by coordinating logistics, preparing event materials, and ensuring clear, consistent communication across teams for events and activations. The Venue Operations Intern will regularly undertake complex administrative tasks that require considerable discretion and confidentiality. They must consistently demonstrate professionalism, approachability, and proactivity, while effectively organizing and balancing multiple tasks. The intern will assist with managing multiple events with overlapping timelines, ensuring that all external and inter-departmental communications are clear, timely, and well-documented. Additionally, the Venue Operations Intern will gain proficiency in using Momentus, the institution’s event database software, and develop a comprehensive understanding of the roles, responsibilities, and operations of a high-functioning, multi-unit venue. Reporting to the Venue Operations Manager, the Venue Operations Intern will collaborate closely with team members across the Guest Experience Operations Department at Crystal Bridges and the Momentary, as well as with members of the Music, Production, Food, Learning and Engagement, Hospitality, Curatorial, and Special Events teams. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, collaborative, and passionate about delivering exceptional guest experiences for a variety of event types, including concerts, festivals, culinary events, and more. Application Materials: Interns that do not submit a resume AND cover letter will not be considered for this opportunity. Please answer the following questions in your cover letter when submitting your application. This internship involves coordinating events ranging from intimate programs to concerts with thousands of attendees. What draws you to event or venue operations, and how have past experiences, academic, personal, or professional, shaped that interest? Describe a time you helped create a positive experience for an audience, guest, or community. What steps did you take, and what impact did it have? Venue operations require both detailed planning and real-time adaptability. Share an example of a moment when plans changed unexpectedly. How did you respond, and what did you learn? Duties and Responsibilities: Cross Departmental Collaboration and Event Planning Assist with Artist Front of House Advances to facilitate collaboration between the venue and tour management. Participate in event planning meetings with leaders from across the institution, including those responsible for Event Production, Programming, and Coordination. Documentation Management Support internal and external complex events by assisting with the creation of event operational documents, including Staffing Plans, Operational Plans, and Event Checklists. Assist in creating and updating plans and checklists for recurring events and activations. Event Execution Assist with event set-up. Comple event safety checklists and assessments Work with Front of House teams to ensure smooth guest experience Monitor all guest-facing aspects of events, including entry experience, signage, line management, and crowd management. Complete end of show reports and participate in post event debriefs. Perform additional duties as assigned Qualifications: Pursuing a degree or experience relevant to a career in Event Management, Venue Management, or other related fields. Demonstrate excellent attention to detail and strong organizational skills. Capable of taking initiative while also seeking guidance when necessary. Adapt calmly and professionally to changes in plans or the environment. Willingness to manage multiple tasks simultaneously Proficient with standard office equipment, including basic computer literacy (word processing, spreadsheets, email, etc.), telephone, and copy machines. Polished and professional in interactions with guests, members, donors, staff, and executive management. Willingness to be a team player both within the department and throughout the entire organization. Flexible to work evenings and/or weekends in accordance with child labor laws. Timeline: Intern selected by: 2/10/2026 Anticipated Start Date: 3/9/2026 Anticipated End Date: 11/21/2026 The following is the permitted work hours schedule. March 9th-May 9th -Up to 20 hours a week May 10th-May 31st-Up to 30 hours a week June 1st-July 25th- Up to 40 hours a week July 26th-August 8th- Up to 30 hours a week August 9th – November 13th – Up to 20 hours a week Schedule: Weekly schedule to be arranged with direct supervisor To qualify for bachelor’s hours, you must be enrolled in an accredited program or have graduated from an accredited program within the last three years. Students will be required to submit a current schedule or official transcript. Compensation: High School Interns: $12.00 Undergraduate Students: $13.00 To qualify for bachelor’s compensation, you must be enrolled in an accredited program or have graduated from an accredited program within the last three years. Students will be required to submit a current schedule or official transcript. Required Documents: Application Materials: Interns that do not submit a resume AND cover letter will not be considered for this opportunity. Please answer the following questions in your cover letter when submitting your application. Cover Letter This internship involves coordinating events ranging from intimate programs to concerts with thousands of attendees. What draws you to event or venue operations, and how have past experiences, academic, personal, or professional, shaped that interest? Describe a time you helped create a positive experience for an audience, guest, or community. What steps did you take, and what impact did it have? Venue operations require both detailed planning and real-time adaptability. Share an example of a moment when plans changed unexpectedly. How did you respond, and what did you learn? Resume Housing Housing for internship positions is contingent upon the availability of funding and is not guaranteed. Internships that include housing explicitly state this within the position description. Any housing and/or relocation assistance provided is considered taxable income and will be reflected on the intern’s Form W-2. If housing is provided, priority will be given to students whose primary residence is more than 150 miles or three hours from either Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art or the Momentary. Physical Demands and Work Environment: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an intern 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: In the work environment described below, position requires work at a desk, utilizing a computer and a telephone for prolonged periods of time, 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 file and materials storage as appropriate for the demands of the office. Visual acuity to review written materials is required for this job. Work environment: Work will consist of administrative desk work and working on your feet doing event set-up, execution, and breakdown on the Crystal Bridges and the Momentary campuses. Some event shifts may consist of long hours, early hours or hours going late into the night. Exposure to loud music and weather is to be expected. If the intern’s personal equipment is used, the museum accepts no liability for any damage caused to said equipment while being used for museum purposes, nor loss or corruption of electronic files on devices. 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. Crystal Bridges is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a workplace that is free of discrimination and harassment of any kind. We encourage all qualified applicants 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. Art and Wellness Enterprises (AWE) provides professional support services in the areas of campus management, communications, finance, human resources and technology for these non-profits founded by Alice Walton: Alice L. Walton Foundation is a grant-making institution working to enhance the quality of life for individuals by providing access to offerings that improve well-being and create diverse and inclusive communities. Alice L. Walton School of Medicine is a four-year, medical degree-granting program that builds on foundational sciences and clinical practices with a compassionate, inclusive, and whole-person approach to care. Pending accreditation, the school will welcome its inaugural class in 2025. Art Bridges Foundation works to get great works of American art out of storage and into communities. Through partnerships with museums of all sizes across the United States, it creates and supports arts programs that educate, inspire, and deepen engagement with local audiences. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is a museum offering free admission to a world-class collection of American art, stunning architecture and five miles of sculpture and walking trails. Momentary is a satellite contemporary art space to Crystal Bridges. This adaptive reuse project turned a decommissioned cheese factory into a place for visual and performing arts, festivals, artists-in-residence, culinary experiences, and more. Heartland Whole Health Institute is a non-profit that addresses physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being by working with health systems, employers, and communities to redesign health care delivery. To view positions open for a specific entity, select company and sort by entity name.

Salary : $12 - $13