What are the responsibilities and job description for the Nord Network Internship in Collections Management position at Cleveland Museum of Art Job Openings?
Intern/Fellow Title: Nord Network Internship in Collections Management
Academic Level: Associate or Bachelor’s degree preferred
Supervisors: Collections Management senior staff
Department: Collections Management
Dates of Internship/Fellowship: April 2026 – March 2027 (start and end dates flexible)
Term: 44 weeks
Collections Management Internship Overview:
The Collections Management department of the Cleveland Museum of Art welcomes applications for an internship position, for a period of 44 weeks, from April 2026 to March 2027. The Collections Management Intern is an aspiring museum professional, interested in a career path in art handling, collections care, or museum registration.
The Collections Management Intern will join a collaborative collections management department, in caring for the museum's encyclopedic art collection while in storage and on view. The Collections Management department is engaged in a wide variety of activities to support the safety, organization, accessibility, and long-term preservation of the collection. The department supports loans, rotations, exhibitions, and acquisitions with associated art movement, installation, documentation, and storage needs.
This position will be provided with multiple opportunities for learning and engagement through the practical applications of key collections care and museum registration principles and projects at a modern encyclopedic art museum to help reinforce the climate of equity, opportunity, and respect for art handling, collections care, and registration at the Cleveland Museum of Art. The intern will gain hands-on experience with professional collections care specialists, focusing on developing skills needed to successfully build a career in collections management.
Placement within the department will be determined by the intern’s interest in career path. A focus will be placed on developing the skills and knowledge base needed to successfully build a career in museums collections care. Reporting to senior staff in the Collections Management department, the intern will provide support in a variety of collections care activities including but not limited to art handling and installation, working within the museum's collection database to update object records, gallery and storage inventories, object condition checking and rehousing, and providing support in exhibitions, loans, and permanent collection projects. The intern will work closely and collaboratively with a variety of museum departments - from Conservation and Exhibitions to Design and Production- to move beyond exposure to enable a deeper, more wholistic understanding of how a fine art museum functions.
The Institution:
The Cleveland Museum of Art is renowned for the quality and breadth of its collection, which includes nearly 45,000 objects and spans 6,000 years of achievement in the arts. One of the top comprehensive art museums in the nation and open free of charge to all, the Cleveland Museum of Art is in Cleveland’s University Circle neighborhood. A major renovation and expansion project completed in 2014 has transformed the museum into a significant international forum for exhibitions, scholarships, performing arts and art education. The Museum’s Collections Management department currently employes 17 full-time staff members, including registrars, art handlers, collections care specialists, and photographers. The department regularly hosts a variety of interns including undergraduate and graduate interns. The significant resources of the Cleveland Museum of Art, including its outstanding art library and archives, and nearby Case Western Reserve University with its innovative maker space, Think[box] engineering center, contribute to a unique internship opportunity.
About the Nord Network:
The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) is committed to advancing, implementing, and developing transformational fellowship and internship opportunities at the museum. The Eric & Jane Nord Family Fellowship and Internship Network develops key fellowship and internship opportunities in targeted areas at the CMA that build stronger relationships between the CMA and the communities it serves. The Eric & Jane Nord Family Fellowship and Internship Network establishes yearly cohorts of fellows and interns at the CMA, in the areas of conservation, collections management, community arts, and director’s fellowships, to advance the careers of qualified individuals interested in these museum fields.
Some of the core skills required to participate as an intern include:
*Good hand-eye coordination, manual dexterity, and spatial reasoning
*Self-motivated, reliable, and focused
*Ability to follow instructions and plan ahead
*Basic math skills
*Work well with supervisors and coworkers
*Ability to perform physical tasks, including bending, kneeling, pulling, pushing, walking, standing for long periods of time, and lifting 50 pounds.
*Ability to pass a background check.
The candidate may also have a background in visual or studio arts, art history, or similar coursework. Previous hands-on experience working in museums, galleries, or creative spaces is preferred but not required.
Salary:
The Nord Network Intern in Collections Management will receive $19/hour for a total of 44 weeks. The Collections Management Intern will also be eligible to participate in the Museum’s health, dental, and vision benefits plan.
Application Procedure:
Application materials must be received by the end of day March 31, 2026 for consideration, please submit the following materials in English:
* a letter stating your interest in working at the Cleveland Museum of Art and intent in applying for the Nord Network Collections Management Internship.
* resume
* 3 professional references
Applications that do not include all these elements will not be considered.
Salary : $19