What are the responsibilities and job description for the [Spring 2026] Research Resources - Archives Internship position at Whitney Museum of American Art?
The Whitney’s Academic Year Internship program offers a semester-long paid internship for undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled in an accredited academic program. The internship is hybrid, with some onsite work. For Spring 2026, interns commit between 16–21 hours per week over 10–12 weeks for a total of 200 hours. Interns are assigned to a specific department at the Museum for the duration of the internship. For more information, including information on eligibility requirements, please visit our Internships page.
The Whitney seeks a Resource Resources: Archives intern for the Spring 2026 semester.
Expected Projects & Assignments
Interns will be paid a stipend of $3000.
Generous support for Ostrover Family Academic Year Interns is provided by Julie and Doug Ostrover.
If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates. Whether you’re new to arts and culture administration, returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or take the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar. Please use your cover letter to tell us about your interest in the arts and culture space and what you hope to bring to this role.
About the Whitney:
The Whitney Museum of American Art, founded in 1930 by the artist and philanthropist Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, houses the foremost collection of American art from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. From her vision arose the Whitney Museum of American Art, which has been championing the most innovative art of the United States for 86 years. The core of the Whitney’s mission is to collect, preserve, interpret, and exhibit American art of our time and serve a wide variety of audiences in celebration of the complexity and diversity of art and culture in the United States. Through this mission and a steadfast commitment to artists themselves, the Whitney has long been a powerful force in support of modern and contemporary art and continues to help define what is innovative and influential in American art today.
EEO Statement:
The Whitney Museum of American Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Museum does not discriminate because of age, sex, religion, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage or citizenship, disability, marital status, partnership status, veteran status, gender (including gender identity), sexual orientation, or any other factor prohibited by law. The Museum hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled. The Museum encourages all qualified candidates to apply for vacant positions at all levels. This description shall not be construed as a contract of any sort for a specific period of employment
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The Whitney seeks a Resource Resources: Archives intern for the Spring 2026 semester.
Expected Projects & Assignments
- Assist with providing in-person and remote reference services
- Assist with supervising the reading room and on-site researchers
- Assist with reference inquiries from staff and external researchers
- Page collections for researcher appointments
- Digitize and prepare digital surrogates of select archival material
- Edit collection metadata using ArchivesSpace
- Coursework in library and information science, archives, public history, or another related field
- Interest in modern and contemporary American art and museum work
- Familiarity with function and purpose of archival finding aids
- Knowledge of ArchivesSpace, DACs, MS Office, spreadsheets, and/or Adobe Photoshop a plus
- The ability to work independently with sharp attention to detail
- Undergraduates and graduates currently enrolled in accredited academic year programs are eligible
- Applicants must have completed a minimum of one year’s worth of academic coursework; undergraduate freshmen are not eligible
- While a demonstrated interest in art and art history is preferred, students in all majors are encouraged to apply
- Previous museum experience is not required
- DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard)
- Basics of editing online finding aids in ArchivesSpace
- Reference skills specific to working with primary source researchers
- Guidance in applying to jobs and other opportunities using fieldspecific language
- First-hand experience with multiple areas of archives and library work
- Greater familiarity with navigating organizational culture, policies, and procedures in an art library and museum setting
- An understanding of how the Whitney’s archival collections support unique areas of inquiry
- Experience using ArchivesSpace and DACS
- Technical skills related to working with analog archival materials and digital surrogates
Interns will be paid a stipend of $3000.
Generous support for Ostrover Family Academic Year Interns is provided by Julie and Doug Ostrover.
If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates. Whether you’re new to arts and culture administration, returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or take the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar. Please use your cover letter to tell us about your interest in the arts and culture space and what you hope to bring to this role.
About the Whitney:
The Whitney Museum of American Art, founded in 1930 by the artist and philanthropist Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, houses the foremost collection of American art from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. From her vision arose the Whitney Museum of American Art, which has been championing the most innovative art of the United States for 86 years. The core of the Whitney’s mission is to collect, preserve, interpret, and exhibit American art of our time and serve a wide variety of audiences in celebration of the complexity and diversity of art and culture in the United States. Through this mission and a steadfast commitment to artists themselves, the Whitney has long been a powerful force in support of modern and contemporary art and continues to help define what is innovative and influential in American art today.
EEO Statement:
The Whitney Museum of American Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Museum does not discriminate because of age, sex, religion, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage or citizenship, disability, marital status, partnership status, veteran status, gender (including gender identity), sexual orientation, or any other factor prohibited by law. The Museum hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled. The Museum encourages all qualified candidates to apply for vacant positions at all levels. This description shall not be construed as a contract of any sort for a specific period of employment
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