Paid Internship - Collection Intern Photography Summer

The Cincinnati Art Museum has an opening for a Collection Intern for Photography this summer. The primary responsibility of the internship is to participate, alongside other members of the Photography curatorial team, in a departmental initiative to re-catalog the photography collection in the museum’s collection database. The Collection Intern for Photography will gain direct experience working with the museum photography collection and collection documentation and care practices.

The intern will additionally interface with conservators, preparators, registrars, and museum library and archives staff and observe curatorial processes around exhibitions, acquisitions, collection management, interpretation and audience engagement.

This is a 12-week paid internship that runs from June to August 2026 and is scheduled for 15-18 hours per week during the Monday-Friday 9am-5pm workweek.

ESSENTIAL INTERNSHIP FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Reporting to the Curator of Photography, internship duties include:

• Improve and expand the object cataloging that is available to the public via the museum’s collection database, TMS.
• Closely examine artworks and object files, perform research in CAM archives, or other online collections.
• Follow cataloging standards to record findings in TMS, update physical objects and artist files as necessary.
• Document collection stewardship issues ranging from collection care needs to noteworthy new opportunities for scholarship and interpretation.
• Elect to publish a capstone writing exercise via the museum’s blog or other forum.
• Other duties as assigned

INTERNSHIP REQUIREMENTS

• Undergraduate or recent graduate studying art history, photography, or related field. Interest in archives, scholarship, and/or museum studies a plus.
• Prior training in the history of photography and prior knowledge of photographic materials and techniques required.
• Experience using a collections database and safely handling fine art highly preferred
• Ability to work with art objects and in art storage.
• Candidate must be detail oriented.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.

Compensation details: 12-15 Hourly Wage

-