McDermott Intern Indigenous American Art

Description

McDermott Intern for Indigenous American Art

The Ellen and Harry S. Parker III Associate Curator of Indigenous American Art

Non-Exempt, Full-Time, Hourly

Medical, dental, and vision insurance; paid holiday, personal and sick time; $500 for professional development

Monday-Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm with one hour for lunch; ability to work remotely 2 days per week following 90-day introductory period

September 1, 2026 – May 28, 2027

$15/hour, 35 hours per week

The Dallas Museum of Art is a space of wonder and discovery where art comes alive.

The DMA will:

• Place art and our diverse communities at the center around which all activities radiate.
• Pursue excellence in collecting and programming, present works of art across cultures and time, and be a driving force in contemporary art.
• Strengthen our position as a prominent, innovative institution, expanding the meaning and possibilities of learning and creativity.

The intern's primary responsibility will be to serve as a research assistant for the Indigenous American Art collection. Responsibilities may include updating the collection database, drafting didactic texts for use in galleries and online, and compiling documentation on works in the Museum’s permanent collection. The intern will also assist with tasks related to NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act) as well as a forthcoming exhibition offering an innovative exploration of ancient through contemporary visual culture pertaining to the lives of Maya women.

Exhibition-related work may include object research, literature reviews, exhibition development, and/or contributions to fundraising proposals. The intern will support curatorial projects by attending interdepartmental meetings and working collaboratively with staff across the Museum as needed.

• Support ongoing research and documentation of the Dallas Museum of Art’s collection of Indigenous American art.
• Conduct research utilizing a multitude of resources, including object files and the Museum's Mayer Library.
• Navigate online collections database to clean up object records and perform data entry.
• Contribute to the implementation and development of gallery rotations, exhibitions, NAGPRA.
• Attend regular one-on-one, departmental, and inter-departmental team meetings.
• Support other curatorial tasks under the supervision of the curator as needed.

• Learn art historical object-based research skills and collections management including the use of TMS collections management software.
• Develop a framework for understanding Indigenous culture in general and Maya culture and visual arts specifically
• Build awareness of ways museums can expand representation through exhibitions.
• Gain experience with writing in a museum context, including exhibition didactic texts, labels, web content, and/or acquisition proposals.
• Understand the museum exhibition process.
• Ascertain professional goals and interests through the support of mentorship.
• Develop professional communication and interpersonal skills through collaboration with Museum colleagues.
• Understand the roles and functions of different staff within the Museum as well as the relationship between the departments and how they all function together to comprise the organization.

• Completion of an undergraduate degree in art history, anthropology, archaeology, Indigenous studies or related field prior to the start of the internship.
• Graduate work encouraged.
• Knowledge or academic coursework related to Native American, Mesoamerican, or Andean arts and cultures preferred.
• Prior TMS collections management software experience encouraged.

• Demonstrated research and writing skills

McDermott Internship Program applications must include all of the below items in order to be complete. Please ensure you have reviewed the list below closely and all files are included with your application. Incomplete applications will not be considered, and late materials will not be accepted. If you have any…