Access Tactile Inventory Undergraduate Intern

Museum of Fine Arts•Boston, MA

13d•$17•Onsite

About The Position

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Access program is responsible for ensuring that people of all abilities feel welcome and can make direct connections with the Museum’s collection and exhibitions. The program offers internships to college students who enjoy working with people with disabilities and are interested in learning more about the intersection of art and disability. The Access Tactile Inventory intern will play a crucial role within Access, documenting and cataloging the multisensory tools used on access tours. These tools, referred to as tactiles, are objects such as fabrics, sculptures, jewelry, and material samples, which[RM1] [SW2] provide options for multisensory engagement with art objects on the tour. The selected intern will continue the work of previous interns, documenting our collection of tactiles and uploading information about them onto a digital database. Creation of tactiles that relate to the museum's collection will also be encouraged. Additionally, the intern will support ongoing accessible programming within the Museum. The intern will report to the Assistant Director of Accessibility and work alongside and learn from experts in arts and disability. They will gain valuable professional skills, including communication with a variety of audiences, visitors, and organizations. The intern will also gain experience in photographing objects, creating object records, and website design within a museum setting. Additionally, the selected intern will have opportunities to work with a wide range of people, with a diversity of disabilities, and will build a professional network with disability advocates and arts administrators, and related organizations. Ideal candidates must be able to commit to work onsite 15 hours weekly, mostly between 9am-5pm Monday-Friday between June 15 and August 21. Additionally, interns must attend the undergraduate Museum Pathways & Practices professional development course from 12:30-2:30pm on the following Thursdays: June 18, June 25, July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23, July 30, August 6, August 13, and August 20, as well as orientation on Monday, June 15, 10am -3:30pm. The intern will be paid at a rate of $16.80 per hour and will receive a $90 per month transportation subsidy as well as a $1,500 housing subsidy, (paid in two equal payments. (Both subsidies are subject to taxes.) As we amplify our efforts toward becoming a truly inclusive institution and fostering the next generation of museum staff, the MFA actively encourages students from all backgrounds to apply to the program.

Requirements

Enrolled in and returning to an undergraduate program immediately following the internship period
Demonstrated interest in accessibility-related practices
Proven ability to work as part of a team as well as independently
Proven ability to interact easily and successfully with the disability community
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and take initiative
Ability to set realistic project deadlines and work independently to meet them
Ability to commit to work onsite 15 hours per week (within Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm parameters), between June 15 and August 21, 2026, including undergraduate attendance at the undergraduate Museum Pathways & Practices professional development course from 12:30-2:30pm on the following Thursdays: June 18, June 25, July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23, July 30, August 6, August 13, and August 20.
Ability to attend orientation on Monday, June 15, 2026, 10am to 3:30pm.

Responsibilities

Observe access tours to see how tactiles are used in a tour setting
Photograph tactiles
Continue the work of previous interns to build object files to document each tactile
Upload documentation to an online database
Prepare and offer a 3-minute final presentation of the internship as part of the Museum Pathways & Practices professional development course