Art of Europe Curatorial and Administrative Undergraduate Intern

Museum of Fine Arts•Boston, MA

6d•$0 - $17•Onsite

About The Position

The Art of Europe department of the Museum of Fine Arts houses one of the world’s preeminent collections of European art from the Middle Ages to the mid-twentieth century, including paintings, sculptures, furniture and decorative arts. Areas of particular distinction include Italian Renaissance relief sculpture, Dutch paintings in the age of Rembrandt, Impressionist paintings, and English silver. The department is seeking an undergraduate intern for the fall semester who wishes to gain a deeper understanding of this significant collection and the tasks involved in curatorial research and administration. The intern will work closely with the Department Coordinator for the Art of Europe, in consultation with the Department Chair. This internship provides hands-on experience in museum work. A focus of the internship will be research and the creation of departmental hard-copy files, as well as assisting with various projects throughout the department. Interns will learn how to use our collections database system, The Museum System (TMS). Additionally, the undergraduate research intern will assist in upcoming exhibitions, covering topics such as Spanish art, and Flemish and Dutch art from the 17th and 18th centuries. Interns will receive training and can expect to refine their research skills. Furthermore, they will participate in behind-the-scenes visits and various learning opportunities.

Requirements

Enrolled in an undergraduate program in history, art history, or museum studies, or a related area of study concurrent with the internship period (class of 2027 or 2028 preferred)
Basic knowledge of art history or museum studies
Demonstrated interest in learning about curatorial activities.
Previous office experience or related work
Familiarity with computer software, especially databases, is desirable.
Demonstrated attention to detail and reliability; ability to work independently.
Ability to work onsite 20 hours per week, within Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm parameters, between Sept 11 – Dec 11, including attendance at the weekly Museum Pathways & Practices professional development course from 12:30-2:30pm on the following Fridays: Sept 18, Sept 25, Oct 2, Oct 9, Oct 16, Oct 23, Oct 30, Nov 6, Nov 13, Nov 20, and Dec 4.
Ability to attend orientation on Fri, Sept 11, 2026, 10am to 3:30pm.

Nice To Haves

Mature, detail-oriented, and skilled in technology and administrative tasks, with a demonstrated interest in museum work.
Foreign language experience.
Familiarity with computer software, especially databases.

Responsibilities

Augmenting painting object files with new research conducted in art history libraries, including the compilation of bibliographies and exhibition histories on works in the collection.
Reconciling this information with that in the MFA collections database
Ensure complete and accurate documentation in hard copy and electronic formats.
Library research related to upcoming exhibitions and preparation of research summaries, tracking down sources online or in libraries.
Updating the working checklist for exhibitions in the form of PowerPoints, spreadsheets, and lists
Editing and proofreading connected to the production of exhibition catalogues.
Opportunities to learn about and assist with daily tasks, both research and clerical, such as drafting labels and wall texts and responding to public inquiries
Prepare and offer a 3–5-minute final synoptic presentation of the internship as part of the Museum Pathways & Practices professional development course