Collections Intern

Sfmoma•San Francisco, CA

29d•Onsite

About The Position

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary art in the United States and a thriving cultural center for the Bay Area. We cannot imagine life without art; it inspires and connects us every day. Now more than ever, these connections matter and are aligned with our values. Inclusive: We strive to be a museum of many voices in dialogue. Passionate : We believe working with art is more than a job or trusteeship - it's a way of life. Brave : We are committed to approaching our work with courage and a sense of adventure, always ready to explore new perspectives. Empathic : We aim to act like a person, not an institution. SFMOMA is a place for the infinitely curious to explore, support, and experience the art of our time. We believe that modern and contemporary art can influence the way we think, view the world, and embrace the many voices and perspectives around us. We aspire to foster an environment that elicits joy, nurtures a sense of belonging and purpose—where difference is seen as a strength, and every one is appreciated for their whole self. Schedule : Full Time, 35 hours/week, Monday, June 15 - Friday, August 14, up to five days working onsite Department Description The Collections office integrates responsive, forward-looking stewardship of SFMOMA’s art, library, archive, and artist materials collections. A cohort of five highly-collaborative Collections departments (Archives and Art Resources, Collections Management, Conservation, Library, and Registration) are responsible for the entire arc of collections care and access, including accessions, deaccessions, loans, research and documentation, in-person and online access. Together, Collections leads art stewardship in ways that encourage creativity and multivariant experiences with modern and contemporary art. Position Description The 2026 Collections Internship focuses on centralizing access to documentation about promised gifts of art to the museum. Promised gifts are an important instrument in enhancing areas of strength and filling gaps in the museum’s art collection. Centralizing access to promised gift documentation allows information to be easily and successfully applied by staff in developing and caring for the museum’s art collection. It also contributes to a comprehensive understanding of donor histories with the museum and its art collection. The main project for the 9-week internship encompasses auditing records, contributing information, and centralizing documentation for a minimum selection of 100 promised gifts. The Collections Intern will work directly with the Head of Collections on the project and will engage with staff in departments of Registration, Archives and Art Resources, Administration, Curatorial, Legal, and Philanthropy throughout the project. The Intern will have an impactful role in creating easy and reliable access to documentation that is needed in developing the art collection and furthering great relationships with museum donors. Project Plan Over the 9-week program the Collections Intern will: · Meet with stakeholders in Collections, Administration, Curatorial, Legal, and Philanthropy to understand departmental needs and interests related to promised gifts. · Make discoveries and/or make recommendations based on stakeholder needs and interests, which may include: · Looking for patterns or trends in promised gifts · Assessing completion rates of promised gifts over the past 10, 15, or 20 years · Considering the storage implications of receiving all pending promised gifts · Recommending ways to inform staff that promised gifts will be on display · Participate in discussions about the types of information needed to analyze the effect of promised gifts on collections development and care. · Audit hardcopy and digital files housed with Collections and Curatorial related to promised gifts. · Scan documents, upload scans, and add information about the documents to the museum’s digital asset management system. · Audit information in the museum’s collections management system and contribute information to the system, including information about artworks, donors, and ownership. · Add information about hardcopy files to an Object Records Inventory sheet. · Compare the process for proposed promised gifts to that of proposed acquisitions. · Support with the draft of a Standard Operating Procedure related to documenting promised gifts. · Participate in reviewing the museum’s collections management policy and gift acceptance policies for relevant updates based on learnings from the internship. · Report-out on discoveries and recommendations at one or more cross-departmental meetings. Educational Objectives · Learn about the scope of collections stewardship at a museum of modern and contemporary art. · Learn about managing collections development strategies: gifts, promised gifts, fractional gifts, co-ownerships, and purchases. · Gain experience with collections information governance in museums. · Gain experience with information systems used by museums to document art. · Gain experience working cross-departmentally. · Experience backstage collections stewardship activities to increase understanding of collections-related needs, challenges, and opportunities. Additional Internship Programming The Summer 2026 Internship will offer 9-weeks of hands-on experience and mentorship along with weekly presentations and discussions with various departments in the museum, off-site educational visits within the Bay Area community, and access to various tours and events within the museum.

Requirements

Applicants must be currently enrolled in school or a recent graduate. The SFMOMA recognizes a graduation date within 6 months of the internship start date as a recent graduate.
If you are a current employee of the SFMOMA applying for an internship, you must be a current student or a recent graduate, within 6 months of the internship start date.
General knowledge of museum practices, art collections development, and modern and contemporary art.
Familiarity with records management and organization.
Familiarity with digital asset management and collections management systems.
Comfortable working with a range of internal constituents.
Eager to work in a creative, collaborative, team-oriented environment.

Responsibilities

Meet with stakeholders in Collections, Administration, Curatorial, Legal, and Philanthropy to understand departmental needs and interests related to promised gifts.
Make discoveries and/or make recommendations based on stakeholder needs and interests, which may include: · Looking for patterns or trends in promised gifts · Assessing completion rates of promised gifts over the past 10, 15, or 20 years · Considering the storage implications of receiving all pending promised gifts · Recommending ways to inform staff that promised gifts will be on display
Participate in discussions about the types of information needed to analyze the effect of promised gifts on collections development and care.
Audit hardcopy and digital files housed with Collections and Curatorial related to promised gifts.
Scan documents, upload scans, and add information about the documents to the museum’s digital asset management system.
Audit information in the museum’s collections management system and contribute information to the system, including information about artworks, donors, and ownership.
Add information about hardcopy files to an Object Records Inventory sheet.
Compare the process for proposed promised gifts to that of proposed acquisitions.
Support with the draft of a Standard Operating Procedure related to documenting promised gifts.
Participate in reviewing the museum’s collections management policy and gift acceptance policies for relevant updates based on learnings from the internship.
Report-out on discoveries and recommendations at one or more cross-departmental meetings.