Conservation Documentation Intern

Sfmoma • San Francisco, CA

2d • $7,000 - $7,000 • 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, at least three days working onsite Department Description The Elise S. Haas Conservation Department is charged with the preservation, conservation, research, and display of modern and contemporary artworks, and in the exploration and documentation of artists’ practice. Eight staff members (conservator, director, and preparator) work collaboratively in a shared studio space for five conservation disciplines (electronic media, objects, paintings, paper, and photography). The art of our time necessitates new models of care for preservation and access, and SFMOMA conservators work collaboratively both intra- and inter-departmentally to address new challenges presented in unorthodox materials and emerging art-making methods. The scope of work encompasses activities across the preservation space to include treatment of art objects, documentation, exhibition installation, storage/ packing and transportation of artworks, environmental control, tracking acquisitions and outward loans, policy writing, and holistic care for the collection. The department cares for the Artist Materials Collection, representing the physical manifestations of artists’ practices and is displayed and housed on the in the center of the Conservation studio. Position Description The Conservation Documentation Intern will assist the conservation team in developing a cohesive practice for capturing critical information about an artwork’s lifecycle, from accession and conservation to installation, within a museum environment. This internship focuses primarily on documentation, archiving, and digitization. It will not offer hands-on treatment training and is not designed as a pre-program position. The intern will play a vital role in maintaining the integrity and accessibility of essential records. The role involves a significant amount of routine data processing, making these records available to the conservation team and departments across the museum. We are seeking a self-motivated individual who enjoys independent, detail-focused work and takes pride in exceptional accuracy and efficiency.

Requirements

• Applicants must be currently enrolled in Master's program or a recent graduate, preferably in Museum Studies, Information Science, or a similar program. 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.
• Must have prior experience working in an archive, library or museum
• Excellent attention to detail
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to meet weekly input deadline efficiently
• Familiarity with database management systems
• Ability to work independently in a focused, self-motivated manner

Responsibilities

• Assist the team to consolidate and archive documentation related to past projects and conservation activities from multiple sources
• Engage in conversations with conservators to understand different needs and workflows for documentation
• Assist with archiving and organizing conservation records, ranging from treatment reports to photo documentation
• Collect and digitize critical records (such as installation instructions) and make them accessible to other stakeholders within the museum
• Participate in cross departmental meetings to understand museum’s existing workflows in order to help identify potential knowledge gap and needs
• Verify and cross-reference data for errors, discrepancies, and inconsistencies, making necessary corrections to ensure data integrity

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees