Archives and Art Resources: Digital Access and Records Intern

Sfmoma • San Francisco, CA

2d • 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 Archives and Art Resources (AAR) upholds SFMOMA’s promise to provide generous access to and inspiring experiences with modern and contemporary art by working cross-departmentally to develop and steward the museum’s digital records related to art and artists. AAR manages SFMOMA’s collections and digital asset management systems; photographs artworks, exhibitions, and activities; institutional archives; and manages rights around making and using digital content about art and artists – all towards maximizing art access for the museum’s audiences and staff. Position Description The Digital Access and Records Intern will focus on sharing artworks on digital platforms so that more artworks in the museum’s collection are more discoverable and available to our audiences and supporters. Digital platforms include third-party licensing platforms and the museum's website. The Digital Access and Records Intern will be jointly mentored by staff in both the collections management system (CMS) and digital asset management system (DAMS) teams, ensuring hands-on experience with the workflows and integrations that connect these systems and support museum-wide access initiatives. Specifically, the intern will be responsible for preparing, packaging, and publishing artworks to digital platforms. We envision setting a goal of publishing 80-120 artworks onto digital platforms. Sharing artworks with our audiences online is a collaborative endeavor, amongst and across many teams in the museum, and happens in conversation or involvement with artists or other rights holders and platform managers. The intern will work throughout the project with staff in Archives and Art Resources and will be in dialogue with colleagues across the museum . Project Plan Over the 9-week program the AAR Intern will: · Prepare metadata and images for approximately 80-120 artworks to share with third-party licensing platforms and our website. · Complete identity research for deceased artists and contribute that research to our collections management system. Bonus priorities: · Complete metadata cleanup projects in the digital asset management system. · Provide feedback on how we can improve our processes related to sharing artworks on digital platforms. The Project Milestones for the intern are: · Identity research completed by week 7. · Images + data for 80-120 artworks are delivered to third-party licensing platforms and queued up for our website by week 9. Educational Objectives The intern will gain practical experience with: · Developing digital records towards maximizing access to art online. · Working across departments at a large museum. · Museum collections management, digital asset management, and rights administration. · Practices and issues related to seeking and managing artist identity data. · Seeking and documenting rights-related information about art. · Integrations between collections information, digital assets, and digital platforms. · Metadata standards and best practices. 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 a Master's program or a recent graduate in an Information Studies, Museum Studies, Studio Art, or 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.
• Knowledge of art documentation, information access, and art audiences.
• General knowledge of image rights and reproductions.
• At ease working with databases and image files.
• General knowledge of museum practices and of modern and contemporary art.

Responsibilities

• Prepare metadata and images for approximately 80-120 artworks to share with third-party licensing platforms and our website.
• Complete identity research for deceased artists and contribute that research to our collections management system.
• Complete metadata cleanup projects in the digital asset management system.
• Provide feedback on how we can improve our processes related to sharing artworks on digital platforms.

What This Job Offers

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