Registrar Graduate Intern (Summer-to-Fall 2026)

Museum of Fine Arts•Boston, MA

20d•Onsite

About The Position

The Registrar’s Office, within the Registration and Collections Management department, is responsible for tracking the movement of every object in the MFA collection within and out of the building, as well as for artworks on loan to the Museum. The registrars organize and manage packing, fine arts shipping, documentation, insurance, courier arrangements, and other logistics involved with the lending of artworks to and from the Museum. Thousands of objects come and go each year, as potential acquisitions, for inclusion in exhibitions, or as loans to borrowing institutions worldwide. The Registrar’s Office seeks one graduate intern from summer to fall 2026 to assist with all aspects of administration related to acquisitions, exhibitions, tours, and outgoing loans. Supervised by the Associate Registrar for Loans and Acquisitions, but working directly with the entire MFA registrar staff, intern will gain a clear understanding of the planning and communication that goes into executing and documenting loans at the Museum. Intern will be introduced to a broad overview of processes and workflows specific to each type of loan by assisting each registrar in a variety of tasks during the internship. On a weekly basis, intern will be responsible for processing new acquisitions and exhibition receipts, and helping with exhibition administration, including schedule planning, courier arrangements, and gallery supervision for exhibitions installing or deinstalling. Intern will receive training in the collections management database. Intern will also assist the Associate Registrar with a special project involving research and cataloguing of long-term loans to the MFA collections. All of these skills will be applicable to a future career in museum work and/or in collections management. Ideal candidates must be able to work onsite 15-20 hours per week, within 8am-5pm, Monday-Friday, from June 15 through December 11, 2026. Additionally, intern must attend orientation on Monday, June 15 (10am-3:30pm), and the Museum Pathways and Practices professional development courses, 12:30-2:30pm on the following Thursdays: June 18, June 25, July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23, July 30, Aug 6, Aug 13, and Aug 20. (Graduate interns are required to attend the Museums in Context professional development course on dates to be announced at the orientation. Graduate interns are also required to attend the June 15 orientation as well as the “Meet the Leadership Team” and “Final Presentation” sessions of Museum Pathways & Practices series. (These dates will be announced at orientation.) This graduate internship is eligible for paid time off including sick, vacation, and holiday time. The intern will be paid at a rate of $19.95 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 immediately following the internship period) a graduate program at an accredited institution of higher learning (Art History or Museum Studies concentrations preferred)
Professional attitude and respect for confidentiality of work
Proven accurate clerical and word-processing skills are essential (training in use of the Museum’s database system will be provided)
Keen attention to detail and excellent proofreading skills
Demonstrated ability to work independently, as well as collaboratively.
Ability to work onsite 15-20 hours per week, within 8am-5pm, Monday-Friday, from between June 15 and December 11, 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. Graduate interns are also required to attend the June 15 orientation as well as the “Meet the Leadership Team” and “Final Presentation” sessions of Museum Pathways & Practices series. (These dates will be announced at orientation.)
Ability to attend orientation on Monday, June 15, 2026, 10am to 3:30pm.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrable clerical, office, or library experience desirable

Responsibilities

Registration, cataloguing, documenting, and recording of artwork both on loan to and owned by MFA in collections management database.
Data entry to assist with the keeping of the permanent records for exhibition and loans, and documentation related to maintaining lender/donor/borrower records.
Special projects, as assigned, such as assisting with exhibitions and researching information regarding objects currently on loan to the Museum.
Document preparation for accessioning and other miscellaneous projects as assigned.
Prepare and offer a 3-minute final synoptic presentation of the internship as part of the Museum Pathways and Practices professional development course.