Barnes Foundation Internship Descriptions

Duties vary depending on department needs. Internships are not available in every area each summer.

Archives
The mission of the Barnes Foundation’s Archives is to identify, preserve, organize, and make available historical records that document the activities of the Barnes Foundation, its collections, and its community, which includes staff, teachers, docents, students, and alums. The internship focuses on the institution’s digital asset management working in the NetX system.

Interns may:

• Assist with uploading backlog assets into the proper folders and tracking progress
• Input appropriate metadata in the attribute fields
• Perform holding maintenance tasks like fixing upload errors
• Attend digital asset working group meetings and user trainings

Business Development
The Business Development department exists to market and manage special events in the public and private sectors, manage all food service in the building, manage costs related to events, and increase revenues across all platforms.

Interns may:

• Cultivate past visitation and event lists to increase group sales reservations and event bookings.
• Contribute to data collection processes and analytics.
• Work with the Visitor Services team to improve group/event processes and systems.
• Assist with bookings, confirmations, communication, and on-site arrivals.
• Assist with outreach to previous and potential clients (marketing through IMB emails; cold emails and calls).
• Assist with Salesforce and EMS input and confirmation of details with various departments.
• Assist with daytime and evening events.

Collections and Exhibitions Research
Collections and Exhibitions Research internships include work with the Curatorial or the Research and Interpretation departments. These teams are responsible for research and interpretation of the art and artifacts in the collection and the development and coordination of exhibitions. Preference is given to applicants who are graduate students in art history and whose studies cover a period of art history represented in the collection.

Interns may:

• Research one or two underexamined works of art and produce an “object white paper,” or scholarly report, for the internal curatorial files.
• Work on the implementation of special exhibitions.
• Present their ongoing research and give a final presentation of their findings at the internship’s conclusion.
• Work with the Museum System (TMS), the Barnes’s collections management system.

Collections Registration
Collections Registration is responsible for record keeping for all art and artifacts in the Barnes Foundation collection. This includes facilitating and tracking movement of collection objects as well as maintaining and updating the digital and paper files for these objects. The Collections Registrar works closely with the Curatorial and Conservation teams to maintain best practices for the care of the collection. Preference for the internship is given to graduate students.

Interns may:

• Help inventory collection items in all Barnes locations.
• Help manage records for collection objects.
• Enter data into the collections management database.

Community Engagement and Family Programs
The Community Engagement and Family Programs team creates engagement initiatives and activities at the Barnes and in local communities. This team collaborates with other departments and local organizations to promote and implement our programming year-round. Multilingual educators, visual artists, and community organizers are encouraged to apply.

Interns may:

• Help plan and implement intergenerational programs, including summer art camps, family workshops, and special initiatives.
• Aid instruction and facilitation of community conversations through inquiry-based learning and art making.
• Support special initiatives through research, evaluation, and documentation.

Conservation
The Conservation department encompasses all aspects of collections care, including preventive conservation, examination, documentation, treatment, and technical research. Internships in preventive conservation, paintings conservation, and objects conservation are available for undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate students.

• Undergraduate summer internship:
  The undergraduate internship is designed for students interested in pursuing a graduate degree in art conservation or a related field. The internship will focus on preventive conservation and collections management with an introduction to the examination of objects. Treatment projects will be dependent upon the applicant's prior experience. Applicants must have completed an introductory course in general chemistry.
• Graduate/Postgraduate internship:
  Twelve-month or summer internships for graduate students enrolled in an art conservation program or recent postgraduates with a degree in art conservation.

Development
The Development department is the primary fundraising team for the Foundation. It comprises Annual Giving, Institutional Giving, Major Gifts, and Development Services.

Interns may:

• Assist with drafting proposals, reports, and acknowledgment letters.
• Research prospective funders online and using in-house documents.
• Create and update prospect and donor files.
• Research fundraising programs at peer organizations to measure best practices.

• Collate historical fundraising data for reporting purposes.
• Assist with departmental mailings and communication.
• Help with Development events.

Editorial and Publications
The Editorial and Publications department is responsible for editing all of the Barnes’s print and digital publications, including exhibition materials, invitations, web pages, e-newsletters, posters, press releases, and program booklets.

Interns may:

• Edit text for spelling, grammar, syntax, style, voice, and consistency.
• Write or rewrite materials as needed.
• Fact-check and research information.
• Build web pages and perform photo research
• Help create schedules and manage small projects.

Education—Adult Education
The Adult Education department is responsible for all onsite and online classes and workshops taught at the Barnes Foundation for adult learners.

Interns may:

• Assist with planning and setup for on-site and online classes and workshops.
• Research and update adult education teaching resources.
• Analyze adult education end-of-course surveys.

Education—School Programs
The School Programs department engages students in pre-K through 12th grade through in-person programs and virtual learning programs.

Interns may:

• Help with School Programs planning and execution, including virtual learning programs.
• Research and help to develop activities and materials for pre-K–12 education programs.
• Assist with professional development workshops for teachers.
• Draft social media and other marketing materials for pre-K–12 audiences.

Finance
The Finance department is responsible for the Barnes’s accounting, including accounts receivable, accounts payable, grant reporting, tax reporting, and audit compliance.

Interns may:

• Review and update purchase order lists.
• Create spreadsheets.
• Scan, copy, and file documents.
• Research and answer vendor inquiries.

Human Resources
The Human Resources Department is responsible for hiring and processing benefits for Barnes employees and volunteers.

Interns may:

• Interview staff for the Barnes HR newsletter ‘spotlight’ segment. The intern will be able to familiarize themselves with job roles and people around the organization, and practice interviewing and writing skills to produce written profiles on these staff for internal publication throughout the year. Support HR staff in producing monthly employee newsletter.
• Audit and archive Barnes job descriptions. The intern will learn basic mindsets and mechanics of internal audits, as well as electronic and physical record keeping processes.
• Shadow and provide capacity building support to employee committees. Work collaboratively with staff leaders from across the organization to produce town hall and all-staff meeting events, employee appreciation committee’s summer event, and DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, access) initiatives woven through the work of each committee. Barnes employee committees are: Core Values, Employee Appreciation, Learning Culture, Sustainability, and Wellness.
• Observe or participate in daily activities of the HR department, including phone and in-person job interviews, preparation of job offers, onboarding, payroll, workplace culture, department and inter-departmental standing meetings.

Marketing and Membership
The Marketing and Membership teams work to promote the Barnes through advertising, email communications, direct mail, and paid and organic social media. The Marketing and Membership intern will provide support and assist in outreach efforts to meet mission and business-based goals across the institution.

Interns may:

• Perform market/competitor analysis and research.
• Help manage reporting on email metrics and produce insights.
• Assist with departmental email, mail, and social communications.
• Support and attend member events and tours.
• Copywrite and edit content and collect assets for email and advertising campaigns.
• Contribute to community outreach or grassroots promotional efforts.
• Provide administrative assistance, as needed.
• Support and attend public programs.
• Support and attend marketing photo and video shoots.

Public Programs
The Public Programs department is responsible for managing public-facing events hosted at the Barnes, including live music, performances, and panel discussions.

Interns may:

• Research Barnes history, collection, area performers, and potential collaborators to advance ongoing program planning within the department.
• Assist in supporting programs on event days, including First Friday, Family Days, and our annual outdoor festival, Barnes on the Block.
• Collect, organize, and analyze data as it pertains to Public Programs.

Public Relations
The Public Relations department is responsible for increasing national and international awareness of the Barnes collection, exhibitions, various educational programs, publications, and special projects. The department works with the news media, external partners, and all areas of the institution—including Advancement, Business Development, Marketing, Collections, Curatorial, Education, Editorial/Publications, Events, and Public Programs.

Interns may:

• Help with press events and outreach.
• Help draft press releases and other media materials.
• Submit calendar listings for programs and exhibitions.
• Help with grassroots outreach to drive program attendance.
• Create press kits.
• Scan, copy, and file documents.
• Research media outlets and journalists for future outreach.
• Compile media clips.