PAAM Education and Engagement Intern

For nearly two decades, the Provincetown Art Association and Museum has opened its doors to aspiring future museum professionals and educators to serve as a hands-on learning environment for focused professional growth. Through its comprehensive Museum Internship Program, PAAM offers a diverse range of opportunities in the areas of education, collection management, and exhibition development. 

As a PAAM Education and Engagement Intern, you will split your time between our Education and Exhibition Departments as well as work at the intersection of the two, depending on department needs and your strengths and interests. Interns will work alongside both exhibition staff and education staff, receive practical training in multiple museum departments, and gain experience in studio classroom, gallery, and office settings. Core responsibilities in Education will include: working with Teaching Artists in a studio classroom setting; assisting with Youth Education classes; assisting with administrative tasks for Adult Education workshops and assisting with the set-up, breakdown, and maintenance of our classroom studios. 

The core responsibilities in Exhibitions will include: assisting with physical installation of exhibitions including hanging and labeling artwork; pulling and putting away artwork for exhibitions and workshops; and creating checklists and labels for exhibitions. In addition to your core responsibilities, you will have the opportunity to choose a self-directed project that aligns with your own interests and goals. Projects may include but are not limited to: participating in Art Docent initiative; creating Gallery Education materials; researching the permanent collection to create a navigable database of artworks that can be used in museum education programming; leading a workshop or activity in Youth Education; or researching our archives and collection in order to develop public-facing didactic information.

The summer internship program runs mid-June through mid-August during weekday office hours, with a weekly average commitment of 18 hours. Limited evening and weekend attendance may be needed for special events.

Upon completion of this internship, you will have gained:

• A comprehensive understanding of the day-to-day workings of an active exhibitions and education department at a renowned art museum
• Greater insight and experience into non-profit arts administration
• Practical experience in setting up museum-quality exhibitions
• Hand-on opportunities to explore a centuries-old historic collection
• Experience interacting with and supporting professional curators and exhibiting artists
• Experience in a studio classroom setting, including:
  • Working with students of all ages (both youth and adult)
  • Exposure to Teaching Artists with a wide range of styles and methodologies
  • Exposure to various studio processes and demonstrations
• Immersion in the historic arts and LGBTQ sea-side community of Provincetown, where PAAM is deeply embedded
• A portfolio or resume-ready final project based on your professional and/or research interests

Qualifications:

• College students or recent college graduates, or applicants of commensurate work experience and research interests 
• Enthusiasm for learning 
• An interest in art, art education, exhibitions, and/or museum visitor experience
• Creativity and self-motivation
• Excellent and proactive communication skills
• Ability to take direction and ask clarifying questions when necessary
• Proficiency with Google Suite and Microsoft Office 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of Adobe Suite
• Previous work or internship experience
• Experience or interest in non-profit arts administration 
• Art handling experience

How to Apply

Please email internships@paam.org with a subject line: Internship 2023. Include the following:

• A resume
• Three professional references including names, position, relationship to you, email, and telephone number 
• A letter of interest that discusses:
  • Your interest in the position and why you are applying at this time in your schooling or career trajectory
  • What you are hoping to gain from the experience
  • Specific work experience and/ or skillsets you think may be relevant to the position
  • What is most exciting to you about the prospect of interning at PAAM 
  • Where you heard about this internship opportunity

Salary and Additional Information

This is a part-time paid position, specifically designed so that interns have the opportunity to seek additional summer employment in Provincetown. The salary is $18/hour for a total commitment of approximately 144 hours (spread over 8 weeks, this will look like 18 hours a week).

Since this internship works across multiple departments, you will be working alongside all our staff, but interns will directly report to Curator of Museum Education Ruby T, Curator of Community Education Grace Emmet, and Collections Manager & Registrar Madeleine Larson. Get to know us more here: https://paam.org/about-paam/staff/.

Provincetown is a remote location, and interns will need reliable transportation if they are commuting from another town on the Cape. 

PAAM cannot offer housing to interns at this time. 

PAAM welcomes and encourages individuals of all backgrounds to apply, specifically those who have been historically underrepresented in careers related to museums and art education based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, economic status, ability, immigration status, spoken languages, and more. 

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

In accordance with Federal law and the U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, religion, sex, and familial status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call 800.795.3272 (voice), or 202.720.6382 (TDD)