Contemporary Art Collection Research Undergraduate Intern

The Department of Contemporary Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, presents, collects, and fosters access to and understanding of contemporary art, loosely defined here as work made after 1955 in painting, sculpture, time-based media, installation, and performance. The Department advocates for the importance of contemporary voices in the context of a global and trans historical museum, continually exploring opportunities to hear the voice of artists. With an eye on local, national, and international artists and communities, the Department creates a varied program for a range of audiences, working closely with colleagues from across the institution. The quickly evolving collection increasingly represents contemporary art in all of its iterations, transcending traditional boundaries and hierarchies of media, movements, and chronology.

The Department of Contemporary Art is seeking an enthusiastic undergraduate level intern, currently in their junior or senior year with interest in a curatorial and / or museum career.

The selected candidate will conduct collection-related research, assist with the administrative functioning of the department, and support the department's collaboration with teams across the museum. Specific tasks will include participating in the creation and organization of object files for the contemporary collection; coordinating the imaging and transportation of collection objects; researching existing collection objects to bolster the Department's files and online web texts; assisting with the annual collections audit by visiting onsite storage locations and conducting a detailed inventory, and other special projects related to the Department's varied activities and the intern's interests. While the intern will work closely with the entire Department of Contemporary Art, the Department Coordinator will provide primary supervision and mentorship.

We encourage applications from candidates who are strongly interested in curatorial and museum work, but who may not yet have had the opportunity to experience it much or at all. The ideal candidate will have a desire to learn more about not only curatorial work, but also overlapping fields in departments such as registration, collections management, conservation, development, and administration. This internship will suit someone seeking opportunities to 1) learn about museum administration and collections care within a curatorial department and 2) direct their skills in writing, research, and communication as part of museum work.

Ideal candidates must be able to commit to work onsite 14-16 hours weekly, mostly between 9am-5pm Monday-Friday between Jan 30 - Apr 24, 2026. Additionally, interns must attend orientation on Fri, Jan 30, (10am-3 : 30pm), and the Museum Pathways & Practices professional development course from 12 : 30-2 : 30pm on the following Fridays : Jan 30, Feb 6, Feb 13, Feb 20, Feb 27, Apr 3, Apr 10, Apr 17, and Apr 24.

The intern will be paid at a rate of $16.80 per hour and will receive a $90 per month transportation subsidy.

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.

Essential Functions :

The Curatorial Undergraduate Intern will provide general curatorial and administrative support by fulfilling the following functions, including but not limited to :

• Assist with the digital and physical maintenance of object records and other logistical documents related to the curatorial care of a museum collection.
• Manage a spring-long collection project : research existing collection objects, update the object and artist records in The Museum System (TMS), and reorganize the department's physical collection files.
• Assist in curatorial research and documentation, including gathering library and archive materials, augmenting contemporary object files with new research and writing, and helping to draft written rationales for new acquisition proposals.
• Assist the Department Coordinator in correspondence with artists, collectors, and visitors.
• Assist in the imaging of collection objects by helping to arrange for their transfer to the MFA Photo Studio
• Work with the Department Coordinator and Registrars in updating and maintaining object and loan records in the museum's database, TMS.
• Research and write new content for the Department's newsletter.
• Assist staff with the annual collections audit by conducting an inventory of all contemporary objects housed onsite in storage spaces and galleries across the Museum.
• Learn about the general function of a curatorial department via participation in departmental meetings and exhibition installations.
• Prepare and offer a 3-minute final synoptic presentation of the internship as part of the Museum Pathways & Practices professional development course.

Qualifications :

How to Apply

the title of the internship for which you are applying (one internship per application)