Hirshhorn Photo Services Internship

Hirshhorn Plaza

Located on the National Mall, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is the Smithsonian Institution’s modern and contemporary art museum. The collection contains at least 12,000 works and spans numerous art forms, including photography, paintings, drawings and prints, sculptures, installations, and time-based media. The Photo Services Intern will work directly with the Digital Asset Manager and be part of the Collection Management department. The intern will learn how to archive historical images of Hirshhorn’s past exhibitions, events, and building history, and be exposed to a museum working environment. Current students who have strong organizational skills, an interest in modern and contemporary art collections, and a desire to learn more about photographic archival skills are encouraged to apply.

Learning Objectives and Project Goals:

  • Learn best archival practices and apply them to Hirshhorn’s historical images
  • Gain experience uploading born-digital assets to the Smithsonian Digital Asset Management System (DAMS)
  • Organize and inventory digital files and physical archival materials (prints, transparencies, negatives, and slides)
  • Gain experience in a fast-paced work environment
  • Engage and work with museum professionals in various fields and departments

Qualifications:

  • Current or recent (within 2 years) student aged 18 or older
  • Strong organizational skills
  • Ability to work independently when needed
  • Willingness to take initiative
  • Professionalism
  • Previous experience working in archives or libraries (preferred)
  • Proficiency in Adobe Bridge and Lightroom (preferred)
  • Proficiency in Adobe Photoshop and Macintosh Operating Systems (required)
  • Good sense of humor

Application Requirements:

  • Completed SOLAA application – si.edu
  • Resume
  • Personal essay – addressing your personal experience with archives and photography (less than 500 words)
  • At least one reference letter – supporting your past relevant experience(s) or interest(s) in photographic archives documenting modern and contemporary art collections

Internship Session:

Future internship positions will be announced on this webpage.

Questions?

SOLAA related questions should be directed to OCIO Help Desk at 202-633-4000 or OCIOHelpDesk@si.edu. General internship questions should be sent to Julia Murphy at MurphyJL@si.edu.