Collections Data & Photography Intern

This internship is part of the University’s Jeff Metcalf Internship Program. Please review the Metcalf Interns’ Responsibility Notice to learn more about program requirements for Metcalf interns.

Fellowship Award Amount: up to $1,000

If you are an international student, please make sure to visit the OIA website to familiarize yourself with your work authorization eligibility and requirements as soon as possible. If you’d like to make an appointment with your international adviser, please visit this page.

This position works with the Assistant Registrar to assist in collection documentation and photography, working directly with the electronic and paper systems that catalog, document, and report on both the permanent collection and loans to the Smart Museum. The Collections Data & Photography Intern will gain experience in object photography and rights and reproductions, and will learn how museum staff use digital resources to manage and provide access to the collection.

·      Assist with performing collection photography and/or post-processing of images.

·      Develop skills in rights and reproductions by conducting copyright research on objects in the collection.

·      Complete cataloging, data entry, and review of museum records in The Museum System (TMS), the museum’s collection database and/or Media Studio, the museum’s digital asset management system.

·      Improve access to the museum’s digital records by linking image files and other digital media with object and exhibition records.

·      Other duties as they arise.

·      Acquire knowledge of museum registration and collection management practices, with an emphasis on digital record creation and management.

·      Develop familiarity with navigating and using museum databases to perform data and information work.

·      Build skillsets in the areas of cataloging, metadata, and file management, including interpreting standards and best practices.

·      Grow awareness about career paths in museum registration, and roles that overlap with registration in museums (for example, collection managers, rights and reproduction specialists, database managers).

Applicant must be a University of Chicago undergraduate student. Must be reliable, self-directed, attentive to detail, and highly organized. Must possess the ability to see projects through to completion. Must be able to work well with others and independently, and be able to maintain rigorous standards of security. Knowledge of art and varying artistic media, previous experience with database management, and/or image processing is highly desirable. Candidate would ideally work both at the museum and remotely as needed, but fully remote working candidates will also be considered.

Applicants must be available to work approximately 8-12 hours per week during fall quarter (with the possibility to renew for winter and/or spring quarter). 

This internship is made possible by generous funding from the College at the University of Chicago, specifically through the Careers in Journalism and Creative Writing/Arts, Culture, and Entertainment (CIJCW/ACE) Program. As an integral component of this internship, the selected student will be required to work with the Smart Museum’s Academic Engagement Coordinator and the CIJCW/ACE Program Director to plan, present, and moderate a 45 minute Zoom program, open to current and prospective UChicago students, to discuss their work with their supervisor/mentor and how it relates to career options in the Humanities. This will take place at a time discussed with and agreed upon by the student and their supervisor/mentor at the Smart Museum.

Applications will be submitted via Handshake; combine the following in *one* pdf. Document:

Application Deadline: September 12, 2021

Anticipated Start Date: October 1, 2021

Funding: Up to $1,000/quarter