Internship Announcement: McDermott Intern for Asian Art, Dallas Museum of Art

Description

Position: McDermott Intern for Asian Art

Reports to: The Cecil and Ida Green Curator of Asian Art

Classification: Non-Exempt, Full-Time, Hourly

Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision insurance; paid holiday, personal and sick time; $500 for professional development

Schedule: Monday-Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm with one hour for lunch; ability to work remotely 2 days per week following 90-day introductory period

Internship Period: September 1, 2026 – May 28, 2027

Salary: $15/hour, 35 hours per week

 

Mission

The Dallas Museum of Art is a space of wonder and discovery where art comes alive.

The DMA will:

• Place art and our diverse communities at the center around which all activities radiate.
• Pursue excellence in collecting and programming, present works of art across cultures and time, and be a driving force in contemporary art.
• Strengthen our position as a prominent, innovative institution, expanding the meaning and possibilities of learning and creativity.

Scope of Position:

Under the guidance of the Curator of Asian Art, the intern will assist in the care and maintenance of the Dallas Museum of Art’s Asian art collection and support ongoing research, documentation, and exhibition of the collection. They will conduct research and writing in support of the collection area’s goals, which may include provenance, acquisition proposals, upcoming exhibitions, and/or future rotations of Asian art. The intern will have the opportunity to also work on projects that could include contributing in-gallery texts, presenting a tour, docent training, and creating web content.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Support ongoing research and documentation of the Dallas Museum of Art’s Asian art collection, including but not limited to objects from East Asia, the Indian subcontinent, the Himalayas, Southeast Asia, Central Asia and West Asia.
• Conduct primary and secondary source research utilizing a multitude of resources, including object files and the Museum’s Mayer Library.
• Conduct research and writing in support of the Asian art collection area’s goals, which may also include for possible acquisitions, upcoming exhibitions, and/or future rotations.
• Assist with augmenting existing documentation concerning history of ownership, exhibition history, and publication references for objects in the Asian art collection.
• Attend regular one-on-one, departmental, interdepartmental team meetings as needed and provide weekly status updates about ongoing research and project progress.
• Support other curatorial tasks under the supervision of the curator as needed.

Internship Goals:

• Expand art historical object-based research skills, particularly in Asian art.
• Learn best curatorial practices for basic provenance research and compilation skills.
• Gain experience with writing in a museum context.
• Ascertain professional goals and interests through the support of mentorship.
• Develop professional communication and interpersonal skills through collaboration with Museum colleagues.
• McDermott Internship: Understand the roles and functions of different staff within the Museum as well as the relationship between the departments and how they all function together to comprise the organization.

Internship Project:

The intern will assist in the care and maintenance of the Dallas Museum of Art’s Asian art collection and support ongoing research, documentation, and exhibition of the collection. They will vet and augment the existing documentation of ownership, exhibition history, and publication references for objects in the Asian art collection and create and/or update the Museum’s Asian art physical and digital object files. They will conduct research and writing in support of the collection area’s goals, which may include acquisition proposals, and supporting upcoming exhibitions and/or future rotations of Japanese, Himalayan and Indian art. The intern will have the opportunity to also work on projects that could include contributing gallery texts, presenting a tour, docent training, and creating web content.

Requirements

 

Education, Experience, and Certification:

• Completion of coursework or background in Asian art history encouraged; graduate work encouraged.
• Reading proficiency in an Asian language encouraged.

Key Qualifications:

• Demonstrated research and writing skills.
• Ability to juggle multiple assignments.
• Ability to work successfully within deadlines.