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The Role
Paid, onsite exhibition design internship supporting museum exhibition planning from concept through installation. Interns participate in design charrettes, review layouts with curators, create art layouts, scaled models, maquettes, mockups, drawings, and presentation materials, and may assist with construction and installation. Applicants must be enrolled in architecture, exhibition design, or set design and submit a portfolio.
Summary Generated by Built In
The Whitney’s Academic Year Internship program offers a semester-long paid internship for rising Juniors and above (to include Graduate students) enrolled in an accredited academic program. The internship is in person and onsite. For spring 2027, interns commit between 16–21 hours per week over 10–12 weeks for a total of 176 hours. The official program dates will span from January 18-April 26, 2027. Interns are assigned to a specific department at the Museum for the duration of the internship.
The application window for our Spring 2027 Ostrover Family Academic Internship is now open through November 9. Please note that all candidates will be considered on a rolling basis, and as such, some opportunities may close before the deadline.
For more information, including information on eligibility requirements, please visit our internships page.
The Whitney seeks an Exhibition Design intern for Spring 2027.
Expected Projects & Assignments
- Interns will participate in departmental design charrettes and meetings with exhibition curators to review design concepts and art layouts as well as planning meetings involving colleagues across the institution (via Zoom and in-person)
- Interns will also assist in making art layouts, scaled maquettes of the artwork, study models, full scale mockups and presentation materials
- When possible, interns will observe and assist on the floor during construction and installation
Skills & Qualifications
- Enrolled in architecture, exhibition design, or set design program
- 2D and 3D Drafting Skills Required
- Facility with building both study and finish models
- Ability to think abstractly and creatively Concern for details
- Good communication skills
- Ability to work in a flexible, fast-paced environment on simultaneous projects
- When applying, candidates must provide their portfolio as a PDF along with their resume and essay
- Undergraduates and graduates currently enrolled in accredited academic year programs are eligible
- While a demonstrated interest in art and art history is preferred, students in all majors are encouraged to apply
- Previous museum experience is not required
Provided Training
- Interns will be exposed to the process of how exhibitions are realized from conception to installation and the role of Exhibition Design in that process
- Interns will work alongside designers and curators to develop an exhibition’s narrative and environment
- Interns will learn the tools designers use to communicate spatial and conceptual ideas to curators and the larger institution
- Training in developing scaled models of the art work, working with architectural models of the exhibition, developing larger mock ups, developing architectural drawings, and looking critically at art layout in terms of the curatorial narrative
Outcomes
- Learning the skills to help assess art checklists, developing three-dimensional thinking with 2D and 3D work, learning the fundamentals of exhibition design planning. Gaining insight from how a large museum of this scale works and how other departments affect exhibition design.
Compensation
Interns will be paid a stipend of $3000.
Generous support for Ostrover Family Academic Year Interns is provided by Julie and Doug Ostrover.
If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates. Whether you’re new to arts and culture administration, returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or take the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar. Please use your cover letter to tell us about your interest in the arts and culture space and what you hope to bring to this role.
About the Whitney
The Whitney Museum of American Art, founded in 1930 by the artist and philanthropist Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, houses the foremost collection of American art from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. From her vision arose the Whitney Museum of American Art, which has been championing the most innovative art of the United States for 86 years. The core of the Whitney’s mission is to collect, preserve, interpret, and exhibit American art of our time and serve a wide variety of audiences in celebration of the complexity and diversity of art and culture in the United States. Through this mission and a steadfast commitment to artists themselves, the Whitney has long been a powerful force in support of modern and contemporary art and continues to help define what is innovative and influential in American art today.
EEO Statement
The Whitney Museum of American Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Museum does not discriminate because of age, sex, religion, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage or citizenship, disability, marital status, partnership status, veteran status, gender (including gender identity), sexual orientation, or any other factor prohibited by law. The Museum hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled. The Museum encourages all qualified candidates to apply for vacant positions at all levels. This description shall not be construed as a contract of any sort for a specific period of employment.
Skills Required
- Currently enrolled in an accredited academic year program as an undergraduate or graduate student
- Enrolled in architecture, exhibition design, or set design program
- 2D drafting skills
- 3D drafting skills
- Ability to build study and finish models
- Abstract and creative thinking
- Attention to detail
- Good communication skills
- Ability to work in a flexible, fast-paced environment on simultaneous projects
- Portfolio submitted as a PDF with resume and essay
- Interest in art and art history
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The Company
What We Do
The Whitney Museum of American Art is dedicated to American art and artists, focusing on collecting, exhibiting, and preserving 20th- and 21st-century American art.
