VOLUNTEER SUMMER INTERNSHIPS 1995

PROGRAM

The National Gallery of Art will offer a limited number of volunteer internships this summer. Interns will be assigned to National Gallery of Art offices suitable to their backgrounds, interests, and stated preferences. Each summer intern's project is directed by a Gallery curator or department head. All interns are invited to participate in twice-weekly orientation sessions which introduce all departments, programs, and functions of the Gallery. Volunteer appointments will be effective from June 12, 1995 to August 18, 1995. Applicants must be able to work from 24-40 hours per week.

American and British Paintings

The intern will conduct research for upcoming exhibitions. Knowledge of art history and research skills are necessary. Special interest in American and/or British art, knowledge of American and/or British biographical and historical sources, and demonstrated writing skills are desirable.

Conservation Division

Painting Conservation

One intern will assist the painting conservators with examinations, minor supervised treatments, and exhibition-related tasks. The candidate must be currently enrolled in a conservation graduate program.

A second intern will assist with the further development of the conservation division's collection of artists' materials. The project will involve research, organization of a large collection of painted-out samples for future research, and creation of a database of technical and trade literature. Acceptance to or enrollment in a conservation graduate program is desirable, but not required.

Object Conservation

The intern will conduct research on wax sculptures by Degas and will assist with the examination of objects in the permanent collections for the annual survey. Acceptance to or enrollment in a conservation graduate program is desirable, but not required.

Curatorial Records and Files

The intern will assist in monitoring the use of the department's object files for the Gallery's collection of paintings, sculptures, and decortive arts. The intern will take part in improving the curatorial records for a focus group of objects, perhaps late 19th-century French paintings, by researching references and exhibition histories and will assist in integrating material gathered by systematic catalogue authors with existing files. The intern will learn how to enter data on references, exhibition history, and provenance into the Gallery's computerized collection management system. Knowledge of museum registration methods, library proficiency, computer literacy, and a broad knowledge of art history are desirable.

Design and Installation

The intern will work under the direction of the frame project coordinator on the cataloguing of the Gallery's permanent collection frames. Ultimately, the project will provide a computer imaging frame database for the purposes of research and reframing of the permanent collections. Photography, darkroom experience, and computer imaging skills are desirable.

Editor's Office

An internship concentrating on design or editorial work is available. For design, the intern will work on various projects, including assisting the publication designers with lay-outs of exhibition catalogues, helping to size photographs, and assisting with the design of Gallery Guides. Familiarity with QuarkXpress and the basic principles of lay-out and design are required. For editorial, the intern will assist in checking bibliography for the systematic catalogue, editing gallery guides, and assisting with editorial work on the Old Master Drawings from Chatsworth or Johannes Vermeer exhibition catalogues and brochures. Knowledge of art history and literature, as well as research, writing, and editing skills are desirable.

Education Division

Adult Programs Department The interns will assume lecturing responsibilities. Candidates should have a strong academic background in art history with an undergraduate degree, and, preferably, at least one year of graduate study. Successful candidates should also be committed to teaching. Previous experience should include some public speaking, such as docent work or teaching assistantships. The interns will be responsible for general highlight tours and gallery talks--all presented for a well-educated but non-specialist audience.

Education Resources Department The intern will work on various projects in the sections of Extension Programs and Art Information, including preparation of activity guides, analysis of survey results of the American art laser disc, development of a CD-ROM drawn from the American art HyperCard program, and assisting visitors with MicroGallery computers. Knowledge of American art history and computer programming are desirable.

Teacher and School Programs Department The intern will assist with the Summer Teacher Institute on The European Renaissance and Crosscurrents of American Art and will be introduced to program development for educators. The intern will coordinate mailings and teaching materials, make program arrangements for speakers, and work directly with the teachers during the five weeks the institute is in session.

French Paintings

The interns will conduct research on the forthcoming Georges de la Tour and His World: Masterpieces in Focus and A Day at the Races: Degas, Manet, and the Horse exhibitions. Special interest in French art and a sound reading knowledge of French is required.

Modern Prints and Drawings

The intern will conduct preliminary research for an exhibition and/or essay about American prints of the 1950s, using the National Gallery of Art's Rosenwald Collection as a point of departure. Among the subjects around which the intern's research will center are the oeuvres of specific artists active during the period; the importance of academic printmaking workshops to the printmaking milieu; and the role of printmaking societies and clubs. Sound research skills are essential. A knowledge of printmaking is desirable, but not required.

Imaging and Visual Services

The intern will process film, mount slides, make black and white prints, assist with on-location photography, and learn the specifics of photographing works of art. The intern may also assist with the organization of the graphics and the Index of American Design photo files. The intern will learn the policies and procedures for administering reproduction rights and obtaining and organizing photographic materials for special exhibitions. The candidate should be a studio photography major and/or have considerable darkroom experience.

Information/Press Office

The intern will assist with various projects, including responding to requests from the media and the public, proofreading and editing press materials, supervising film crews, clipping and organizing newspaper and magazine articles for archival purposes and for the Board of Trustees quarterly packet, and labeling exhibition photographs. Majors in art history, English, and/or journalism are desirable.

Italian Renaissance Paintings

The interns will work on the systematic catalogue of the Gallery's Italian paintings. A sound reading knowledge of Italian is required.

Northern Baroque Paintings

The intern may work on various projects, including the forthcoming exhibitions Johannes Vermeer, Jan Steen, the cabinet gallery exhibition, and the Flemish systematic catalogue. Candidates must have a sound reading knowledge of French and/or German.

Photographs

The interns will assist the curator with various aspects of the upcoming Harry Callahan, August Sander, and Alfred Stieglitz and the Development of American Modernism exhibitions. Interns will assemble reference materials, establish research files, and maintain bibliographies. Candidates should be familiar with the field and must have a sound reading knowledge of French or German.

Sculpture and Decorative Arts

The interns will assist in the research and writing of entries for the systematic catalogue. They will also revise and reorganize monographic information files on individual European and American sculptures. The interns may be involved in acquisition research, proposals for changes of attribution, and activities regarding the display and interpretation of the Gallery's large and diverse holdings in sculpture and decorative arts. Knowledge of Italian, French, or German is desirable.

Slide Library

The intern will assist with the on-going automation project, in which a catalogue of the slide library's collection will be recorded on VTLS and for which all slides will be reclassified and recatalogued. The intern will work with the Chief Slide Librarian and will be responsible for recataloguing the works of a particular artist, region, or period of the intern's choosing, preferably in his or her subject specialty. The intern will also learn the basic principles of information management and image librarianship. Candidates must hold a bachelor's degree in art history. Graduate work in art history or library/information science is desirable but not required. Candidates should also be familiar with computer systems and basic research techniques and materials.

Southern Baroque Paintings

The intern will conduct research on various projects, including a proposed exhibition of Roman baroque art. A bachelor's degree in art history and a sound reading knowledge of Italian, French, or German are required.

Twentieth-Century Art

The intern will conduct research for the forthcoming Alexander Calder and Picasso: The Early Years exhibitions. The intern will also compile exhibition and publication histories of objects from the permanent collections. A reading knowledge of French and/or Spanish is desirable.

Visitor Services

The intern will assist with the preparation and coordination of marketing materials for groups scheduled to visit the Washington, D.C. area. The students will also be involved in a variety of marketing projects designed to encourage tourists to visit the Gallery.

QUALIFICATIONS

The program is open to candidates who expect to receive a bachelor's degree by June 1995 as well as exceptionally qualified undergraduates entering their senior year.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Complete application materials must be received or postmarked by March 31, 1995. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please submit the following items in your application:

1. Official copies of transcripts from all colleges and/or graduate schools attended. Photocopies or copies without an official seal will not be considered. Candidates are responsible for ensuring that all official transcripts are received or postmarked by March 31, 1995.

2. Two letters of recommendation, of which at least one should be from a college professor. Candidates are responsible for ensuring that the recommendations are received or postmarked by March 31, 1995.

3. A personal letter stating your reasons for wanting to be an intern at the National Gallery of Art, what you hope to achieve from the experience, and what you feel you can contribute to the department(s) in which you are interested. In addition, give the reasons why you have chosen a particular department. Since this letter is intended to serve as a substitute for a personal interview, please try to tell us about yourself, your abilities, and your interests.

Application materials, received or postmarked no later than March 31, 1995, should be sent to: Karen Binswanger, Office of Academic Programs, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. 20565. For further information please call (202) 842-6182 or fax (202) 842-6935.

SELECTION

Selections will be made by April 28, 1995, and successful applicants will be notified promptly. Application materials will not be returned. Participation in the program for a second year, while not prohibited, is strongly discouraged.


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