Association of Art Museum Directors Intern
Lawrence, KS 
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Posted 30 days ago
Job/Internship Description
Position Overview
The Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) Intern will work alongside Sydney Pursel, curator for public practice on the Native Fashion exhibition scheduled to open at the Spencer Museum of Art in August 2024. A successful candidate will enjoy working collaboratively and will demonstrate flexibility, creativity, initiative, and dedication to social justice. They will work alongside a team of Indigenous advisors to implement the exhibition and related fashion show to ensure Indigenous voices are included and elevated. The work will be highly collaborative and will involve event planning and logistics for the fashion runway show, including working with local and national designers, artists, a team of advisors, venders, and community partners. The Intern will also assist with planning the opening reception, events, programs, panel discussions, and workshops. They will give tours of the Native Fashion exhibition to K-12 and university classes, museum staff, board members, docents, and community groups. The AAMD Intern will serve as an interface between the Spencer Museum and surrounding Indigenous communities in Lawrence and across Kansas to deepen and sustain connections with the museum and foster a sense of belonging. The Intern will participate in a full range of professional staff activities and assist with a variety of departmental duties to gain a broad understanding of museum operations. They will also spend time shadowing Saralyn Reece Hardy, Marilyn Stokstad Director and Dr. Dee Ann DeRoin, Friends of the Art Museum Board Chair to learn about and participate in leadership activities.

The AAMD Intern is also eligible for a $3,000 travel stipend to attend two professional development opportunities. The Intern has the option of attending the American Alliance of Museum's conference taking place May 16 - 19, 2024, in Baltimore, MD or the Association of African American Museum's conference taking place August 13 - 16, 2024, in Baltimore, MD. The travel stipend can be used to cover a one-year student membership at either or both organizations, conference registration costs, and transportation and lodging during the conference. Additional funds can be used for another professional development opportunity with the possibility of attending the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) Santa Fe Indian Market August 17 - 18, 2024.
Job Description
Research and Writing (45%)
  • Work with the Indigenous community to conduct research, interview, and gather stories to drive interpretation of objects in the collection and exhibition.
  • Assist with writing interpretive content including intro texts and labels for Native Fashion.
  • Collaborate with Curator Pursel and the Native advisors on research and planning to identify designers, models, personnel, and vendors for the fashion show.
  • Submit a 1-2 page written report summarizing the activities and results of the internship.

Programming (45%)
  • Assist with planning and staffing for events, programs, panel discussions, and workshops.
  • Participate in outreach to the local Indigenous community including KU and Haskell students and identify local community organizations and people to partner with on the project.
  • Work with and support contemporary BIPOC artists and designers.
  • Give tours of the Native Fashion exhibition to K-12 and university classes, museum staff, board members, docents, and community groups.
  • Maintain familiarity with additional Indigenous works of art on display and assist with tours.
  • Attend relevant events on campus and in the community.

Other (10%)
  • Attend the American Alliance of Museum's conference taking place May 16 - 19 or the Association of African American Museum's conference taking place August 17 - 18 in Baltimore.
  • Attend one additional conference or professional development opportunity.
  • Perform other duties and special projects as specified.
Required Qualifications
  1. Must be an undergraduate student entering their sophomore, junior, or senior year, or graduating in May 2024.
  2. Strong spoken and written communication as evidenced by application materials and interview.
Preferred Qualifications
  1. Interest in object-based teaching and learning and Indigenous culture, fashion, or regalia.
  2. Tribally enrolled citizen or demonstrated Indigenous heritage.
  3. Experience with or interest in working with the Indigenous community.
  4. Willingness to work both independently and in collaboration with museum staff, students, artists, designers, and Indigenous community members on a team-driven project.
  5. Interest in a career in a museum, cultural center, or related field.
  6. Prior experience with relational databases, especially as used for museum collections.
Additional Candidate Instructions
A complete online application consists of:
  1. Cover letter addressing how you meet the required and preferred qualifications (see below)
  2. Resume
  3. Contact information for three professional references (including at least one previous or current supervisor).
Please provide the following information in your application materials (cover letter/resume):
  • Interest in this position.
  • Museum or related career goals.
  • Educational experience in relevant fields of study.
  • Work experience including any community-based work or work with Indigenous communities.
  • Other skills such as computer use, technology, and database experience.
  • Telephone number and email address where you can be reached.

Application review begins Monday, April 29, 2024 and continues until a pool of qualified candidates has been collected.
Contact Information to Applicants
Sydney Pursel
sydneypursel@ku.edu
Advertised Salary Range
16.00 per hour
Work Schedule
Hours occurring Monday - Friday between 8:30am - 5:00pm
Position is part-time with a flexible start date in May 2024 and end date in December 2024.
Application Review Begins
Monday April 29, 2024
Anticipated Start Date
Monday May 13, 2024


The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university's programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy.

 

Position Summary
Start Date
As soon as possible
Employment Type
Part Time
Period of Employment
Open
Type of Compensation
Paid
College Credits Earned
No
Tuition Assistance
No
Required Student Status
Open
Preferred Majors
Other
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