Costume Department Intern Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Intern, Collections supports the Registrar department and Collections team in a focused project to rehouse and rehang approximately 1,000 period garments, improving long-term preservation through safer hanging systems and enhanced dust protection. This position provides practical, hands-on experience working directly with the Museum's collection, learning best practices in object handling, preventative conservation, and proper storage under the guidance of collections professionals. The intern also engages with museum professionals and peers through structured programming, including lunchtime sessions, staff meetings, and other museum programs.

Learning Objectives: By the end of this internship, the intern will:

• Gain hands-on experience rehousing and rehanging costume and textile objectives using the Museum's standard storage practices.
• Learn safe object handling techniques and basic principles of preventative conservation for historic garments.
• Develop working knowledge of collections documentation through accurate data entry and record maintenance in The Museum System (TMS), the Museum's collections database.
• Practice assessing object condition and selecting appropriate storage solutions under staff supervision.
• Build professional skills through collaboration with collections staff and participation in cohort-based programming.
• Contribute to the Museum's commitment to a culture of inclusive excellence.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with the Collections team on a large-scale project to rehouse and rehang approximately 1,000 period garments, improving storage safety and appropriate hanging systems and dust protection.
• Remove garments from hanging systems in existing storage, assessing their condition, and selecting the appropriate hanger size and protection covers.
• Produce and attach visual identification tags for each garment, including photographs and key object information.
• Accurately document all rehousing and rehanging activities in the Museum's collection database, TMS, ensuring accuracy and thorough record-keeping.
• Observe or assist with collection-related activities across departments (e.g. exhibitions, conservation, loans) as opportunities arise.
• Participate in departmental meetings or behind-the-scenes tours related to collections management.
• Present a summary of internship experience and project outcomes to museum leadership, including the Director/CEO, at the end of the internship.
• Support the Registrar department with additional collections-related tasks as needed.

Work Schedule & Duration: This internship is a part-time onsite position, required to work 3 days per week. This position runs for ten (10) consecutive weeks, from September to December 2026.

Eligibility:

• Current NJ undergraduate student
• Current NJ graduate student
• Recent NJ college graduate: Must have graduated less than one year prior to start of internship experience
• A current undergraduate student who is permanent NJ resident

Knowledge, Skills, and Attributes:

• Major or focus in collections management, art history, conservation, museum studies, or other related fields preferred.
• Collections database interest or experience a plus.
• Costume and textile collection interest or experience a plus.
• Photography skills or experience a plus.
• Creative thinking and growth attitude.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Good presentation facilitation and written communication skills.
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Outlook) preferred.

Working Conditions/Physical Demands:

• Ability to remain in a stationary position for extended periods of time, move about, access, and operate computer equipment.
• Ability to occasionally lift and move up to fifteen (15) pounds.
• Ability to move throughout the Museum's offices, galleries, facilities, and meeting spaces.
• Ability to navigate accessible public and administrative areas of the Museum, including use of elevators.

Rate: $20/hourly

The Newark Museum of Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Upholding this commitment, we prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type and afford equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. This commitment applies to all aspects of employment, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, training, promotion, placement, transfer, layoff, recall, leaves of absence, and termination.

The Newark Museum of Art is dedicated to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As an integral part of this commitment, reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants and employees to support them in performing the essential functions of their roles, unless doing so would cause undue hardship on the organization. For inquiries regarding reasonable accommodation, please contact accessibility@newarkmuseumart.org.