McMullan Arts Leadership Intern (Experience Design, Digital Content)
Introduction
The Art Institute of Chicago shares its singular collections with our city and the world. We collect, care for, and interpret works of art across time, cultures, geographies, and identities, centering the vision of artists and makers. We recognize that all art is made in a particular context, demanding continual, dynamic reconsideration in the present. We are a place of gathering; we foster the exchange of ideas and inspire an expansive, inclusive understanding of human creativity.
Position Summary
McMullan Arts Leadership Internship, Experience Design – Digital Content (Summer 2023)
POSITION SUMMARY:
The Art Institute of Chicago’s Digital Content department invites talented and driven graduate or undergraduate students to apply for this Summer internship that will assist in the planning and production of a wide-range of digital content for the museum. This position will provide hands-on experience with different types of media and is best suited for someone looking to further develop their narrative and content creation skills.
Digital Content is a department division within the Experience Design department, which works to create accessible, inclusive, and engaging content for the Art Institute’s various media channels, website, and campus spaces.
Over the summer, the intern will have the chance to work on a variety of projects including video, audio, and web features. They will also be involved with every step of the production process, gaining first-hand experience with storyboarding, scriptwriting, and story development, all while getting to know a variety of museum roles and responsibilities.
The intern will join a museum-wide intern cohort and have access to a range of programs to support their development in addition to their placement in Digital Content. Mentorship is provided throughout the experience and connections with an intern alumni network will be established.
Goals of the McMullan Arts Leadership Internship Program
The McMullan Arts Leadership internship program is part of a museum-wide effort to provide students the opportunity to gain experience, career awareness, networks, and skills that will position them to thrive as future art museum leaders.
This program specifically aims to support students who encounter economic challenges when considering a career in the arts. Aligned with this goal, we aim to help shape a diverse group of leaders whose actions are informed by a wide range of perspectives, varying career paths, and values inspired by their own lived experiences.
INTERNSHIP OUTCOMES:
- Potential to lead the creation of a piece of digital content
- Practical experience in narrative content creation
- Growth in communication skills, time management, and critical thinking
- Growth in video/audio production skills
- Ability to implement your creative ideas
- Develop strong communication and organizational skills;
- Develop mentor relationships with field practitioners;
- Build peer-to-peer relationships with fellow interns.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Participate in the development and creation of original video and audio content
- Work closely with the creative director, video editor and motion designer, producers, and others
- Write treatments; generate storyboards and mood-boards
- Conduct research and synthesize information for narrative or editorial content
- Conduct research for archival material to be used for video, audio, and/or other web content
- Monitor your own project status and proactively identify problems before and as they arise
- Foster relationships with the Digital Content team and the greater Experience Design Department.
- Attend weekly check-ins with the position’s mentors: Digital Content’s video editor and motion designer and the department’s creative director
- Attend intern cohort professional development programs and museum practice seminars
QUALIFICATIONS:
Required:
- Undergraduate or graduate student; recent graduates (within one year of graduation) will also be considered
- Due to onsite necessity, applicants must be based in the Chicagoland area for the summer and/or attending school in the Chicagoland area
- Familiarity with video/audio production processes and software, particularly Adobe Creative Suite
- Proficiency in Google Suite
- Passion for storytelling, grasp of narrative structure, and good editorial skills
- Curiosity for art, history and culture
- Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
- Ability to be open-minded and work collaboratively with colleagues across the museum
- Detail-oriented mindset and demonstrated organizational skills, especially with file management
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment
- Ability to multitask and be flexibly prioritize when appropriate
Preferred:
- Eye for design and photography
- Awareness of and/or curiosity about art museum culture and current events in the field
APPLICATION
To apply for this internship, tell us your story. We want to understand who you are, what motivates you, how you think, and where you’re coming from. Please submit the following materials:
- Résumé
- In lieu of a traditional cover letter, please respond to the following questions in short essays (no more than 300 words per answer.) We encourage you to provide specific examples to support your answers or to illustrate your ideas:
- What about this job description interests you the most?
- With the mission of the McMullan Arts Leadership intern program in mind, what perspectives might you bring to this role that you think museums need more of?
- How do you envision this opportunity helping you towards your professional goals?
To apply: Visit artic.edu/careers to find job posting and apply online. Upload all materials into one pdf document and list your last name and “Summer 2023” in the title of the file (example: [LAST NAME]_Summer2023.pdf.) The application will close on February 28, 2023 at 10:00 PM CDT. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so early application is suggested. Selected applicants will be asked to interview via video call.
INTERNSHIP INFORMATION
Duration of Program: 10 weeks / June 2023 (start date anytime during the week of June 5–June 9) through August 2023 (end date anytime during the week of August 7–August 11)
Compensation: Paid / $16.32/hr / full-time / Temporary
Schedule: This is a full-time, 10-week position for a currently enrolled or recently graduated undergraduate or graduate student. The intern will work up to 30 hours per week, for a total of up to 300 hours over the course of the internship. Work days will occur between Monday–Friday; the start date and schedule will be determined upon agreement with the candidate and the host department.
Hourlong virtual and in-person intern professional development programs will be scheduled throughout the internship term that the student is strongly encouraged to attend. These programs will occur on select Fridays mornings at 10:00 AM CDT unless otherwise noted; we ask that the intern make this part of their internship schedule.
Format: The internship will be a hybrid of onsite and remote work days. Due to onsite necessity, applicants based or attending school in the Chicagoland area during the internship timeframe will be prioritized. All museum staff, interns, and fellows are required to provide a COVID-19 vaccine attestation upon acceptance of the position. Internet access and appropriate technology will be necessary to complete this internship, but technological accommodations can be provided by the Art Institute of Chicago based on necessity.
Number of openings: 1