Our summer internship program is a paid opportunity in one of the largest public arts institutions in San Francisco. This program provides professional experience for students, those just entering the workforce, and other emerging professionals who are interested in art and museum careers and passionate about equity and inclusion. 

Our internship program works with eight museum departments to host eight interns. Departments that have participated in the past include: curatorial, interpretation, public programs, graphic design, development, and digital media. 

Internship benefits

• Gain direct experience and knowledge of museum careers in a paid, full-time, eight-week program.
• Receive mentorship and guidance from museum staff to support department goals and individual projects. 
• Participate in professional development opportunities, such as a weekly Career Insights speaker series, software training, and site visits to local cultural institutions. 
• Join a network of emerging museum professionals.
• Enjoy the perks of being a FAMSF team member: 20% off at our Museum Stores and cafés.

Key dates

• Applications open: Wednesday, December 18, 2024
• Applications close: Wednesday, January 8, 2025, 9 pm PST
• Final selection: April 2025
• Internship starts: Monday, June 16, 2025
• Internship ends: Friday, August 8, 2025

Qualifications

When submitting your application, please keep these requirements in mind.

Education

• A high school diploma/GED, with at least 2 years of work and/or volunteer experience; OR
• Current college students: community college, university, vocational/trade school, or graduate school; OR
• Recent college graduates: no more than 2 years since graduating by the start of the internship; OR
• Some college experience: community college, university, or vocational/trade school. 

Time + place

• This internship requires a commitment of 35 hours per week for 8 weeks. The position is paid hourly and does not qualify for health benefits. 
• Interns work on-site at the de Young and Legion of Honor museums. A hybrid schedule with some work from home may be available, depending on the intern’s department.
• Preference will be given to those who live or go to school in one of the San Francisco Bay Area’s nine counties: San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, San Mateo, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, or Marin. 
• We do not provide travel, relocation, or housing assistance for interns at this time.

Experience + interests

• Applicants for this position are not required to have previous professional or museum experience.
• Competitive applicants show a demonstrated commitment to the arts and museums, are passionate about equity and inclusion, and are comfortable communicating with a diverse group of people, including museum staff, stakeholders, peers, and the public.
• Candidates must be reliable, self-motivated, enthusiastic, open-minded, and collaborative.

Citizenship

• As this is a paid internship, all applicants must be lawfully eligible or authorized to work In the United States without the need for employer-based sponsorship. 

Employment

• Current FAMSF employees are not eligible. 
• Supervisors will introduce interns to fellow staff members to learn about museum careers and departments.

Application materials

When applying for an internship, be aware of the following requirements:

• Resume or CV: with your education, work, and volunteer experience, as well as links to a portfolio, as applicable. 
• Response to supplemental questions: answer all parts of each question clearly, concisely, and truthfully. 

Please note: 

• All interns must be at least 18 years old by the start of the internship program. 
• Applicants are limited to applying to a maximum of two internship positions. 
• Letters of recommendation are not required. Please do not share recommendation letters with us; they will not be considered as part of your application. 
• The only way to be considered for this internship program is through the online application. If you have any issues accessing the application or need support completing the application, please contact careers@famsf.org. We will not accept or consider paper applications or resumes. 
  

The curatorial cataloguing fellowship program at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco aims to support our strategic goal to significantly enhance the scope of information available about works of art in our collection and make this information digitally accessible to a wider public. This program is designed to provide an important professional development opportunity for eight emerging art museum professionals from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in the art museum field to advance their curatorial training through conducting curatorial research and cataloguing work.

Curatorial cataloguing fellows will be responsible for cataloguing works of art from our permanent collection, with particular focus on enhancing information about artworks’ provenance, exhibition history, and bibliographic records. Under the guidance of the FAMSF curatorial team, fellows will analyze gaps in existing collections data, conduct collection research, and write textual entries for our collection management database, TMS (The Museum System). Throughout the two-year program, fellows will also have the opportunity to engage with experts in provenance, research, and collections data to strengthen their professional development. 

One fellow will be assigned to each of FAMSF’s eight curatorial departments: 

• Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts (Works on paper)
• Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
• American art
• Ancient art
• Contemporary art
• Costume and textile arts
• European decorative arts and sculpture
• European paintings

Fellows will be matched based on areas of interest and expertise and will work directly with department curators, who will serve as supervisors and offer mentorship throughout the fellowship. Applicants may apply to more than one department. 

The two-year paid fellowship program is on-site in San Francisco from September 2025–August 2027.

Key dates

• Applications open: Monday, January 6, 2025
• Applications close: Friday, February 14, 2025, 9 pm PST
• Final selection: April 2025
• Internship starts: September 2025
• Internship ends: August 2027

Qualifications

Completion of a BA degree by summer 2025 in art history, museum studies, or a related field. Experience in research and cataloguing is a plus. Additional department specific qualifications may be applicable.

Interpretation and outreach associates (IOAs) are individuals with intersecting experience and interests in art history, art practice, community organizing, education, museum studies, and more. As key museum collaborators, the associates participate in a rigorous 10-week training program that includes readings, discussions, and workshops on museum education, interpretation, and programming with Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco staff and leading practitioners in the field. Associates engage visitors with the Museums’ collections through in-gallery conversations with a critical, inclusive, and people-centered approach.

More information about the IOA program will be released in winter 2024–2025.

We hire part-time/on-call positions with the retail and visitor experience departments throughout the year. These are valuable opportunities to learn more about our institution while gaining a unique perspective on how guests are motivated to visit and interact with the collections. You can find these positions posted on the FAMSF Career Center.