Key Facts

Remote From:

New Jersey (USA)

Internships

Entry-level / graduate

29 - 29K yearly

Portuguese

Hard Skills

Archival Management Community Development Public History Cultural Studies Geographic Information Systems Secondary Research Content Creation Collection Development Online Communication

Other Skills

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Internet Research
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Microsoft Office
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Diversity Awareness
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Teamwork
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Social Skills
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Growth Mindedness
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Presentations

Roles & Responsibilities

Undergraduate or graduate student; recent graduates within one year of graduation.
Residency in the State of New Jersey required.
Major or focus in public and/or social history, art history, museum studies, or related fields (preferred).
Experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Outlook).

Requirements:

Conduct research on the history, culture, and key figures of selected Ironbound communities in Newark, focusing on Latinx, Portuguese, and Brazilian populations.
Compile, organize, and summarize findings to inform the development of a future museum installation; utilize a range of resources including secondary sources, archival materials, maps, and online sources.
Present a summary of internship experience and project outcomes to museum leadership, including the Director/CEO, at the end of the internship; participate in departmental meetings and share progress and key insights.
Support the Curatorial Department with additional curatorial-related tasks as needed.

The Newark Museum of Art

About The Newark Museum of Art

Eighty galleries house The Newark Museum of Art’s permanent collection. The Museum complex also includes the 1885 Ballantine House, a restored National Historic Landmark; the Victoria Hall of Science; The Alice and Leonard Dreyfuss Planetarium; the Junior Museum; the Billy Johnson Auditorium; the Alice Ransom Dreyfuss Memorial Garden; an authentic Schoolhouse from 1784; and the Newark Fire Museum.The Newark Museum of Art's distinguished art collections are international in scope and importance, and include 18th- to 20th-century American Painting and Sculpture; an important collection of Decorative Arts including the nation’s most acclaimed collection of pots; the Arts of Africa, the Americas and the Pacific; a world-renowned Asian Art collection, including a Tibetan Buddhist altar consecrated by His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama; Classical Antiquities, representing Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan and Roman societies and an unparalleled collection of ancient glass; and one of the few Numismatic collections on public view in this country. A permanent Natural Science Gallery including changing exhibition space opened November 2002.

Founded: 2018

Company size: 51 - 200

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Job description

Internship Description | Intern, Decorative Arts – Summer 2026

Division | Collections & Curatorial Strategies

Department | Curatorial

Reporting Relationship | Associate Curator, Decorative Arts

Application Deadline: Must apply by March 26, 2026

This internship is supported by the Career Accelerator Internship Grant Program

About The Newark Museum of Art:

We acknowledge the traditional homelands of the Lenape, also known as the Delaware, upon which The Newark Museum of Art resides.

We welcome everyone with inclusive experiences that spark curiosity and foster community.

Founded in 1909 and located in New Jersey, The Newark Museum of Art (NMOA) is the state's largest museum and ranks twelfth nationally in terms of collection size. Global and diasporic, the collection includes more than 130,000 artworks, as well as significant holdings of science and natural history. From the ancient world to the art of today, NMOA boasts exceptional quality and depth in the Arts of Global Africa; Arts of Global Asia, featuring a renowned Tibetan collection and Buddhist altar; Arts of the Americas, with particular strength in Native American art; Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean, and Decorative Arts.

Visitor-and community-centered, NMOA responds to the evolving needs and interests of the diverse publics it serves by offering exhibitions, programming, a research library, paid internships, and local and global partnerships. A four-acre campus includes the National Historic Landmark Ballantine House (1885); the Ward Carriage House (1868); the Old Stone School House (1784); and the Alice Ransom Dreyfuss Memorial Garden. NMOA has launched an era of transformation to create an engaged citizenry by reimagining the role of the art museum for the 21st century.

Internship Summary: The Intern, Decorative Arts will research the history, culture, and key figures of the Ironbound neighborhood in Newark, with a focus on Latinx, Portuguese, and Brazilian communities. This research will support the development of a future installation at The Ballantine House, highlighting the experiences of Ironbound communities past and present. The intern will work closely with the Associate Curator, Decorative Arts to select one or two communities for focused research and will gain hands-on experience conducting scholarly and public-facing research. As part of a summer internship cohort, 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:

Develop research skills in public history, community studies, and cultural analysis.
Gain experience using a variety of resources, including print publications, archival materials, maps, and other online resources.
Learn how research informs interpretive material, including thematic content, object and artwork selection, and interactive components.
Understand the process of translating scholarly research into public-facing museum experiences.
Build professional skills through collaboration with curatorial staff and participation in cohort-based programming.
Contribute to the Museum’s commitment to a culture of inclusive excellence.

Responsibilities:

Conduct research on the history, culture, and key figures of selected Ironbound communities in Newark, emphasizing Latinx, Portuguese, and Brazilian populations.
Compile, organize, and summarize findings to inform the development of a future museum installation.
Utilize a range of resources including secondary sources, archival materials, maps, online sources, and other relevant materials.
Participate in departmental meetings and share progress and key insights.
Present a summary of internship experience and project outcomes to museum leadership, including the Director/CEO, at the end of the internship.
Support the Curatorial Department with additional curatorial-related tasks as needed.

Work Schedule & Duration: This internship is a part-time, hybrid onsite/remote position, required to work onsite two (2) days per week / may work remotely up to one (1) day per week. This position runs for ten (10) consecutive weeks, from June to August 2026.

Knowledge, Skills, and Attributes:

Undergraduate or graduate student; recent graduates (within one year of graduation) required.
Residency in the State of New Jersey required.
Major or focus in public and/or social history, art history, museum studies, or other related fields preferred.
Collections database interest or experience a plus.
Research skills and experience preferred.

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).

Working Conditions/Physical Demands:

Ability to remain in a stationary period 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 to engage with staff, trustees, and external partners.

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.

We embrace a culture of inclusive excellence, ensuring that people of all backgrounds, identities, or abilities are empowered to explore, learn, contribute, and engage with the arts. Since its founding in 1909, the Museum has been grounded in the belief that art and learning are for everyone. The Museum reaffirms its dedication to this inclusive vision, which has shaped its aspirations, actions, and policies for over a century. More information on the Newark Museum of Art’s commitment to a culture of inclusive excellence can be found here.

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.