Master’s students in Visual Arts Administration are preparing to hold positions and leadership roles within museums, auction houses, galleries and other cultural institutions. Master’s students have completed internships at large and small local and regional museums and galleries, artist studios, publishing houses, and other sites.
Visual Arts Administration: ARVA-GE 2302 Internship in Art (1-6 credits)
Course description: Individual internships in New York City with major artists, notable museums, distinguished galleries, art publishers, and art organizations under the guidance of a sponsor at the host institution. Students also work closely with the internship coordinator to assess their progress and define learning goals. Internships must be approved by the internship coordinator and academic adviser in advance and students must register by the drop/add deadline.
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Feel free to meet with the Internship Coordinator for feedback on your cover letter and resume before applying to an internship as well as to prepare for an interview. You may set up an Internships in Art appointment by emailing Clare Kambhu, ckambhu@nyu.edu.
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- If sponsors require a letter verifying that you are registered for the course Internships in Art and will receive credit, please contact the Internships and Graduate Professions Adviser.
- Apply for the NYU Wasserman Funded Internship Award offered every semester. The purpose of this $1,000 award is to provide financial assistance to students pursuing unpaid internships in the arts, education, public service and other not-for-profits. The deadlines and guidelines for applying are found on the Wasserman website.
- International students must apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) via the Office of Global Services to receive work authorization and especially to receive any form of payment including hourly wage, travel reimbursement, stipend, etc.
- Internships may be paid or unpaid. You may earn academic credit for paid internships. It is important to note that sponsoring organizations cannot offer academic credit as that is part of your degree completion through NYU and not overseen by outside entities.
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Students receive the weekly Barney Arts Digest, which includes a list of current internships and jobs in the arts. These are people who have contacted us, and these tend to be for the immediate future. These emails will provide some wonderful opportunities, but by no means are they the only way to find an internship. You may meet with the Internships Coordinator for ideas.
Visit the selected listing of historical internship sponsors on our website.
Read Student Internship Experiences below:
Internship: Creative Time
Jing Cheng, Class of 2021
Area of Focus: Non-profit
My internship helped me understand the institutional structure and curatorial process of a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to large-scale public art. In response to COVID-19, I assembled a resource package with information on emergency grants and remote communication tools to support artists. I also assisted curators in planning several initiatives and public art projects, including the Creative Time Comics 2020.
Internship: NYC Department of Transportation, Art & Event Programming
Pauling Fuentes Loza, Class of 2020
Area of focus: Arts and Culture Project Management
I was a part of the process of commissioning more than ten public art installations across NYC and I was a part of the planning of two major city events, Car Free Earth Day and Summer Streets, by supporting the program's Director in sponsorship meetings and partner outreach. Through this experience, I gained lifelong friends and colleagues, and also learned essential project management skills that will benefit me in every aspect of my professional career.
Internship: Georgia O'Keeffe Museum
Tessa Kennamer, Class of 2020
Area of focus: Nonprofit Arts Management
During my experience as the Marsh Family Intern with the Collections and Interpretations Department at the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, I was provided a range of unique opportunities. My time included planning and facilitating educational lessons, conducting museum tours, assisting with research, and collaborating to create new narratives for the permanent collection. Working under the Curator of Digital Engagement, Liz Neely, I helped design an exhibition, Seeing Beyond.
Internship: Art and Antiquities Blockchain Consortium
Lees Romano, Class of 2021
Area of focus: Art + Tech
As the Social Media and Web Development intern, I am responsible for website creation, website strategy, and drafting external-facing marketing materials. While this internship allows me to grow my website design skills and knowledge base, I also have the rich and invaluable opportunity to be on the ground floor as this nonprofit emerges. The organization feels more important than ever as we navigate restitutions and reparations in the arts and implement new technologies to do so.
Internship: Artist in the Marketplace (AIM) Program
Niuniu Zhang, Class of 2021
Area of focus: Art Finance and Philanthropy
As a Summer 2020 curatorial intern for the Artist in the Marketplace (AIM) Program, I have conducted research on art history and urban planning literature to produce cultural narratives for the Fall 2020 40th-anniversary event. This unique internship is research-intensive and project-based. Throughout this experience, I have gained a holistic view of the New York art scene from the 1980s to now, which will greatly benefit my upcoming thesis project.
Internship: Artory
Yujia Zheng, Class of 2021
Area of focus: For-profit track
During my internship at Artory, a blockchain-based digital registry, I helped with the startup’s database maintenance and online marketing. It has been an eye-opening experience, and I’ve acquired a great amount of knowledge and insights about the intersection of art and technology, which is my area of interest.