2020-2021 Burish Fellowship: Museum Education Internship

Internships

During the Summer program Summer Spin, children play in front of the Chazen Art Museum.

For 2020-2021, the Chazen Museum of Art seeks two excellent museum education interns who will:

  1. Explore the inner workings of an art museum and the role of art education within it.
  2. Collaborate with museum and art education staff to co-develop programs related to Chazen exhibitions and collections.
  3. Facilitate presentations and teach workshops for various museum populations.

Interns are expected to work up to 200 hours over the course of one semester, either fall OR spring (approximately 10-14 hours per week), and in return gain valuable on-the-job, museum education experience, *course credit, a $4000 stipend, and cost of in-state tuition for one full academic year (up to $11,000)!

Eligibility

Students applying for the internship must:

  • Be enrolled full time at UW-Madison.
  • Be a declared undergraduate art major (BS Art, BFA Art, or BS Art Education).
  • Complete at least 60 course credits by the start of their internship semester.
  • Demonstrate outstanding academic and professional leadership qualities.

Wisconsin residents, out-of-state, and international art majors are all eligible to apply.

Application (Deadline March 12, 2020)

To apply for the Chazen internship, go to the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WiSH) wisc.academicworks.com and sign in with your NetID to complete the General Application.

Based on your answers in the General Application, you will be directed to fill out more specific information tied to the internship if you are eligible. Be prepared to:

  • Respond to questions regarding financial need, volunteer and work experience.
  • Submit 6–8 digital images of your best artwork, including captions (PDF).
  • Upload one letter of reference (PDF) from a professor, employer or other professional contact who can speak to your work ethic, character, collaboration/interpersonal skills, organization and time management–any qualities necessary that will help you thrive as a museum education intern.
  • Provide a letter of intent (PDF). In one or two single-spaced pages, write a persuasive statement explaining: 1) why you are interested in this opportunity, and how you will benefit from the internship, and 2) how the Chazen will benefit from your personal, academic and professional strengths, service and/or expertise.

Timeline

  • March 12: Application deadline
  • March 13 – 25: Review of applications
  • March 26: Final candidates contacted for interviews
  • March 30 and 31: Interviews
  • April 3: Announcement of awards sent to the top two candidates

Dates and Hours for Internships:

  • Fall semester internship: September 8 through December 12, 2020.
  • Spring semester internship: January 19 through May 2, 2021.
  • Internship hours will be determined by the intern’s semester course schedule. However, interns should have availability between the hours of 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, with an occasional required Thursday evening or Saturday afternoon.

*Interns are eligible to enroll in ART ED 699 Independent Study for one or two credits during their internship semester if needed to meet studio and/or degree requirements.

For questions, contact Dr. Mary Hoefferle at hoefferle@wisc.edu.

Apply Now

Sponsored by

Chazen Museum of Art Logo UW-Madison Art Department Logo

Other Details

Chazen Interns engage in a variety of learning experiences that may include but are not limited to:

  • Observing a docent at work and practicing instructional strategies for engaging visitors in experiencing, interpreting and discussing artworks.
  • Conducting in-depth research to become a “Resident Expert” on one work of art or artist in the Chazen collection and teaching this information to museum docents.
  • Attending professional conferences or taking field trips to other museums for inquiry, interviewing, and comparison, such as MMoCA, Kohler Art Museum in Sheboygan or Milwaukee Art Museum.
  • Reading books, articles and online resources pertaining to art museum education and education practices.
  • Developing  instructional materials like multimedia presentations, education kits, teacher guides, games, and props.
  • Creating a final portfolio or project, synthesizing your museum education research and practice in relation to your career path and/or academic interests.
  • Co-planning workshop content with museum staff, and co-facilitating a variety of educational programs. These are just a few possibilities:
    • Lead Art Spin for families on second Saturdays of the month.
    • Co-facilitate Thursday evening programs for various populations in the community.
    • Co-teach PLATO, a course for 55+ senior citizens (once a week for six weeks).
    • Practice docent skills with small groups of visitors on museum field trips.
    • With the Curator of Education and Assistant Curator of Education, co-create new programs for specific populations like homeschoolers, high school students interested in art and art history degrees, or college students in specific majors, etc.
    • Brainstorm ideas for and develop summer programs like Grandparents University and Summer Spin.