2023 Summer Community Exhibition Intern

Position Summary

The Community Exhibition internship in the Learning and Engagement department at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is designed to provide an overview of the skills and responsibilities needed for community building, socially engaged arts practices, arts administration and research aimed at supporting a cocreated exhibition between the museum and the Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese. The internship will include administrative, research, and community engagement experiences with diverse audiences as well as some interdepartmental work with the museums curatorial and exhibition staff.

In addition to exhibition related responsibilities, the intern will assist with the museums broader Arts + Social Impact residency with the Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese. The intern will assist with production efforts on a series of documentary short films cocreated by the museum, ACOM and our partner artist. Production responsibilities may include providing organizational and onsite support for film shoots around Northwest Arkansas. They will conduct online research about cocreated museum exhibitions and exhibitions connected to the Marshallese community specifically. The intern will be apart of the Community Engagement team. Additional program assistance may be needed for the four pillars (to be discussed), as well as participation in team meetings and ideation sessions. There are a number of professional development opportunities throughout the internship and opportunities to learn about various museum departments through lunch and learns and other programs with fellow interns.

Diversity Internship Program

Crystal Bridges is committed to a diverse workforce and to providing training for the next generation of non-profit professionals. Recognizing the desire and responsibility to support and develop greater diversity in the professions related to museums and the visual arts Crystal Bridges, will assertively recruit interns from underrepresented demographics to support our organizations and industrys diversity and inclusion strategic initiatives. Students representing underrepresented groups in the museum industry are encouraged to apply.

Positions Principal Responsibilities

Areas of Support

The Community Exhibition Intern will actively participate and perform duties in some of the following functional areas:

• Research and Writing
  • Research models for co-created museum exhibitions and exhibitions exploring Marshallese culture and objects specifically.
• Program Support
  • Facilitation and set up of film production in locations around NWA. A vehicle will be needed to meet staff members at the location.
  • Supporting the broader Arts and Social Impact partnership programs including attending weekly partner meetings and assisting with larger programs such as the annual Stroll the Atolls festival.
  • Administrative assistance on organizing reports and evaluation data.
  • The intern will participate in exhibition planning meetings with staff across the museum, from the curatorial, exhibition and communications team.
  • The intern is part of the Community Engagement department and team which may require additional program assistance across the four pillars as needed as well as participation in team meetings and ideation sessions.

Minimum Qualifications

• College student, sophomore or above
• Experience or interest in museums or informal learning environments
• Experience or interest in working with diverse audiences including individuals with disabilities
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work independently, as well as within a team
• Dependable and punctual.
• Due to the nature of this internship position, access to a vehicle will be required, for outreach purposes
• Ability and willingness to work a flexible schedule. Weeknights and weekend availability required
• A background check is required
• Selected intern must maintain confidentiality of all information
• Bilingual in English & Marshallese preferred but not required

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Sitting or leaning while on post will not be permitted.

• Physical demands: Position requires working in Museum Galleries for prolonged periods of time. This position requires standing, walking and climbing stairs, bending and stretching, and physical stamina to lift a minimum of 50 pounds unassisted. This position requires visual acuity to review written materials is required for this job.
• Work Environment: Work will be performed in an office environment, museum spaces. Additionally, Strong communication skills and ability to interact politely and effectively with a wide range of Museum members, visitors, volunteers and staff. Effectively utilize museum communications system. Communicate with public safety, fire and other local or state emergency personnel in an effective and calm manor.
• Position requires Shift Leads to work rotating shifts in order to learn and facilitate departmental and facility needs.
• Position requires ongoing flexibility in work hours due to events, staffing needs and other factors.

About Crystal Bridges

The mission of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is to welcome all to celebrate the American spirit in a setting that unites the power of art with the beauty of nature. We explore the unfolding story of America by actively collecting, exhibiting, interpreting, and preserving outstanding American art. Crystal Bridges was founded in 2005 as a non-profit charitable organization by arts patron and chair of the museums board of directors, Alice Walton. Since opening to the public on 11-11-11, the museum has welcomed more than 5 million visitors and garnered 15,000 membership households. Some 280,000 school children have participated in the Willard and Pat Walker School Visit program, which provides educational experiences for school groups at no cost.

Crystal Bridges takes its name from a nearby natural spring and the bridge construction incorporated in the building, designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie. A series of pavilions nestled around two spring-fed ponds house the galleries and amenities such as a restaurant, museum store designed by architect Marlon Blackwell, and a library featuring more than 50,000 volumes of art reference material. In addition to the museums architecture, a Usonian house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright was preserved, acquired, and moved to the museum grounds in 2015, and a rare Buckminster Fullers Flys Eye Dome was installed in 2017, both providing access to American architectural masterworks in a natural setting.

Sculpture and walking trails link the museum's 120-acre park to downtown Bentonville, Arkansas. A new entrance, elevator tower, and pedestrian bridge was added to the north side of the building in 2017, increasing access to the museums north lawn and newly enhanced North Forest Trail. More than 600,000 visitors a year utilize the museums five miles of walking trails.

Crystal Bridges permanent collection spans five centuries of American artworks from early American to the present, and is always free to view. Crystal Bridges is committed to telling broad and inclusive stories by acquiring and showcasing the highest quality works by artists underrepresented in art history and conventional museum frameworks. Works such as Asher B. Durands Kindred Spirits, Gilbert Stuarts George Washington, and Georgia OKeeffes Jimson Weed are displayed alongside contemporary artists such as Kerry James Marshall, Maya Lin, Fritz Scholder, Jaune Quick-To-See-Smith, Felix Gonzales-Torres, and Amy Sherald represent some of the finest achievements in American art. The collection continues to grow, while the museum also offers temporary exhibitions that complement the collection and can also reveal arts connections to equality and justice.

Crystal Bridges provides year-round programming for all ages. In 2019, more than 800 public programs and events were offered, including lectures, performances, classes, and continuing education for K-12 teachers. Crystal Bridges stays connected online with the full collection available via eMuseum, an award-winning app, a podcast called Museum Way, all available for free, and many of the museums lectures such as the Distinguished Speaker Series are on Crystal Bridges YouTube channel. An online-learning initiative provides opportunities for students and teachers with arts-based courses, as well as SmartHistory with arts history videos and essays. Crystal Bridges also offers two research fellowship programs. The Tyson Scholars in American Art program encourages and supports full-time scholarship that seeks to expand boundaries and traditional categories of investigation into American art and visual culture. The Reese Teacher Fellowship provides for research into the development of interdisciplinary connections between American art and core curriculum subjects of language arts, history, social studies, and the sciences. In addition, Crystal Bridges administers the awarding of the Don Tyson Prize, an unprecedented award recognizing significant achievements in the field of American art. Additional information about Crystal Bridges is available online at CrystalBridges.org.

About the Momentary

The Momentary is a new contemporary art space that opened to the public on February 22, 2020, in downtown Bentonville, Arkansas. A satellite to Crystal Bridges, the Momentary presents visual, performing, and culinary arts. The mission of the Momentary is to champion contemporary arts role in everyday life and explore the unfolding story of contemporary American arts in an international context by actively commissioning and exhibiting outstanding works that explore new ideas and inspire action. The Momentary was founded by the Walton family, based on the vision of Tom, Olivia, and Steuart Walton. The Walton Family Foundation is supporting this project as a way to enhance the quality of life in Northwest Arkansas. The Momentary welcomes all with free general admission. Additional offerings include an artist-in-residence program, culinary experiences including an Onyx Coffee Lab, indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, an outdoor festival space, and a gift store. For more information, visit theMomentary.org. The Momentary is located at 507 SE E Street, Bentonville, Arkansas 72712.

EMPLOYEE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The above information is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by an employee assigned to this position. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, skills and physical demands required of personnel so classified. The employee may be required to perform other job-related duties as requested by the supervisor. The Museum reserves the right to revise or change position duties and responsibilities as necessary to accommodate changing organizational needs. This position description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment.