Employment

Information on job, internship, and other opportunities to work at the University of Chicago’s Smart Museum of Art. 

Staff positions

There are no open staff positions at this time. Please check back again later.

University of Chicago student positions

The following jobs and internships are only available to University of Chicago students.

Mellon Graduate Curatorial Intern

The Smart Museum of Art’s Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Curatorial Internship provides mentorship, opportunities, and resources for a Ph.D. student to conduct substantive collections research and contribute meaningfully to museum projects and initiatives. Creatively and critically integrating the Smart’s collection into campus and community life is a central aim of the internship, and applicants are encouraged to bring their individual backgrounds, scholarly interests, and disciplinary experiences to the position.

The Feitler Center for Academic Inquiry at the Smart Museum of Art is pleased to announce the Mellon Graduate Curatorial Internship for the 2024–2025 academic year. In early 2024, in collaboration with the Martin Marty Center for the Public Understanding of Religion in the University of Chicago’s Divinity School, the Smart launched the Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative to investigate the dynamic relationship between art and religion, highlighting how religious objects in museum collections are understood, studied, exhibited, and made accessible to communities outside of their intended contexts. The Initiative aims to advance thinking on the role of religion within the broader ethics of collecting, to build scholarly methodologies on collections provenance, and broaden the public understanding of religion within the arts. The Mellon Curatorial Intern will further support the Initiative in continuing comprehensive research on the Smart’s collection of religious objects and artworks about religion, with origins that span histories, geographies, and cultures. The Intern will have the opportunity to contribute to critical provenance research, to participate in the writing and re-writing of collection catalog descriptions and metadata, and to publish their research, which might take the form of catalog entries, essays, and others.

Eligibility
The internship is open to PhD students in good standing at the University of Chicago.

Principal Responsibilities
Principal responsibilities include working with the Smart’s Curatorial and Feitler Center teams in making substantial progress on the collection research plan as developed during the first phase of the Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative; contributing to ongoing historical and provenance research on the Smart’s collection; and providing written descriptions and analyses of research findings; among other responsibilities as needed.

Stipend
$6,000, 8–10 hrs/per week in the three academic quarters (September 2024–May 2025)

Application Materials
Materials are to be sent to Meg Jackson Fox (megjacksonfox@uchicago.edu) by Tuesday, May 07, 2024.

Undergraduate Internships

The Smart Museum of Art supports undergraduate internships across museum departments. Over the summer interns support the critical work of stewarding the Smart Museum’s collections, exhibitions, and programs. In addition to gaining valuable experience, interns have the opportunity to build community with museum professionals throughout Chicago through outings, brown-bag job talks, and professional development workshops.

Not sure you meet 100% of our qualifications? Research shows that women and individuals from underrepresented backgrounds often apply to jobs only if they believe they meet all criteria. We recognize that it is highly unlikely that any applicant meets every single qualification for a given position. We encourage you to apply if you think you could excel in or benefit from this role. We are dedicated to considering a wide range of candidates, including those with diverse interests, experiences, and backgrounds.

There are no internship opportunities posted at this time. Please check back again later.

Smart Scholars

Each year, the Feitler Center for Academic Inquiry at the Smart Museum of Art welcomes proposals from University of Chicago undergraduates in any field of study for research projects resulting in an original creative work (of visual art, music, dance, writing), program, or scholarly essay. Students propose their own projects grounded in academic research into one or more objects in the Smart Museum’s collection.

Browse the archive of Smart Scholars projects »

Smart Undergraduate Research Associates

Presented in partnership with the College Center for Research and Fellowships, Undergraduate Research Associates work closely with a mentor—Smart Museum curators, educators, registrars, or conservators—to provide art-related research for specific Museum projects that are already in the planning stages and are scheduled to take place during the term of the student’s position, such as exhibitions or related programming. 

Undergraduate Curatorial Research Associate

This curatorial research appointment provides early research and thinking for the next iteration of the “Smart to the Core” exhibition series, which will be inspired by “Power, Identity, and Resistance” Social Sciences Core sequence. The researcher will provide an in-depth experience in the exhibition conceptualization and building process. Working with this exhibition’s curator, the intern will be a thought-partner in identifying key themes, proposing works of art for the checklist, and offering early research into artworks and artists, and outlining connection points between course readings and the exhibition’s checklist.

Principle Responsibilities

Eligibility
Applicant must be a University of Chicago undergraduate student who has previously taken “Power, Identity, and Resistance” (not eligible for students graduating June 2024). 

Qualifications
Candidates of all academic backgrounds are welcome. An ideal candidate will have some experience with art-based research, an interest in museums, excellent organizational skills, and a communications acumen. Should be able to be independently driven with the ability to work collaboratively with a team. 

Opportunity Term/Commitment
This opportunity will be full-time for 9 weeks during Summer 2024, anticipated June 17, 2024 – August 15, 2024. This is largely an in-person position at the Smart Museum of Art. 

Supervisor
Berit Ness, Associate Director and Curator of Academic Engagement.

Funding
Summer Institute Scholars Grant - $5500

To apply
Please submit your application materials to the College Center for Research and Fellowships – College Summer Institute by Monday, April 29, 2024.

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information, please see the University’s Notice of Nondiscrimination. Academic job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773.702.5671 or email ACOppAdministrator@uchicago.edu with their request. Staff job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773.834.1841 or email talentacquisition@uchicago.edu with their request.