[Summer 2026] Education - Public Programs and Engagement Internship

Whitney Museum of American ArtNew York, NY

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Job Description

The Whitney’s summer internship program is a full-time, paid, nine-week session primarily for undergraduate students. The program includes training, direct work experience, professional development, and a weekly speaker series. The 2026 Summer internship will be hybrid, meaning interns will work onsite at least three days per week. The program will begin on Monday, June 1, and end on Friday, July 31. Participants must be available Monday through Friday for nine consecutive weeks, five days per week. The application window for our Summer 2026 Hearst Family Internship is now open through Friday, January 16th. Please note that all candidates will be considered on a rolling basis, and as such, some opportunities may close before the deadline. The Whitney seeks an Education: Public Programs intern for Summer 2026. To view all Internship opportunities and to learn more about The Whitney's offerings, please refer to our Internships Page.

Public Programs and Academic Engagement offers audiences the opportunity to engage with artists, curators, writers, and scholars through innovative events that explore the Whitney’s exhibitions, collection, and institutional mission and initiatives. We focus especially on developing programming for adult audiences and the academic community.

Projects and Work Assignments:

The Summer 2026 Public Programs and Academic Engagement Intern will help to develop and implement programs that explore the exhibitions Whitney Biennial 2026, Roy Lichtenstein Retrospective, and more. The role will also involve research and planning for future programming and ongoing initiatives for academic engagement. Projects include:

Researching artists, curators, writers, filmmakers and scholars for panels, workshops, film screenings and other events
Draft agreements, tracking invitations, and coordinating logistics
Assisting with the advance planning for public programs across departments including Curatorial, Digital Media, Marketing and Visitor Services
Assisting with audience research projects as needed
Helping to coordinate with museum staff, speakers, and members of the public on the day of events
Learning about accessibility at public programs and helping to ensure all program are as accessible as possible
Maintaining digital archives for the division
Additional projects as assigned

The intern will learn about working with contemporary artists, experimental museum pedagogy, and event production in the dynamic environment of the Whitney’s Education Department.

Skills and Qualifications:

Demonstrated interest in art history, contemporary art, American studies, and/or museum education Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Ability to juggle a variety of tasks simultaneously and work in a fast-paced work environment
Strong collaborative and interpersonal skills
Familiarity with MS Office and Photoshop

Outcomes:

Basic training on event production, research, and administration will be provided.
Knowledge of the current field of contemporary art in the U.S. through current and upcoming Whitney exhibitions and the artists, scholars and critics participating in Public Programs, as well as more broadly the field of modern and contemporary art history and related disciplines.
Experience in developing and producing museum programming, including coordinating with museum staff, program documentation, program ticketing, preparing visual materials, and engaging with audiences

Compensation

Interns will be paid a stipend of $6,500 for full participation.

Generous support for Hearst Summer Interns is provided by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation.If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates. Whether you’re new to arts and culture administration, returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or take the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar. Please use your cover letter to tell us about your interest in the arts and culture space and what you hope to bring to this role. About the Whitney: The Whitney Museum of American Art, founded in 1930 by the artist and philanthropist Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, houses the foremost collection of American art from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. From her vision arose the Whitney Museum of American Art, which has been championing the most innovative art of the United States for 86 years. The core of the Whitney’s mission is to collect, preserve, interpret, and exhibit American art of our time and serve a wide variety of audiences in celebration of the complexity and diversity of art and culture in the United States. Through this mission and a steadfast commitment to artists themselves, the Whitney has long been a powerful force in support of modern and contemporary art and continues to help define what is innovative and influential in American art today. EEO Statement: The Whitney Museum of American Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Museum does not discriminate because of age, sex, religion, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage or citizenship, disability, marital status, pregnancy, partnership status, caregiver status, veteran status, gender (including gender identity), sexual orientation, genetic information, predisposition, or carrier status, arrest or conviction record to the extent required by applicable law, credit history, domestic violence, sexual violence, or stalking victim status, or any other factor prohibited by law. The Museum hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled. The Museum encourages all qualified candidates to apply for vacant positions at all levels.

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