Curatorial Internship

About Art Bridges

Art Bridges Foundation is the vision of philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton. Since 2017, Art Bridges has created and supported projects that bring outstanding works of American art out of storage and into communities. Art Bridges partners with a growing network of over 200 museums of all sizes and locations on nearly 900 projects—impacting more than 5.3 million people across 49 states and Puerto Rico—to provide financial and strategic support for exhibition development, loans from the Art Bridges Collection and Partner Loan Network, and programs designed to educate, inspire, and deepen engagement with local audiences. The Art Bridges Collection represents an expanding vision of American art from the 19th century to present day and encompasses multiple media and voices. For more information, visit artbridgesfoundation.org.  

Required Documents to Apply:

Please provide your resume and a cover letter explaining your interest in the Art Bridges Internship Program. You are also welcome to include a writing sample, though it is not required.

Job Description:

The Art Bridges Internship Program

Since its launch in 2020, the Art Bridges Internship Program has hosted over 80 students and emerging arts professionals from across the country in positions throughout the foundation. Our Internship Program is committed to providing a wide array of professional development opportunities to individuals with any level of experience or exposure to working in the arts, nonprofits, or philanthropic organizations.

Job Description

Position: Art Bridges Academic Year 2026-27 Curatorial Intern 

Location: Bentonville, AR (Hybrid)

Position Type: Paid internship

Number of Available Positions:1

Duration: August 31/September 1-November 20, 2026; January 19-April 9, 2027

Work Schedule: This is a part-time, hybrid role. Interns are expected to complete 10-15 hours of work per week, fulfilling a portion of those hours in the Art Bridges office every week. The hours can be split according to the intern’s schedule, prioritizing completion within Art Bridges’ operating hours of 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday. 

Timeline: Applications are due by February 27, 2026, but may close earlier if capacity is reached. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Interns will be selected by April 30, 2026.

Interns will start on August 31, 2026, with an orientation from 9 to 11 am, or September 1, 2026, with an orientation from 2 to 4 pm. (Interns will select one of these two start dates after accepting the position.)

About the Position

The Art Bridges Internship Program seeks eight interns for the 2026-27 academic year. Candidates are encouraged to apply for multiple roles with different departments based on their areas of interest.

 Curatorial Department Overview:

• The Art Bridges Curatorial Department stewards research and presentation of the Art Bridges Collection—an evolving representation of American art from the 19th century to today, across diverse media and voices. With over 200 artworks available for loan at no cost to US museums, the team provides strategic and curatorial support, including object research, label writing, and project consultation.
• Intern projects may include:
  • Researching and writing texts, including object essays, artist biographies, and more, about the works in the Art Bridges Collection.
  • Creating and maintaining in-depth curatorial files and data systems.
  • Providing editorial and scholarly support for the Art Bridges Collection and other curatorial projects that may arise.
  • Attending partner meetings to learn about exhibition projects in different institutions.

Internship Inclusions and Events

• Compensation: Paid and eligible for course credit
• Site visits to regional cultural institutions
  • Past trips include Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the Momentary, Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, and Alice Walton School of Medicine.
• Participation in the Art Bridges Creative Career Chats (in person or virtual) 

• Past guests include Robert Peterson (contemporary artist); Jason Herrick (Chief Philanthropy Officer, The Metropolitan Museum of Art); Nisa Mackie (Director of Learning & Audience Engagement, MoMA); Christopher Marley (contemporary artist); and many more.

• Professional development workshops and trainings
  • Past topics include resume building, cover letter writing, curriculum vitae development, and job interview preparation.

• Networking opportunities with staff across Art Bridges and within other regional cultural institutions and organizations

• Introductory meeting with Art Bridges CEO
• Additional recreational and social activities, such as intern coffee chats, all-staff events, etc.

Required Documents to Apply

Please provide your resume and a cover letter explaining your interest in the Art Bridges Internship Program, as well as a recent five-page writing sample.

Candidate Requirements

• Currently enrolled in a degree program (at the undergraduate or graduate level) at a college or university in the Northwest Arkansas region, or a recent graduate (<1 year) residing in the Northwest Arkansas region with an interest in entering the workforce as an emerging arts professional
• Advanced writing and research abilities
• Enthusiasm for working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and ability to work effectively in a team and independently
• Strong organizational and coordination skills with attention to detail
• Effective time-management skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 and familiarity with CRM systems as well as research and web-based search tools strongly preferred

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 these essential functions.

Physical demands: Occasionally, while performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to travel independently, regionally, and in communities served. This position requires working at a desk, utilizing a computer and a telephone for prolonged periods of time, good eye-hand coordination, bending and stretching for filing, and the physical stamina to lift a minimum of 25 pounds to a height of at least three feet for art materials storage and preparation and as appropriate for the demands of the office. Visual acuity to review written materials is required for this job.

Work environment: Work will be performed in an office environment, museum spaces, and communities served. Occasional evening and weekend hours may be required. The noise level in the office is usually low to moderate.

Computer equipment: Laptops will be provided to interns.

Art Bridges and DEAI

At Art Bridges, diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are central to all work and decisions made within our organization. We support our colleagues and partners in learning and growing together to make this important work part of our daily lives.

Art Bridges is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building and maintaining a culturally diverse workplace that is free of discrimination and harassment of any kind. We encourage all qualified applicants, including women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans, to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.

All offers of employment are contingent on your successful completion (where permitted by state law) of a confidentiality agreement and background check. In addition, you will need to provide proper identification verifying your eligibility to work in the United States on your first day of work.