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Local Internships

The Bowers Museum, the largest and one of the oldest museums in Orange County, with a collection of art and artifacts from cultures around the world will have openings for interns in the winter quarter. Internships are typically available in Collections, Public Programs, External Affairs, and Administration.

Information can be found on the museum’s website (https://www.bowers.org/index.php/about-us/opportunities) scroll down to “Internship Program.”

To apply, complete the Internship Application Form and submit along with your current resume and a brief cover letter to HumanResources@Bowers.org.

Please apply by December 1 for an internship starting in January. Internships are for a 3-month period.

UCI undergraduates doing art history related internships for at least 60 hours per quarter are eligible for a $1,100 internship stipend per quarter. To apply for the stipend, please contact Ethan Robey (robeye@uci.edu) or Kimmy Bao (kimmybao@uci.edu).

TKO Art (https://www.tkoart.com/) is an art advisory firm based in Irvine that connects artists with collectors, discovering and showcasing new works by emerging and contemporary artists. They also manage corporate art collections, work with interior designers, and provide art consulting services to clients around the world, including major entertainment industry studios.

They are looking for self-starters who are interested in art as a business, and especially students with strong social media and writing skills. If you know how to use Photoshop and/or do video production, that’s a plus. This is a hands-on internship involved in all areas of the business: an opportunity to learn about how to monetize your training in art history.

UCI undergraduates pursuing this internship are eligible for the $1,100 internship stipend per quarter.

To apply for this internship and the stipend, please send a cover letter and résumé to Ethan Robey (robeye@uci.edu) and Kimmy Bao (kimmybao@uci.edu).

The Brea Museum & Historical Society (https://breamuseum.org/) is devoted to the history of the Orange County city of Brea, including collections relating to the oil and agricultural industries, as well as aviation, baseball, and wildlife. Current museum projects include researching the Hispanic history of Brea and conducting contextual research for a potential historic district.

Interested students should contact Linda Shay, Curator and Executive Director (linda@breamuseum.org).

UCI undergraduates pursuing this internship are eligible for the $1,100 internship stipend per quarter. For more information, please contact Ethan Robey (robeye@uci.edu) or Kimmy Bao (kimmybao@uci.edu).

The Orange County Center for Contemporary Art (OCCCA) is an alternative gallery space in Santa Ana, presenting exhibitions of contemporary art, along with concerts, performances, art classes, symposiums, and publications. The independent artists who operate OCCCA are fond of unfettered experimentation, unafraid of grappling with difficult issues.

Gallery Intern positions:
Available January 3,2024-March 24, 2024 or March 27,2024-June 7,2024

Deadline to apply:
November 30, 2023 for Winter Quarter 2024 February 24, 2024 for Spring Quarter 2024

The 60 hours are flexible, but most activities are Friday, Saturday, Sunday 12 noon- 5pm Art openings are first Saturday of the month 6-10 pm.
Occasional opportunities to fulfill hours at other times.

Interns should have writing skills and computer skills including Microsoft office: Word and Excel. Graphic design knowledge or Adobe Photoshop would be nice, but not required. An interest in greeting the public visitors to the gallery is a must.

Interns will learn about planning exhibitions, promotion, marketing, graphic design, installation, curation, exhibition design, grants, sales, meeting artists, assisting with tours, helping with art education workshops, and greeting guests in the gallery with opportunities to discuss how current art work relates to the history of art. There will be an opportunity to assist with cataloging the history of artists and exhibitions of OCCCA for a future publication and exhibition covering the period of 1980-2025.

Interns will shadow and work with one or more of the gallery artists when they are at the gallery.

Interns must sign a liability waiver and provide their own insurance.

To apply or for further information, contact: Robin Repp
Secretary, OCCCA
714-743-9760

 

Orange County Center for Contemporary Art 117 N. Sycamore St.
Santa Ana, Ca. 92701
714-667-1517

Info.occca@gmail.com

UCI undergraduates pursuing this internship are eligible for the $1,100 internship stipend per quarter.

Internships will be available for Spring Quarter 2024.

For more information, see https://lagunaartmuseum.org/careers-internships-volunteer/#internships

Orange County Parks

Unique Internships in Archaeology/Paleontology with the collections at OC Parks Cooper Lab in AY2023/24

  • Open to students in good standing in all majors
  • Earn 2 units of academic credit (SocSci 197) for a minimum of 50hrs service in a given quarter
  • Gain hands on experience in a professional lab environment
  • Work with materials recovered from throughout Orange County

APPLICATION FORM

Why should YOU intern with OC parks?

  • Work with a huge collection of artifacts and fossils from throughout Orange County.
  • Gain broad experience of the material culture of southern California dating back over 10,000 years.
  • Develop expertise through hands-on training with object handling, processing, curation, and collections management.
  • Access to workshops on advanced archaeological methods (lab and field)
  • Get an inside track on a potential research project for UROP or an honors thesis
  • Give back to the community by becoming an ambassador for the unique cultural heritage of Orange County and advocating for more resources to expand its public outreach.
  • Gain real world skills that employers in professional archaeology and museums are looking for.

Interested Students will participate in some or all the following active projects:

  1. Excavating the excavation

The County has three shipping containers of excavated material (mostly midden) that have been neglected for decades. To salvage these valuable collections and maintain as much of their provenance as possible the materials require careful re-excavation and storage to allow for future conservation. Perfect for those interested in understanding how archaeology can recover information despite problematic practices of the past.

  1. Collection Management Modernization

Much of the county’s archaeological collection is housed in standard archival boxes that don’t allow for easy access. Interns will reorganize them into newly purchased museum quality cabinets and drawers so that they can be showcased and more findable for future exhibitions. Additionally there are opportunities to learn 3D object scanning. This is a great opportunity to get wide exposure to the artifacts types found throughout the OC.

  1. Midden madness

The County’s archaeological collection has a large amount of midden (ancient trash dump) that needs to be processed and sorted by artifact class by those with a careful eye and attention to detail. What small treasures will you discover?

  1. The Archives of the Covenant

Many sites in the County’s collection have associated field documents and reports that are just as important as the artifacts. Most of these documents are in paper form that require digitization and databasing for greater access.

  1. Paleontological Processing

The collection has so many fossils that need to be carefully extracted from their sedimentary matrix. Get your dental picks ready!

Requirements:

  • An interest in the archaeology and/or paleontology of California
  • Ability to travel to the OC Parks’ Cooper Lab in Santa Ana (15-20 minutes from UCI)
  • Complete the necessary paperwork for volunteers at OC Parks (includes passing a basic background check)

Successful completion to earn academic credit includes:

  • Completion of the requisite number of hours (min. 50hrs for 2 units)
  • Meet standards of professionalism
  • Maintain a journal of your progress
  • Completion of a 3-5 page write up of the experience and accomplishments gained

Logistics:

  • Interested students should fill out the following application
  • 6 positions available to students each quarter
  • Interview with OC Parks Staff
  • Once selected, those who choose academic credit will register through SSARC under Social Science 197 for 2 units P/NP
  • Meet with Dr. Straughn, Dept. of Anthropology, prior to your first official day as an intern

For additional information please email Dr. Ian Straughn

UCI-Louvre Dual internship

The UCI Department of Art History announces an unprecedented and exciting opportunity: A simultaneous “dual” internship for one undergraduate AND one graduate student at the Musée du Louvre (Paris), one of the most important global museums with collections spanning the ancient through modern periods. Interns will be based in the Louvre’s Department of Islamic Art and Department of Near Eastern Antiquities, for one month in July 2023.

** Airfare, lodging, and per diem will be provided through the Steckler Family Initiative in Art History (SFIAH)

** Knowledge of French would be helpful but is not required

** DUE 10 MAY 2023; see below for full description & application instructions

Dual Interns’ Responsibilities:

   -  35 hours/week for each intern

   -  work with curators, conservators and other staff in research and cataloguing of collections

   -  the graduate student will serve as professional mentor for undergraduate

Included in the Dual Internship:

   -  Research access to the collections (at the discretion of curatorial staff)

   -  Email and computer access

   -  Access to intern-designated lounge

   -  Reduced rates at the Louvre restaurant

COMPLETE APPLICATIONS MUST INCLUDE:

Undergraduate

   1. Letter of Interest: reasons for internship application and candidate’s suitability; relevant past experiences, e.g. areas of study, languages, prior museum work and internships, travel, etc.  

   2. Résumé

   3. Unofficial transcript

   4. Names and emails of two UCI faculty willing to serve as references

Graduate

   1. Letter of Interest: reasons for application, with an emphasis on relevant coursework, languages, and intellectual and professional goals; relevant past experiences, e.g. prior museum              work and internships, travel, etc.; mentoring experience and willingness to serve as mentor to undergraduate intern

   2. Full curriculum vitae

   3. Unofficial transcript

   4. Names and emails of two UCI faculty willing to serve as references

DUE 10 MAY 2023 by 5 pm

Please email materials to Alka Patel (alka.patel@uci.edu), Lyle Massey (lmassey@uci.edu), and Kimmy Bao (kimmybao@uci.edu)