With the announcement of the Hawn Gallery Internship, open to Art History majors and minors, the Hamon Arts Library is now offering the opportunity to learn about the curatorial process first-hand. The internship will focus on supporting exhibitions in the Hawn Gallery, located in Hamon, and will involve archival and collection management duties in the Bywaters Special Collections and the G. William Jones Film and Video Collection. Specifically, the Hawn Art Gallery intern will work in collaboration with the Archivist in the Bywaters Special Collections and other staff to execute planning for an exhibition set for next spring, which will feature the theatre set designs of John Arnone, housed in the Bywaters collections.
Importantly, the internship offers the opportunity to conduct research using the collections of Hamon and SMU Libraries, and allows the participant the chance to develop curatorial and overall marketing skills. Students with an interest in managing special collections are in luck: primary responsibilities of the internship are working alongside archivists and curators, assisting them with collection management, preservation, and more. The participant will also contribute to programming around the exhibition by facilitating tours, class visits, gallery talks, as well as assist Hamon staff with all planning for speakers and events related to the exhibition throughout the semester, allowing them to build their professional network while gaining valuable experience.
As an organization committed to ensuring student success, SMU Libraries is proud to offer a program that will allow for the development of skillsets that can be learned here, and taken anywhere. The internship, which is intended to complement the education offered in the Art History program, is expected to equip the participant with highly marketable skills, relating to marketing and outreach, social media and blog writing, content management, working in a team, and research. It also uniquely equips students in the often-competitive world of art with highly relevant work experience when they enter the job market, with the planning of an exhibition in an art gallery alongside professionals among other relevant experiences to add to their resume.
Are you an Art History student interested in learning more? Read more about the position here, and submit your cover letter and resume by December 9 if you’re ready to apply!