The next Biernat Internship search will take place in late Fall 2025.
Overview:
Schmucker Art Gallery and the Special Collections Department of Musselman Library welcome one Biernat Intern each school year for exhibit preparation during the Spring semester. The intern will experience the various roles and responsibilities of managing art and image collections, supporting exhibitions, and providing educational support and outreach. This internship offers a hands-on experience for students with an interest in art history, public history, museum studies, or a career focus in archival, museum, or curatorial work. The Biernat intern's exhibit will be the first show in the Project Space at Schmucker Art Gallery during the following Fall semester.
Begins: This is a paid internship with training beginning late November and exhibit preparation throughout the following Spring semester.
Hours: 6-8/week
The intern will schedule weekday hours with each supervisor and may be involved in occasional evening events
Pay: $10.25/hour
Internship is eligible for course credit: ARTH 470
Co-supervisors:
Sarah Kate Gillespie, Director of Schmucker Art Gallery
Carolyn Sautter, Director of Special Collections and College Archives
Position Description:
This is a shared internship between the Schmucker Art Gallery and Special Collections which begins with introductory training in November 2025. The main curatorial work occurs during the spring 2026 semester.
For the Schmucker Art Gallery, the Biernat intern will spend the spring semester planning, researching, and writing the exhibit catalog/wall labels for their student curated exhibit. That show will draw from collections housed by Special Collections. The exhibit will be installed in the Schmucker Art Gallery Project Space as the first show of the fall semester. The intern will also give a gallery talk for the opening and, if available during the Fall 2026 semester, give tours of the exhibit for classes and visitors to campus. This internship offers exceptional opportunities for students to gain firsthand experiences in museum/gallery operations and arts administration. For Special Collections, the student will have collection management and metadata responsibilities.
Training is given onsite and prior gallery or archival experience is not required. This internship is open to all students from all majors.
Essential duties and responsibilities:
Schmucker Art Gallery
- Participate in exhibit curation including research, planning, writing catalog entries/labels, and installation
- Assist with promotion of exhibits, including educational outreach, tours, and gallery talks
- Assist with class visits in Schmucker Art Gallery
- Collaborate with supervisors on preparation and research for upcoming student-curated exhibitions
- Work with faculty and students to incorporate art objects and exhibitions into their teaching, assignments, and student exhibitions
- Curate online exhibitions from the collection as needed
- Create content and schedule/manage posts for social media
- Assist in the handling and installation of artwork, including condition reporting
Special Collections
- Inventory and research the College’s art and image collections
- Scan and photograph collection items
- Create and enter metadata for GettDigital Collections, MUSCAT Plus, and other software
- Arrange and describe physical and digital historical images in Special Collections
- Support class visits in Special Collections that use art and image collections
- Assist in the handling of archival materials
Required skills:
- Completing at least one semester of coursework at Gettysburg College
- Expressed interest in exhibit design
- Experience applying research skills to a topic or question in an academic setting
- Effective organizational skills
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively as an independent researcher
- Demonstrated ability to manage time, finish tasks, and see a project to completion
- Willingness to speak in public settings
Evaluation process: The intern will participate in a mid-semester check-in and end-of-semester performance review with supervisors.
Application process
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Applications will be posted through Handshake - next search will take place late Fall 2025.
1) Submit a letter of interest indicating specifically why you would like to be an intern working in both Schmucker Art Gallery and Special Collections. While prior experience is not necessary, please share any relevant course work, career goals, and/or related activities.
2) Submit a copy of your resume including past work experience, course projects, activities, volunteer work, etc.
3) Provide the names and contact information for 1-2 references (references may be faculty members who can tell us about you and your work in the classroom, and/or your supervisor in a campus job or other relevant job or project).
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From the pool of letters/resumes, 3-4 students are selected for in person or Zoom interviews which take place in during the week following the deadline.
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The search committee is comprised of:
Sarah Kate Gillespie, Interim Director of Schmucker Art Gallery
Carolyn Sautter, Director of Special Collections and College Archives
Jill Titus, Interim Director of the Civil War Institute
- The Biernat Intern will be selected from those candidates invited to interview.
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For questions, please contact Sarah Kate Gillespie, Schmucker Art Gallery, sgillesp@gettysburg.edu
Musselman Library diversity and inclusion statement
Musselman Library is committed to creating, through our learning spaces, programs, services, collections, and policies, an environment that supports, values, and respects everyone in the Gettysburg College community. At Gettysburg, diversity includes but is not limited to age, country of origin, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, geography, learning differences, political beliefs, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic level.