Summer Intern 2027 Curatorial Assistant

At Manulife John Hancock we believe in investing in the future starting with you. Our Curatorial Assistant Internship is your launchpad to success offering the support structure and exciting opportunities you need to thrive and make your mark.

Manulifes Corporate Art Collection includes approximately 2000 artworks located across North America with major hubs in Toronto Boston Waterloo Montreal and Halifax. This internship provides a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience working with a large corporate art collection while supporting collection management research programming and educational initiatives. Working closely with Manulifes Curator you will contribute to maintaining and developing the collection researching artists and market trends and helping communicate the value of art to colleagues clients and stakeholders.

This opportunity is ideal for students pursuing careers in curatorial practice art history museum studies collections management or cultural programming. Youll gain exposure to the operational research and strategic aspects of managing an institutional art collection while developing valuable professional skills in research writing project coordination and collection stewardship.

Position Responsibilities:

• Assist with maintaining and updating the Corporate Art Collection database.

• Conduct research on artists artworks and emerging trends within the art world and prepare reports and recommendations.

• Write educational and interpretive content including artwork labels didactic panels and collection materials for high-traffic and client-facing spaces.

• Support collection inventory management including artwork documentation tracking and condition reporting.

• Assist with artwork installations deinstallations shipping logistics storage coordination and collection moves.

• Help support art collection programming and initiatives that promote engagement with employees clients and stakeholders.

• Collaborate with the Curator on research projects that inform acquisitions deaccessioning decisions and collection development strategies.

• Provide administrative and project support related to collection management and special initiatives.

Required Qualifications:

• Currently enrolled in or recently completed a Masters degree in Art History Art Conservation Criticism & Curatorial Practice Museum Studies or a related field.

• Strong interest in contemporary art collections management curatorial practice and visual culture.

• Excellent research analytical and written communication skills.

• Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail.

• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.

• Excellent interpersonal skills professionalism diplomacy and tact.

• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite including Word Excel and PowerPoint.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous experience handling artworks or working directly with collections.

• Experience in an art gallery museum corporate collection archive or cultural institution.

• Published written work including articles research papers dissertations exhibition texts or other scholarly writing.

• Experience conducting art historical research and synthesizing findings into clear written reports.

• Familiarity with collections databases cataloguing standards or artwork inventory processes.

When you join our team:

• Well empower you to learn and grow the career you want.

• Well recognize and support you in a flexible environment where well-being and inclusion are more than just words.

• As part of our global team well support you in shaping the future you want to see.

Application Instructions:

• Submit your resume cover letter academic transcript and work term evaluation (if any) in one single PDF file.

• In your cover letter please highlight any relevant experience with art collections research curatorial projects museums galleries or cultural institutions.

Salary range is expected to be between:
$40950.00 CAD - $56550.00 CAD

The actual salary will vary depending on local market conditions geography and relevant job-related factors such as knowledge skills qualifications experience and education/training. The annual salary will be pro-rated based on the length of the work term.

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