The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary art in the United States and a thriving cultural center for the Bay Area. We cannot imagine life without art; it inspires and connects us every day. Now more than ever these connections matter and are aligned with ourvalues.
Inclusive: We strive to be a museum of many voices in dialogue.
Passionate: We believe working with art is more than a job or trusteeship - its a way of life.
Brave: We are committed to approaching our work with courage and a sense of adventure always ready to explore new perspectives.
Empathic: We aim to act like a person not an institution.
SFMOMA is a place for the infinitely curious to explore support and experience the art of our time. We believe that modern and contemporary art can influence the way we think view the world and embrace the many voices and perspectives around us. We aspire to foster an environment that elicits joy nurtures a sense of belonging and purposewhere difference is seen as a strength and every one is appreciated for their whole self.
Schedule: Full Time 35 hours/week Monday June 15 - Friday August 14 at least three days working onsite
Department Description
Archives and Art Resources (AAR) upholds SFMOMAs promise to provide generous access to and inspiring experiences with modern and contemporary art by working cross-departmentally to develop and steward the museums digital records related to art and artists. AAR managesSFMOMAs collections and digital asset management systems;photographs artworks exhibitions and activities; institutional archives; and manages rights around making and using digital content about art and artists all towards maximizing art access for the museums audiences and staff.
Position Description
The Digital Access and Records Intern will focus on sharing artworks on digital platforms so that more artworks in the museums collection are more discoverable and available to our audiences and supporters. Digital platforms include third-party licensing platforms and the museums website.
The Digital Access and Records Intern will be jointly mentored by staff in both the collections management system (CMS) and digital asset management system (DAMS) teams ensuring hands-on experience with the workflows and integrations that connect these systems and support museum-wide access initiatives.
Specifically the intern will be responsible for preparing packaging and publishing artworks to digital platforms. We envision setting a goal of publishing 80-120 artworks onto digital platforms.
Sharing artworks with our audiences online is a collaborative endeavor amongst and across many teams in the museum and happens in conversation or involvement with artists or other rights holders and platform managers. The intern will work throughout the project with staff in Archives and Art Resources and will be in dialogue with colleagues across the museum.
Project Plan
Over the 9-week program the AAR Intern will:
Prepare metadata and images for approximately 80-120 artworks to share with third-party licensing platforms
and our website.
Complete identity research for deceased artists and contribute that research to our collections management
system.
Bonus priorities:
Complete metadata cleanup projects in the digital asset management system.
Provide feedback on how we can improve our processes related to sharing artworks on digital platforms.
The Project Milestones for the intern are:
Identity research completed by week 7.
Images data for 80-120 artworks are delivered to third-party licensing platforms and queued up for our website
by week 9.
Educational Objectives
The intern will gain practical experience with:
Developing digital records towards maximizing access to art online.
Working across departments at a large museum.
Museum collections management digital asset management and rights administration.
Practices and issues related to seeking and managing artist identity data.
Seeking and documenting rights-related information about art.
Integrations between collections information digital assets and digital platforms.
Metadata standards and best practices.
Additional Internship Programming
The Summer 2026 Internship will offer 9-weeks of hands-on experience and mentorship along with weekly presentations and discussions with various departments in the museum off-site educational visits within the Bay Area community and access to various tours and events within the museum.
Requirements
Applicants must be currently enrolled in a Masters program or a recent graduate in an Information Studies
Museum Studies Studio Art or similar program. The SFMOMA recognizes a graduation date within 6 months of
the internship start date as a recent graduate.
If you are a current employee of the SFMOMA applying for an internship you must be a current student or a
recent graduate within 6 months of the internship start date.
Knowledge of art documentation information access and art audiences.
General knowledge of image rights and reproductions.
At ease working with databases and image files.
General knowledge of museum practices and of modern and contemporary art.
Application Requirements
Intern application on SFMOMA job site
Resume in PDF format
Cover letter stating the specific internship of interest in PDF format
Describe the experience you bring why you are interested in museum or nonprofit work reasons for
applying to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and your goals for the internship.
Two letters of recommendation from either a college professor or current/former employer in PDF format
College/university transcript in PDF format
Transcripts can be unofficial but must be legible
If you are currently enrolled in a masters or PhD program please provide the transcript for your current
program not your undergraduate transcript
Application Deadline: February 28 2026
Please note: You only need two letters of recommendation total not separate letters for each internship. If you apply to multiple internships (up to three) simply inform your recommenders which positions youre applying for. Well review the same two letters across all your applications.
Location:San Francisco 151 3rd Street.
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
SFMOMA is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity equity inclusion and accessibility. No person shall be discriminated against based on race color religion gender gender identity age genetic informationancestry/national origin marital status disability medical condition HIV status sexual orientation veteran/military status and any other category protected by federal of state law.
You may request reasonable accommodation if you are unable to or are limited in your ability to access job postings or provide additional information asked in the job posting.
You can request reasonable accommodation by contacting the People Team at emailprotected.