Art and Design Intern

Position Summary 

The Department of Planning and Developments Art & Design Unit is in search of a Summer 2026 Intern.  

The intern will work directly with Sydney Conaway on fieldwork and deciphering data and inventory report development relating to Philadelphia Housing Development Corporations (PHDC) Percent for Art program. There will be opportunities for an intern to contribute to a variety of elements related to the ongoing research and program development of PHDCs Percent for Art program. This position is a temporary part-time internship. Intern can expect to work on the following: 
 
Fieldwork: Assisting with surveying Artwork that will be conducted digitally in the field. We will record location condition materiality and general site analysis of work produced under the Percent for Art program (approximately 350 pieces).  
 
In-Office Work: Intern will investigate and confirm ownership of Artworks with guidance of staff and assist with other in-office tasks related to the Survey. A field trip to City Archives and the Public Library will be necessary for understanding ownership and timelines of Artworks produced. This will provide the intern with exposure to the archiving process at the City. Additional activities include assisting in compiling and sorting through survey data with Sydney Conaway and collaborating with other Planning Department teams such as GIS. This work will contribute to a new web app that will display the Percent for Art Collection on a public interface. This application will show exact locations of artworks in addition to being able to sort by year neighborhood medium whether the piece is indoors or outdoors etc.  
 
Importantly the culmination of this work will be paramount for both the Percent for Art program but also the broader arts and cultural community of Philadelphia. This research will contribute to the Citys understanding of its own Cultural Resources while building relationships and information to share with the broader Arts and Planning communities.  

The maximum number of hours allocated for this role is a maximum of 20 hours per week. Please submit a resume cover letter and references.  

Essential Functions 

The essential functions for this internship may include: 

• Data Collection 

• Data Interpretation 

• Graphic Representation (Adobe Suite) 

• Research and Analysis  

• Writing  

Competencies Knowledge Skills and Abilities 

The intern should have a working background of public art conservation and general understanding of Urban Planning. Ability to use adobe suite write proficiently and the ability to perform outdoor research and analysis in the summer months. Any demonstrated site or art surveying experience is a plus.  

Qualifications :

Education:  

Masters level student with at least one year of graduate level courses in Art Conservation and/or Urban Planning/Design. Majors aligned with this position include Urban Planning/Design Public Art Fine Art Historical Preservation Conversation Studies Curatorial Studies and Landscape Architecture.  

Experience: 

The Intern must possess the ability to work independently and communicate research both verbally and in writing. 

Additional Information :

TO APPLY: Interested candidates must submit a cover letter resume and references.

Hourly Rate: $16.28 

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*The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

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No

Employment Type :

Intern