The Art Institute of Chicago shares its singular collections with our city and the world. We collect, care for, and interpret works of art across time, cultures, geographies, and identities. We are a place of gathering and learning, committed to fostering an inclusive understanding of human creativity.
A hub for scholarship and training the Art Institute Research Center brings together the museum’s Ryerson and Burnham Libraries, the Art Institute of Chicago Archives, and the department of Academic Engagement and Research with the aim of fostering engagement and access to wealth of research offerings at the Art Institute of Chicago. The Research Center stewards resources that illuminate the histories and contexts of the museum’s vast art collection, as well as primary sources that are singular or rare works of paper-based art, archives, and historical documentation. The Research Center supports museum staff in all of their research endeavors and maintains public hours to serve the art research community, faculty and students, artists and architects, and inquisitive scholars from around the world. The division of Academic Engagement and Research (AER) supports art research training and development for emerging museum professionals and scholarly innovators. AER oversees the museum’s internship and fellowship programs, and creates opportunities to network professors, students, scholars and artists with museum staff. The AER team manages transformative grants and partnerships, workshops and scholarly events, and fosters equity and inclusion in shaping the next generation of museum professionals.
The Museum Scholars program is part of a museum-wide effort to provide students the opportunity to gain experience, career awareness, networks, and skills that will position them to thrive as future art museum leaders. The museum's emerging professional programs, among them internships, fellowships, and the scholars programs, are stewarded by the Department of Academic Engagement and Research (AER) in the Research Center. Our aim is to nurture dynamic, interdisciplinary thinkers that will be empowered changemakers equipped with the tools and networks to do great work in the world.
The Museum Scholars position is awarded to two undergraduate students who’ve completed the McMullan Family Foundation Summer Intensive program.
Goals:
Museum Scholars gain awareness and further their development in the following areas:
Time Commitment:
Museum Scholars commit to a program lasting twenty-three months, beginning October 5, 2026 and concluding August 18, 2028. They are expected to fulfill all aspects of the program, including:
Regular Engagement Activities:
Mentors assist Museum Scholars in the following:
Placements:
Two separate host department placements will occur twice over the course of two years:
Placements will be coordinated by AER in conversation with the Museum Scholars and potential mentors.
First Academic Year
Duration: October-May
Program Hours*: Approximately 280-392 hours; average of 40–56 hours/month
The Museum Scholar is asked to commit to the following:
*Program hours may occur in a hybrid combination of virtual and in-person formats
Museum Scholar Output:
Mentors will be in charge of assigning and organizing their Museum Scholar’s projects. These projects must be meaningful to the Museum Scholar by stimulating growth in new skill sets while also being connected to their interests and academic objectives. These projects must also contribute to the department’s/mentor’s overall productivity and mission.
This may include: written visual analysis/object description; collections review; provenance research; writing an artist biography; writing object chat labels; creating a bibliography; public speaking; public program ideation and facilitation; survey and evaluation; and documentation of museum questions and reflections. This may also include goal-oriented, Museum Scholar-developed projects tied to their academic studies.
First Academic Year Capstone Project: Co-Leading a Gallery Talk
Museum Scholars will lead one gallery talk together at the end of their first academic year. Museum Scholars develop the theme for their talk and select museum spaces, objects, and their audience. To support the Museum Scholars, AER will coordinate training sessions for public speaking while mentors will offer guidance.
First Summer
Duration: June–August
Program Hours*: Approximately 330 hours; average of 30 hours per week for 11 weeks
The Museum Scholar is asked to commit to the following:
*Program hours may occur in a hybrid combination of virtual and in-person formats
Museum Scholar Output:
Similar to the academic year, mentors will be in charge of assigning and organizing their Museum Scholar’s projects. Ideally, Museum Scholars should receive one substantial department project that they can work on throughout the summer.
First Summer Term Capstone Project
Museum Scholars will be asked to create a project that speaks to their areas of interest, individually or in collaboration. This might look like a blog post, gallery activation program, organizing a roundtable/presentation, or another publication or programming opportunity.
Museum Scholar Funded Opportunities
Group Research Trip
In late July, 1st-year Museum Scholars, their mentors, and AER will travel to another city for a week to learn about arts institutions outside of Chicago. In addition to meetings and tours, Museum Scholars and their mentors will have ample opportunities to conduct their own meetings and research. Museum Scholars are required to attend this research trip. Mentors’ flights, accommodations, and per diem will be funded by McMullan if joining this trip.
Research Travel
Museum Scholars are given a stipend to support individual research travel. Museum Scholars must consult with their mentors around planning travel and submit a proposal to AER with budget lines for airfare, accommodations, and other travel incidental expenses.
Fellowship Support Funds
Museum Scholars also have access to a broad pool of funds meant to support their work and academic studies (such as conference registration, book purchases, or extracurricular coursework and supplies.)
Hiring Range: $10,500 annual stipend
This position is not benefits eligible.
If you are accessing this listing from a third party, not all links to salary and benefits information may work. Please visit our career page at saic/artic.edu/employment for complete information
Please submit your resume and cover letter to be considered for this position.
If you are a job seeker with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to apply for one of our jobs, you will find the contact information to request the appropriate accommodation by visiting the following page:
Accessibility Accommodation for Applicants
The Art Institute of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits, hires and promotes qualified individuals compliant with federal and state laws. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact the Department of Human Resources at apply_help@artic.edu.
The Art Institute of Chicago, founded in 1879, is a world-renowned art museum housing one of the largest permanent collections in the United States. An encyclopedic museum, the Art Institute collects, preserves, and interprets works in every medium from all cultures and historical periods. With a collection of approximately 300,000 art works and artifacts, the museum has particularly strong holdings in Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painting, contemporary art, early 20th century European painting and sculpture, Japanese prints, and photography. The museum’s 2009 addition, the Modern Wing, features the latest in green museum technology and 264,000 square feet dedicated to modern and contemporary art, photography, architecture and design, and new museum education facilities. In addition to displaying its permanent collection, the Art Institute mounts more than 30 special exhibitions per year and features lectures, gallery tours, and special performances on a daily basis.
