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 our values.
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 - it's 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 purpose—where difference is seen as a strength, and every one is appreciated for their whole self.
SCHEDULE: Full Time, 35 hours/week, June 16 - August 15, 2025, approximately 3 days working onsite
DEPARTMENT DESCRIPTION
Interpretive Media (IM) at SFMOMA is an award-winning, in-house educational media department focused on the creation of educational audio/video assets and interactive experiences for in-museum and online use. IM puts artist and community voices at the center of compelling stories designed to make modern and contemporary art more meaningful, relevant, and accessible to a broad and diverse public.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
Under the mentorship of the Director of Interpretive Media and the Chief Education and Community Engagement Officer, the Interpretation Evaluation Intern will conduct qualitative and quantitative research to determine audience response and impact of the museum’s Gallery Interpretation program.
PROJECT PLAN
Over the 9-week program the Interpretation Evaluation Intern will evaluate and report on SFMOMA’s Gallery Interpretation program, including Interpretive Galleries, audio guides, in-gallery didactics, artist videos and ephemera displays. Work will include:
· Develop tools for evaluation of visitor outcomes and Interpretive Impacts
· Interview internal stakeholders regarding Interpretive Planning
· Conduct visitor studies through observation
· Conduct and transcribe visitor interviews
· Tally and code visitor response cards
· Quantify data of onsite engagement
· Prepare reports on the above data
EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
· Understand gallery interpretation within a museum’s content ecosystem, and its role in arriving at visitor outcomes and audience experience goals.
· Develop hands on experience with quantitative and qualitative evaluation tools such as observation rubrics, surveys and data analysis.
· This internship would be great for a diverse range of students including a museum studies student, a sociologist or someone studying statistics.
ADDITIONAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAMMING
The Summer 2025 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.
QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS
· Applicants must be currently enrolled in school or a recent graduate. The SFMOMA recognizes a graduation date within 6 months of the internship start date as a recent graduate.
**Current SFMOMA employees are not eligible to apply for the Summer 2025 internship.**
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
· Completed application via SFMOMA's job site
· Resume
· Cover letter stating the specific internship of interest. 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.
· College transcript: Transcripts can be unofficial but need to be legible.
Application Deadline: March 14, 2025
You do not need separate letters of recommendation for each intern application - please just let each of the recommenders know which internships (up to 3) you're applying to and we'll review those two letters across all of your internship 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 information, ancestry/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 talent@sfmoma.org.