For the first time in the museum’s history, the Harn Museum of Art at the University of Florida will provide funding to every college student intern selected in the spring, summer and fall semesters of 2024. This funding is made possible by a private grant complementing the generosity of individual donors enabling the Harn to provide students with opportunities to explore future careers and pursue their passions, while also receiving compensation. With the community and University of Florida’s support, the Harn plans to continue paid internships for all college students beyond 2024.
“Research shows that when paid internship opportunities exist, this increases the diversity of applicants, equity and access to pre-professional training,” said Harn Museum of Art Director, Dr. Lee Anne Chesterfield. “During the past four years the Harn has nearly tripled the number of paid internship opportunities it offers to college students. We are thrilled that this private grant provides the initial funding for all internships which we hope to continue in perpetuity.”
College internships, open for all university and college students to apply, provide pre-professional training and are offered in all museum departments including curatorial, education, finance and operations, fundraising, horticulture, information technology, marketing, registration art handling, rentals, strategic planning and visitor engagement. Sixteen interns have recently been selected for the spring 2024 semester. Deadlines for summer and fall applications are March 15, 2024 and July 1, 2024, respectively. Information about how students can apply for internships is located at www.harn.ufl.edu/internships.
“The Harn is a warm and welcoming space for students to be curious, discover art, be themselves and develop who they are as people,” said Valerie Luciow who was the Jalyn Imani Stallworth Intern in the Harn’s curatorial department in 2023. “These internships are invaluable opportunities for students to confidently pursue their career aspirations and gain hands-on experience from leaders in the museum field. As a sophomore at UF, double majoring in Fine Art and Art History, I had an incredible opportunity to explore new aspects of the art world, broaden my understanding of career opportunities and contribute to the mission and vision of the Harn.”
The Harn has a history of specific internship funds being offered for interns in select departments. These include the Criser Internship, the Dixie Neilson Museum Studies Registration Internship, the Langley Internship (for School of Art + Art History students), the Mary M. James Student Inspiration Fund internship, the Jacqueline Friel Fund Internship, the Laura and Kenneth Berns Docent Program Endowment Internship, the Tim Joiner Memorial Internship and the Jalyn Imani Stallworth Internship.
In order to sustain a fully paid internship program, the Harn plans to build on this support through ongoing and future fundraising efforts, including the upcoming Gator Nation Giving Day taking place on February 15, encouraging contributions to the new Expanding Student Possibilities Fund and other previously mentioned funds. Information on how to support student internships can be found at www.harn.ufl.edu/give/internship-funds/.
image: Fall 2023 interns (left to right) Jeneice Ware, Sydney Piel with supervisor, Marrow Seldes and Hayden Germanis
About the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art
Founded in 1990, the Harn Museum of Art is an integral part of the University of Florida. The Harn contributes to an interconnected, international community by integrating the arts and culture into curricula throughout the university’s system of colleges and centers. Its holdings include more than 13,450 works in five main collecting areas: Asian art, African art, photography, modern art of the Americas and Europe, and international contemporary art. The museum also has noteworthy collections of Oceanic, Ancient American Art and works on paper. In addition to rotating installations drawn from its permanent collection, the Harn organizes traveling exhibitions and virtual educational programs for adults, students and children.
The Harn Museum of Art, at 3259 Hull Road in Gainesville, Florida 32608, is part of the University of Florida’s Cultural Plaza, which is also home to the Florida Museum of Natural History and the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Admission is free. Hours are 10 am – 5 pm Tuesday through Saturday, open late until 9 pm on Thursday, and 1 to 5 pm on Sunday. For more information visit harn.ufl.edu. Admission is free.
Media Contact:
Tami Wroath
Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Harn Museum of Art
352.294.7067
twroath@harn.ufl.edu