City of Seattle – Collections Management Intern

Seattle was one of the first cities in the United States to adopt a 1% for Art percent for art ordinance. Since 1973, the Office of Arts & Culture’s has been considered an industry leader – integrating the ideas of artists and artworks into parks, libraries, community centers, bridges, roadways, and other public spaces. Guided by the City’s Race and Social Justice Initiative, we are committed to eliminating institutional racism in our programs, policies, and practices, and expanding opportunities for all communities to engage with public art.

The Seattle Civic Art Collection includes more than 400 publicly sited artworks and nearly 3,600 portable works. These artworks are commissioned through a public process and stewarded through ongoing conservation, documentation, and care. This internship plays a key role in our long-term effort to update and modernize the systems that support this historic 50-year-old collection.

We’re looking for a Collections Management Intern who’s energized by digitizing, organizing, and improving access to our artworks so that more people, both inside and outside the City, can connect with and learn from the Civic Art Collection. In this internship, you will  expand your collections management knowledge and gain direct experience engaging with a large working art collection.  You will gain foundational skills to pursue careers in collections management, archives, libraries, or the arts. The range of projects can offer flexibility to align with the student’s academic interests and requirements.

What You’ll Do: 

Under the guidance of the Civic Collection Registrar, you will support a variety of collections -management tasks, such as:

• Digitizing and organizing artwork authority files
• Scanning documents and migrating data to centralized systems
• Updating the collections database (TMS Collections)
• Assessing and potentially digitizing  legacy artwork media files
• Backfilling object records in the database with images and metadata
• Composing alt text for artwork images
• Researching Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA) language in existing contracts
• Assisting with artwork inventory across the Civic Art Collection

In this internship, you’ll learn how to: 

• Work within the nationally recognized Seattle 1% for Art Division
• Gain hands-on experience with a large, active public art collection
• Receive direct training on a leading collections management database (TMS Collections)
• Collaborate to modernize longstanding processes and align them with industry best practices

We’re excited to work with students who demonstrate:

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and Microsoft collaboration tools
• Familiarity with tools such as Asana and, preferably, collections management databases
• Strong communication skills and attention to detail
• Focus and consistency in process-driven work
• A systems thinking mindset and curiosity for research
• Flexibility, collaboration, and strong organizational skills
• Sound judgment, professionalism, and a commitment to equity and inclusion

Don’t meet every single qualification? That’s okay!

Research shows that women and people of color often hesitate to apply unless they meet all criteria. We believe diverse backgrounds and perspectives strengthen our team, and there is no single path to success. If you’re excited about this opportunity, we encourage you to apply. We especially welcome applicants from communities historically excluded from arts and cultural fields, including BIPOC, immigrants, refugees, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ individuals.

Applicants must be enrolled undergraduate or graduate students in an accredited program. Preferred areas of study include Art History, Museum Studies, Arts Administration, Library and Information Science (LIS),  or a closely related field.

• Undergraduate students must have and maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA.
• Graduate students must have and maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA.

Hiring Timeline: Interviews will be held at the beginning of May. We are looking to hire an intern to start by June for a year-long internship, with potential for extension.

Schedule & Work Environment: Up to 20 hours per week during the academic year and between 24–40 hours per week during summer and academic breaks. This internship will be primarily on-site at the Seattle Municipal Tower in Downtown Seattle during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, with limited opportunities for telecommuting based on project needs and supervisor approval. The workspace is a non-standard area within the artwork service center and involves extended periods of standing.

Benefits: Learn more about internship benefits at: https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/working-at-the-city/internships

Hourly Rate: $22.56 – $22.56 (undergrad) / $27.67 – $27.67 (graduate)

Ready to Apply? Submit your application through the City of Seattle Internship Application at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/seattle/transferjobs  by the posted deadline. Be sure to include:

• A current resume (PDF)
• A cover letter describing your interest in this role
• An unofficial transcript that includes your GPA and current coursework

Who May Apply? This internship is open to all who meet the minimum qualifications. The Office of Arts & Culture welcomes applicants from all backgrounds and values diverse perspectives. We strongly encourage students of color, immigrants, refugees, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with lived experience in frontline communities to apply.

Pre-Employment Requirements: If selected to advance in this hiring process, applicants will need to successfully pass a background check, which will be conducted in accordance with Seattle’s Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, SMC 14.17. Applicants will be given a chance to explain or correct background information and provide verifiable information of good conduct and rehabilitation.

Accommodations and Hiring Questions: Individuals with disabilities will be provided reasonable accommodations to participate in the application or interview process, perform essential functions, and receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please get in touch with Nicolette Hornbeck at Nicolette.Hornbeck@seattle.gov with any questions and/or to request accommodations.