{"id":7692,"date":"2026-04-10T11:35:58","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T18:35:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/advis104\/?p=7692"},"modified":"2026-04-10T11:35:58","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T18:35:58","slug":"city-of-seattle-collections-management-intern","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/advis104\/2026\/04\/10\/city-of-seattle-collections-management-intern\/","title":{"rendered":"City of Seattle – Collections Management Intern"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Position Description<\/h2>\n<\/dt>\n
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Seattle was one of the first cities in the United States to adopt a 1% for Art percent for art ordinance. Since 1973, the\u00a0Office of Arts & Culture\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0has 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\u2019s\u00a0Race and Social Justice Initiative<\/a>, we are committed to eliminating institutional racism in our programs, policies, and practices, and expanding opportunities for all communities to engage with public art.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Seattle Civic Art Collection<\/a>\u00a0includes 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.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re looking for a\u00a0Collections Management Intern<\/strong>\u00a0who\u2019s 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 \u00a0expand your collections management knowledge and gain direct experience engaging with a large working art collection. \u00a0You 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\u2019s academic interests and requirements.<\/p>\n

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Job Responsibilities<\/h2>\n<\/dt>\n
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What You\u2019ll Do:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Under the guidance of the Civic Collection Registrar, you will support a variety of collections -management tasks, such as:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Digitizing and organizing artwork authority files
\n\u2022 Scanning documents and migrating data to centralized systems
\n\u2022 Updating the collections database (TMS Collections)
\n\u2022 Assessing and potentially digitizing \u00a0legacy artwork media files
\n\u2022 Backfilling object records in the database with images and metadata
\n\u2022 Composing alt text for artwork images
\n\u2022 Researching Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA) language in existing contracts
\n\u2022 Assisting with artwork inventory across the Civic Art Collection<\/p>\n

In this internship, you\u2019ll learn how to:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 Work within the nationally recognized Seattle 1% for Art Division
\n\u2022 Gain hands-on experience with a large, active public art collection
\n\u2022 Receive direct training on a leading collections management database (TMS Collections)
\n\u2022 Collaborate to modernize longstanding processes and align them with industry best practices<\/p>\n

We\u2019re excited to work with students who demonstrate:
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\u2022 Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and Microsoft collaboration tools
\n\u2022 Familiarity with tools such as Asana and, preferably, collections management databases
\n\u2022 Strong communication skills and attention to detail
\n\u2022 Focus and consistency in process-driven work
\n\u2022 A systems thinking mindset and curiosity for research
\n\u2022 Flexibility, collaboration, and strong organizational skills
\n\u2022 Sound judgment, professionalism, and a commitment to equity and inclusion<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t meet every single qualification? That\u2019s okay!<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n

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Qualifications<\/h2>\n<\/dt>\n
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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), \u00a0or a closely related field.<\/p>\n