Exhibits Intern (RMF)

Robert McCormick Foundation; Wheaton (IL); On-site; USD 16,000 - 23,000; Part time

Job summary

The First Division Museum, located at Cantigny Park in Wheaton, IL, offers an Exhibits Intern position for May–July 2019. This part-time internship (approx. 20 hours/week) provides hands-on experience in artifact handling, label writing, exhibit research, and multi-media gallery updates.

You will be supervised and evaluated to ensure a strong learning experience. Ideal candidates have an interest in preservation, collections and exhibits, museum studies, or military history and are enrolled in

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student (graduate students preferred).
• Some experience in exhibition development, design, or fabrication.
• Some experience with museum collections and artifact handling.
• Comfort with challenging war-related subject matter.
• Strong writing and presentation abilities.

Responsibilities

• Artifact Rotations: assist with rotating artifacts, select replacement items, conduct object research, write label text, locate photos, and coordinate with the collections team on layouts.
• Graphic Updates: assist with updating artifact labels and exhibition graphics, conduct research, write text, locate photos, and coordinate with the collections team on layout.
• Anniversary Pop‑up Exhibitions/Temporary Displays: assist with development and installation of two anniversary displays (75th anniversaries in 2019).
• Exhibition Evaluation: assist with surveys, visitor observations, dwell studies, and data analysis.
• Duty First Exhibition Updates: edit content and upload text/photos to exhibit displays.
• Gallery Maintenance: help maintain galleries and ensure displays and equipment are in working order.

Education

Undergraduate student

Job description

Department:First Division Museum
Reports to:Exhibits and Collections Processing Technician
Time Frame:May - July 2019
Compensation: $14/hr.

About the First Division Museum

The First Division Museum is a world class museum dedicated to American military history and specifically the history of the Big Red One, the famed 1st Infantry Division of the U.S. Army. Located on the grounds of Cantigny Park in Wheaton, Illinois, our 38,000 square-foot facility includes 10,000 square feet of interactive and experiential exhibits. The museum has a wide variety of exhibits including life-size dioramas, Virtual Reality, and tanks found in the outdoor military park. The McCormick Research Center, located in the First Division Museum, is home to thousands of books, donated papers, photographs, and oral histories that tell the story of the 1ID.

Opportunity: Exhibits Intern

The First Division Museum offers a structured, formal internship program that provides exposure to specific departmental activities and museum-wide initiatives. This is an exciting opportunity to gain hands‑on experience in museum exhibitions including artifact handling and care, display research and labeling, pop‑up exhibit projects, and multi‑media gallery updates. We do our best to offer an experience that matches the interests of our interns with the priorities of our team at the museum. Each intern is given a thorough orientation, syllabus, is well supervised, and evaluations are completed by both the student and the supervisor at completion, ensuring a strong learning experience. Our past interns have a strong track record of moving on to successful careers. Ideal candidates have a strong interest in preservation, collections and exhibits, museum studies and operations more broadly, and/or military history. This is a part‑time position (approx. 20 hours/week) for three months from May through July 2019 that reports to the Exhibits and Collections Processing Technician.

Responsibilities

• Artifact Rotations: Assist with rotating artifacts in the permanent exhibitions. This includes selecting appropriate replacement artifacts, conducting object research, writing label text, locating photos, and working with the collections team on potential graphic and artifact layouts and mounts.
• Graphic Updates: Assist with updating artifact labels and exhibition interpretation graphics. This includes conducting research, writing text, locating photos, and working with the collections team on graphic design and layout.
• Anniversary Pop‑up Exhibitions/Temporary Displays: Assist with the development and installation of two anniversary displays. There are two important 75 th Anniversaries in 2019: D‑Day on June 6 th , 1944 and the Battle of the Bulge on December 16 th , 1944. To commemorate these important events we are planning special pop‑up exhibitions and temporary displays. This includes conducting research, writing text, locating photos, working with the collections team on graphic design and layout, and final install.
• Exhibition Evaluation: Assist with follow up evaluations and surveys to the museum’s 2018 AASLH Visitor’s Count survey. This includes surveying visitors, conducting visitor observations and dwell studies, and tabulating and analyzing evaluation results.
• Duty First Exhibition Updates: Assist with Duty First gallery updates. The Duty First gallery tracks the 1 st Infantry Division’s history from post‑Vietnam to yesterday. The use of technology and multi‑media allow the gallery to be updated quickly and easily. This includes editing content and uploading text and photos to the various exhibit displays.
• Gallery Maintenance: Assist with maintaining the gallery and ensuring the displays and equipment are in good, working order.

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in an accredited undergraduate or graduate degree program (graduate students preferred)
• Some experience in and knowledge of exhibition development, design, or fabrication
• Some experience in and knowledge of museum collections (management, care, and artifact handling)
• Comfort with subject matter that can be challenging and at times disturbing as it deals with war and its consequences
• Efficient and effective multi‑tasking and time management skills
• Detail‑oriented, inquisitive, and thoughtful
• Team player, with the ability to work independently when needed
• Demonstrated passion for the Foundation’s values with commitment to deliver results measured against the Foundation’s mission
• Outstanding interpersonal skills and experience building relationships with multiple stakeholders by listening to new ideas, encouraging dialogue, and inspiring people to work towards common goals
• Excellent writing and presentation skills, particularly in communication with diverse constituencies in a variety of settings
• Basic computer skills including use of Microsoft Office Suite
• All offers are contingent upon successful completion of a criminal background check and drug screening

Cantigny Park and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, individuals with disabilities, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital and housing status.