Volunteer and Internship Information

Welcome! Whether working in the offices, on curatorial projects or assisting with special events, volunteers and interns play a vital role in fulfilling this mission.

Volunteers are an invaluable resource in that they not only work to ensure ICA's stability and future growth, but enrich the arts community at large. The hours are flexible. For those who are available in the evenings and on weekends only, possible opportunities include Education and Special Events. (Please see below for descriptions.) All others require availability Monday-Friday between 9-6.

Internships at ICA provide behind-the-scenes experience and knowledge that will help prepare students to move into professional gallery or museum employment. ICA is a non-collecting museum with a staff of seventeen full-time employees. This setting enables the intern to see how ICA's different departments interact and support one another in order to achieve its objective of bringing contemporary art to the Philadelphia community. Interns will work in-depth in one department, but by participating in day-to-day activities, will learn about the functions of the entire museum. They will work with one or two supervisors for a minimum of three full days a week. Please keep in mind that internships are unpaid and you must be a student in a college or university.

View current internship opportunities.

Previous internships have led to employment at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Cabrini College; Moore College of Art; the Guggenheim Museum, Venice; Jefferson Hospital; and the Mural Arts Project, to name only a few.

Deadlines for internship applications:
All postions for Summer 2008 have been filled • Fall 2008: September 3, 2008

BENEFITS

In appreciation of their time and energy, ICA volunteers and interns receive free admission to the galleries, invitations to all openings and special events, the quarterly calendar of events, and all exhibition announcements. Volunteering at ICA also offers the opportunity to make contacts and learn new skills.

After completing 20 hours of service, ICA volunteers are issued a VOLUNTEER STAFF ID CARD, which entitles them to discounts on ICA catalogs, prints and educational programs, and is good for free admission to many museums in the country, including several in the Boston and New York areas.

Please download the internship application form [PDF, 9K] or volunteer application form [PDF, 8K].

Please send your application, resume, essay and recommendation letter for an internship to:

Denise Berry, Special Events and Sales Coordinator
Institute of Contemporary Art
118 S. 36th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215.898.4980


Institute of Contemporary Art | University of Pennsylvania
118 S. 36th St. Philadelphia, PA 19104-3289 | T 215.898.7108 | F 215.898.5050

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