Contemporary Asian Photography Curatorial Intern

In 2019, PEM received a transformational gift of over 1600 photographs from the Joy of Giving Something Foundation (JGS). The JGS gift features work produced between 1930 to the present by 123 artists, primarily those of East Asian descent or working in East Asia. From January to April 2027, PEM's curatorial department will host a graduate-level intern to work closely with the JGS Collection. The intern will assist in the inventorying, cataloguing and rehousing of a selection of this massive collection stored at PEM's James B. and Mary Lou Hawkes Collections Center in Rowley, Massachusetts.

The intern will enter basic catalog information on works into PEM's collections management database, MuseumPlus (M+), and conduct biographical information on the artists. Works by a number of artists in the JGS collection will be featured in PEM's 2028 exhibition Radiant: Photography and Asian America. Tasks will involve data management including photocopying, scanning, collating, organizing, filing, and managing paper and digital files. The intern will be trained to work with PEM's collections management database (M+) and may additionally work on data projects related to other aspects of PEM's collection.

Lydia Peabody, Curator-at-Large at PEM, will be the primary supervisor for the intern. Work will take place in both PEM's Salem and Rowley campuses. The former location is accessible by public transportation, but accessing the Rowley campus will require a car.

The 2027 Spring Internship Program will run from January 21 through April 26, 2027, or through an alternative end date mutually agreed upon by the intern and hiring manager. A mandatory, in-person orientation will be held at the museum on Thursday, January 21, 2027, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. In addition, interns are required to participate in professional development sessions held on Thursdays throughout the internship. These sessions are typically scheduled from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and will continue through April 15, 2027. Please note that session times are subject to change, and some sessions may be offered in a hybrid format. Regardless of format or scheduling adjustments, all professional development sessions will take place on Thursdays and are required for all interns.

This internship provides a $2,000 stipend and requires the completion of 180 hours, which includes participation in professional development programming. This equates to approximately 15 onsite hours per week over the course of twelve weeks. All internships are fully in person and take place on site. Please note the location where each internship will take place.