What are the responsibilities and job description for the Nord Network Pre-Program Summer Internship in Frame Restoration position at Cleveland Museum of Art Job Openings?
Intern/Fellow Title: Nord Network Pre-Program Summer Internship in Frame Restoration
Academic Level: Undergraduate, Conservation
Supervisor: Paintings and Frames Technician
Department: Paintings Conservation
Dates of Internship/Fellowship: June 2025 – August 2025 (start and end dates flexible)
Term: 10 weeks
Internship Overview:
The Conservation Frame Intern will gain knowledge and understanding of the materials, techniques, and tools used in traditional water gilding and mordant gilding.
Gilding Workshop 1: An Introduction to Traditional Gilding Techniques:
The Intern will develop basic gilding skills and prepare sample boards showing all the layers in the process. They will learn to prepare a wood surface for gesso, bole, gold leaf, burnish, and toning.
They will be given an overview and instruction on sgraffito, pastiglia and punchwork. The intern will create sample boards for a hands-on learning experience. The boards will be theirs to keep as a future reference guide.
The intern will learn remedial treatment of gilded frames. This includes consolidation, surface cleaning, repairs, gilding and inpainting.
Throughout the course of the internship, the intern will also shadow the conservation frame technician preparing works of art for loan such as glazing, insert backings, hardware, etc. The intern will be expected to take notes in a daily journal and take photo documentation.
The intern will also experience the inner workings of the CMA’s conservation frame preparation lab, the unique challenges and creative solutions required of a conservation technician, and the role of conservation in the preservation and display of historic artworks. The intern may also assist other conservators and technicians with projects in other labs if the opportunity arises and participate in any professional development opportunities the CMA’s summer internship program offers.
The Institution:
The Cleveland Museum of Art is renowned for the quality and breadth of its collection, which includes nearly 45,000 objects and spans 6,000 years of achievement in the arts. A major renovation and expansion project completed in 2014 has transformed the museum into a significant international forum for exhibitions, scholarship, performing arts and art education. One of the top comprehensive art museums in the nation and free of charge to all, the Cleveland Museum of Art is located in the University Circle neighborhood. The Museum's conservation department currently employs 14 full-time staff members, including conservators in paper, Asian paintings, textiles, paintings, and objects, as well as technicians and a chief conservator. The department regularly hosts pre-program conservation interns, third-year interns, and graduate fellows. The significant resources of the Cleveland Museum of Art, including its outstanding library and archives, and nearby Case Western Reserve University with its innovative maker space, think[box], contribute to a unique internship opportunity.
About the Eric & Jane Nord Family Fellowship and Internship Network:
The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) is committed to advancing, implementing, and developing transformational fellowship and internship opportunities at the museum. The Eric & Jane Nord Family Fellowship and Internship Network develops key fellowship and internship opportunities in targeted areas at the CMA that build stronger relationships between the CMA and the communities it serves. The Eric & Jane Nord Family Fellowship and Internship Network establishes yearly cohorts of fellows and interns at the CMA, in the areas of conservation, collections management, community arts, and director’s fellowships, to advance the careers of qualified individuals interested in these museum fields.
Requirements:
Candidates must be currently enrolled in a recognized undergraduate or associate’s degree program or a recent graduate within 2 years. The candidate must be eligible to legally work in the US.
Skills:
Demonstrated interest in art history, skills in studio art making such as painting, drawing, sculpture, and familiarity with hand tools.
Compensation:
$16/hour for 350 hours (10 weeks) plus a $5,000 stipend that can be used to cover relocation or housing costs, professional development, and/or travel. All earnings and stipend will be subject to taxes. Interns are expected to work 35 hours per week.
Application Procedure:
Please submit application materials through the CMA website: https://www.clevelandart.org/internships
Questions should be addressed to Dave Piurek at dpiurek@clevelandart.org.
Application materials must be received by end of day February 7, 2025. For consideration, please submit the following materials in English; PDF format is preferred for all materials.
* a letter stating your interests and intent in applying for the internship, including description(s) of previous conservation experience and internships
* curriculum vitae
* online portfolio (preferred) or examples of art- and craft-making skills
Salary : $16
