Student and Volunteer Opportunities

What better way to learn about the museum field than to experience it up close and behind-the-scenes? Each year the Blanton Museum of Art recruits graduate and undergraduate students for a range of paid and unpaid pre-professional opportunities. Students gain experience and knowledge within the museum environment and work on meaningful projects under the guidance of museum professionals. Students are also invited to participate in a variety of enrichment activities, which may include professional development seminars, docent trainings, exhibition openings, public programs, and tours. The Blanton welcomes and encourages students from all backgrounds to apply and is dedicated to developing a culturally diverse internship program.

If you love art, enjoy working with people–or both–this is the perfect opportunity to support Austin’s art museum! The Blanton continues to accept applications for volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Volunteers help in invaluable ways and create a welcoming atmosphere at the museum, in addition to keeping a safe environment for visitors, staff, and volunteers. Qualifications to become a volunteer include:

• 18 years of age or older.
• Interested to help visitors and assist museum Visitor Services staff as needed.
• Willing to answer questions or solve visitor problems in a friendly and engaging manner.
• Accustomed to learning from and working with people of all types and opinions.
• Able to keep an open and accessible attitude towards museum visitors.
• In Austin on a regular basis and have 3 hours per week to support the museum.
• Free to complete initial volunteer training within 2 months of the application date.
• Committed to volunteering once a week or every other week for a year.

The Blanton welcomes UT students as well as those from any university campus, and members of the greater Austin community who are cheerful, kind, helpful, empathetic, patient, service–oriented, and want to spend time in an arts-loving community. Volunteers work with other arts-interested adults and will be trained on site during their first few visits. For further information about the Blanton’s volunteer program or assistance applying to be a volunteer, please contact Susan Griffin at 512.232.1988 or volunteer@blantonmuseum.org.

For UT doctoral students in art history, the Blanton offers three part-time, paid Mellon Fellowships each academic year. Mellon Fellows assist Blanton curators in the research of works of art for exhibitions, installations, and publications. Mellon Fellows support some or all aspects of exhibition planning, from inception to installation, including object selection, research, writing, and display. They also work closely with Blanton educators and staff from across the museum. Mellon Fellows learn about object-based teaching and interpretive strategies and may lead undergraduate and graduate classes in the galleries and in the Blanton’s Julia Matthews Wilkinson Center for Prints and Drawings. All Mellon Fellowships carry a competitive stipend, tuition remission, benefits, and a travel allowance.

Generous funding for the curatorial fellowship program at the Blanton Museum of Art is provided by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Applications for upcoming 2022-2023 fellowships will be available in January 2022.

The Blanton awards part-time, paid Graduate Fellowships to UT graduate students only. Graduate Fellows work closely with Blanton staff to create, research, and contribute to museum projects and programs. They may also receive training in museum pedagogy and teach to K-12 or UT students in the Blanton galleries. Graduate Fellows are appointed for the academic year and must meet employment requirements set by the Graduate School. Some Graduate Fellows, as UT employees, may be eligible to participate in insurance programs and may qualify for other benefits in accordance with existing university policies. Hours range from 10-20 hours per week. Compensation varies by appointment. Students from all academic and cultural backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Graham Williford University Engagement Fellowship

Applications for upcoming 2021-2022 fellowships have closed.

Internships are available throughout the academic year and the summer to undergraduate or graduate students. Academic-year Interns must be enrolled at UT Austin, but students from other universities and colleges are invited to apply in the summer. Interns are vital to museum operations in departments such as visitor and volunteer services, membership, development, PR & marketing, curatorial, and education, and positions vary each year depending upon departmental needs. Interns typically work 10-15 hours per week. Academic credit may be possible, but the student is responsible for arranging this directly with his or her academic department.

UT students in the University Leadership Network (ULN) may apply to the Blanton’s Fall 2021-Spring 2022 internship program using UT’s HireALonghorn/Handshake platform. Please submit ULN Internships applications via Handshake by April 30, 2021, for priority consideration.

Please note, with the exception of the ULN Experiential Learning program, the museum is not currently accepting or reviewing internship applications for summer or fall 2021.

In partnership with the Plan II Honors Program, the Blanton offers one academic-year internship for a Plan II undergraduate. The internship carries a stipend and is designed to provide experience in the nature and operations of a major art museum. The specific focus of the internship varies from year to year depending upon departmental needs and projects. The Plan II Internship is dependent upon funding and may not be offered every year. Internships are advertised through the Plan II website and students are hired in the spring for the following fall.

The Blanton offers numerous Work-Study positions each year to UT students in departments such as curatorial, education, collections and exhibitions, membership and museum services, security, and development. Work-Study students are typically appointed for 10 hours per week from September to May as regulated by The University of Texas. Positions are usually advertised through Hire a Longhorn and at Work-Study Fairs.