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.

The Blanton welcomes students from UT or any university campus who are personable, kind, helpful, empathetic, patient, service–oriented, and want to spend time in an arts-loving community to apply for the Volunteer Program. Volunteers help the museum in various ways, greeting visitors as they walk through the doors, answering questions at the Information Desk, assisting with family activities and B Scene parties, and doing routine office work. For more information, please contact Martha Thomas, the Blanton’s Manager of Visitor and Volunteer Services, at 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.

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.

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 applications by March 31, 2021, for priority consideration.

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.