Anacostia Community Museum Internship
The Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum documents and interprets the effect of historical and contemporary social and cultural issues on communities. Established in 1967 as the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum, it served first as a Smithsonian outreach museum situated in one of the District of Columbia’s largely African American neighborhoods and later evolved into a museum documenting, preserving and interpreting African American history from local and community history perspectives. In 2006, the name of the institution was changed to the Anacostia Community Museum to reflect the expansion from ethnic themes and issues to broader cultural issues that resonate within communities worldwide.
The mission of the Anacostia Community Museum is to challenge perceptions, broaden perspectives, generate new knowledge, and deepen understanding about the ever-changing concepts and realities of “community.” To this end, the museum works with community organizations, neighborhood groups, civic organizations and other groups around the country to identify, document and preserve materials of historical importance and to develop community self-studies; with churches, mosques, and other religious institutions to preserve and document their histories. Other major initiatives include the Museum Academy, which develops models for educational programs and curricula using the collections of the Anacostia Community Museum and the wider Smithsonian Institution; and the museum’s RFP exhibition program, which works with community groups, artists, and other non-traditional curators to develop exhibitions for the museum’s galleries.
The museum’s programmatic objectives are flexible enough to encourage the creation of projects tailored to students’ interests and needs, while also allowing for a challenging experience and effective results that may be measured by standards of traditional scholarship. Included are opportunities to develop and engage in oral history projects, regional history, community history, and art and cultural history. Under the supervision of museum staff, there is also the opportunity to engage in curriculum development projects. The museum’s permanent collection and archives offer scholars interested in African American material culture excellent opportunities for research and professional development. Internships are also available in the fields of Special Events, Public Relations, and Graphic Arts. Applications will be considered and accepted based on staff availability and museum schedules. The Museum internship coordinator must be consulted prior to application submission.
Contact Phone: (202) 633-4848
Contact Email: reinckenss@si.edu
Opportunity Website: http://anacostia.si.edu/About/InternFellows
Apply Through: SOLAA