University of Chicago Divinity School — Provenance Research Internship

About the Art Institute of Chicago 

The Art Institute of Chicago shares its singular collections with our city and the world. We collect, care for, and interpret works of art across time, cultures, geographies, and identities. We are a place of gathering and learning, committed to fostering an inclusive understanding of human creativity.

Position Summary

The Art Institute of Chicago invites applications for an internship within the Provenance Research department focused on the collecting history of religious objects.

The intern will engage in a systematic review of archival records across different collecting areas. The primary objective is to transfer provenance information from these records into the museum’s collection database. In so doing, the intern will develop a deep understanding of the collectors and dealers who shaped the Art Institute’s collection.

Building on this foundational work, the intern will carry out in-depth provenance research into a specific object of their choosing. This second phase of the internship will result in a web article.

The intern will join a museum-wide intern cohort and have access to a range of programs to support their development in addition to their placement in Provenance Research. Mentorship is provided throughout the experience and connections with an intern alumni network will be established.

Internship Outcomes

In this position, the intern will have the opportunity to:

• Gain familiarity with provenance-related archival documentation;
• Experience with museum collection management systems;
• Garner a better understanding of the Art Institute’s history of collecting;
• Exercise provenance and archival research skills;
• Experience communicating provenance research to the public;
• Develop strong communication and organizational skills;
• Develop mentor relationships with field practitioners;
•  Build peer-to-peer relationships with fellow interns.

Responsibilities

With guidance from the position’s mentors, the intern will:

• Review archival documentation relevant to the provenance of objects in the Art Institute's permanent collection;
• If the provenance in the archival documentation is not reflected in the collection management database, transfer this information to a spreadsheet to be used to update the record;
• Identify a collector or art dealer who is currently under-researched, and whose history can be researched through archival documentation in Chicago and publications available in the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries;
• Write a blog post about the research placement and the art dealer or collector chosen (800 words);
• Participate in and contribute to the weekly meetings of the Provenance Research department;
• Attend intern cohort professional development programs and museum practice seminars.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate or graduate student; recent graduates (within one year of graduation) will also be considered;
• Due to onsite necessity, applicants must be based in the Chicagoland area and/or attending school in the Chicagoland area over the course of the internship term;
• Willingness to connect with others;
• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills;
• Detail-oriented mindset and demonstrated organizational skills; ability to multitask and be flexibly prioritize when appropriate;
• Possesses an interest in:
  • Religious objects or objects that speak to religious issues;
  • The Art Institute’s collection and how art dealers and collectors contributed to its creation
  • Reviewing archival documents, such as receipts or ledgers;
  • learning about museum documentation practices;
  • Researching a specific dealer and collector, using resources available in the archives and library;
  • Sharing this research with the Art Institute’s audiences through online publications.

This position is open to undergraduate and graduate students as part of University of Chicago’s Divinity School Program.

Compensation & Benefits

Hiring Range:  $20.00 per hour. Maximum of 30 hours per week (300 hours over the course of the internship). Paid via stipend through University of Chicago’s Divinity School Program.

This position is not benefits eligible.

• Job Classification: Hourly
• Employment Category: Intern (temporary)

If you are accessing this listing from a third party, not all links to salary and benefits information may work. Please visit our career page at saic/artic.edu/employment for complete information

Internship Information

Duration of Position: 10 weeks / June 2026 (start date anytime during the week of June 15) through August 2026 (end date anytime during the week of August 17).

Schedule: This is a full-time, 10-week position for a currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate student of University of Chicago’s Divinity School program. The intern will work 30 hours per week, for a total of up to 300 hours over the course of the internship. Work days will occur between Monday–Friday; the start date and schedule will be determined upon agreement with the candidate and the host department.

Hour long virtual and in-person intern professional development programs will be scheduled throughout the internship term that the student is strongly encouraged to attend. These programs will occur during the week; we ask that the intern make this part of their internship schedule.

Format: The internship will occur fully onsite. Due to onsite necessity, applicants based or attending school in the Chicagoland area during the internship timeframe will be prioritized. Internet access and appropriate technology will be necessary to complete this internship, but technological accommodations will be provided by the Art Institute of Chicago.

Application Instructions

You must upload all of the requested materials below. Please upload your materials where asked in the online application.

Please Note: You will not be considered if any requested application element is missing.

To apply for this internship, tell us your story. We want to understand who you are, what motivates you, how you think, and where you’re coming from. Please submit the following materials:

1. Résumé / CV
2. Cover Letter

Deadline

Applications will be reviewed as they’re received. The selected candidate for this role will be contacted within two weeks of the position’s posting.

Accessibility

If you are a job seeker with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to apply for one of our jobs, you will find the contact information to request the appropriate accommodation by visiting the following page:

Accessibility Accommodation for Applicants

Equal Opportunity Statement

The Art Institute of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits, hires and promotes qualified individuals compliant with federal and state laws. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact the Department of Human Resources at  apply_help@artic.edu.