McMullan Museum Scholar (Two Year Placement)

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.

About the Department

A hub for scholarship and training the Art Institute Research Center brings together the museum’s Ryerson and Burnham Libraries, the Art Institute of Chicago Archives, and the department of Academic Engagement and Research with the aim of fostering engagement and access to wealth of research offerings at the Art Institute of Chicago. The Research Center stewards resources that illuminate the histories and contexts of the museum’s vast art collection, as well as primary sources that are singular or rare works of paper-based art, archives, and historical documentation. The Research Center supports museum staff in all of their research endeavors and maintains public hours to serve the art research community, faculty and students, artists and architects, and inquisitive scholars from around the world. The division of Academic Engagement and Research (AER) supports art research training and development for emerging museum professionals and scholarly innovators. AER oversees the museum’s internship and fellowship programs, and creates opportunities to network professors, students, scholars and artists with museum staff. The AER team manages transformative grants and partnerships, workshops and scholarly events, and fosters equity and inclusion in shaping the next generation of museum professionals.

Museum Scholars Program Overview

The Museum Scholars program is part of a museum-wide effort to provide students the opportunity to gain experience, career awareness, networks, and skills that will position them to thrive as future art museum leaders. The museum's emerging professional programs, among them internships, fellowships, and the scholars programs, are stewarded by the Department of Academic Engagement and Research (AER) in the Research Center. Our aim is to nurture dynamic, interdisciplinary thinkers that will be empowered changemakers equipped with the tools and networks to do great work in the world. The Museum Scholars position is awarded to two undergraduate students who’ve completed the McMullan Family Foundation Summer Intensive program.

Goals: Museum Scholars gain awareness and further their development in the following areas:

• Broader understanding of individual and collaborative work within the museum
• Practice in museum professional skill sets (software, collections work, project development)
• Improvement in written and oral communication skills in a professional and interpersonal context
• Opportunities for self-directed work
• Confidence in their abilities to advocate for themselves and issues important to them
• Enhanced connections between their museum experiences and personal interests
• Refinement of their personal and professional paths and goal-setting for their next steps

Time Commitment

Time Commitment: Museum Scholars commit to a program lasting twenty-three months, beginning October 5, 2026 and concluding August 18, 2028. They are expected to fulfill all aspects of the program, including:

• Regular activities with their mentor that may require on-site or remote presence at the Art Institute of Chicago 10-14 hours per week during the academic year
• Full-time (30 hours per week) participation over the course of two 11-week terms in summer 2027 and summer 2028 respectively
• Meeting with AER staff on a regular basis (biweekly in the academic year, and weekly in the summer)

Regular Engagement Activities

Regular Engagement Activities: Mentors assist Museum Scholars in the following:

• Introduction to: departments across the museum, collections, gallery rotations, cross-departmental meetings, studio visits, host department programs, etc.
• Training on: collection management systems, object handling, research, writing, public engagement, oral communication (public, philanthropic, and interdepartmental), receiving and relaying professional feedback, etc.
• Off-site visits to: opportunities for the student to connect with art professionals, including museums and/or collections, artist spaces, auctions houses, etc.
• Discussions on: curatorial and museum studies, social justice issues at the museum, academic/career advising, wellness, etc.
• Travel funds usage for: research associated with their fellowship or academic studies, school visits, networking, attending conferences, etc. Travel funds may also be used to align with a mentor’s business travel plans.

Placements

Placements: Two separate host department placements will occur twice over the course of two years: 2026–27 Academic Year (October–May) and subsequent Summer (June–August); 2027-28 Academic Year (October–May) and subsequent Summer (June–August). Placements will be coordinated by AER in conversation with the Museum Scholars and potential mentors.

First Academic Year Duration: October-May Program Hours*: Approximately 280-392 hours; average of