The Meadows Museum is hiring for work-study positions for the 2024-2025 academic-year.
The Meadows Museum Student Corps (MMSC) is designed to help SMU students get their foot in the door by giving them paid, real-world experience and training in the museum field. The MMSC is comprised of four Apprentices, each working six hours per week for the entire academic year in one of the following museum departments: Membership, Collections & Exhibitions, or Education
Position Descriptions
The Meadows Museum Student Corps (MMSC) is comprised of four MMSC Apprentices. Each Apprentice works six hours per week in one of the following museum departments: membership, collections, or education.
- Membership Department (1 position)
The Membership Department is responsible for all aspects of the museum’s membership program including growth in new members, increasing member retention, communications, and implementing targeted engagement strategies. Additionally, the department oversees the planning and implementation of museum member events, such as opening receptions for exhibitions and exclusive member programs. The 2024–2025 MMSC Membership Apprentice will help plan and support member events such as Member Preview Days, the Member Holiday Gathering, and social programs and initiatives for members at the museum. The MMSC Membership Apprentice will be required to work a few Thursday evenings and weekend events throughout the academic year to support events as needed.
- Collections & Exhibitions Department (1 position)
The Collections & Exhibitions Department is responsible for the care, storage, and display of the museum’s collection, ensuring best practices are maintained while handling, moving, and presenting the collection. Additionally, the department manages exhibition logistics, such as the coordination of packing and shipping of artworks, preparation of loan agreements, production of object labels, and the installation and de-installation of exhibitions in galleries. The 2024–2025 MMSC Collections & Exhibitions Apprentice will be primarily responsible for vetting, organizing, and digitizing exhibition archives and assisting the Collections & Exhibitions Department with ongoing projects in galleries and storage.
- Education Department (2 positions)
Museum educators connect various audiences—from students and teachers to families and adults—with works of art on view. Educators teach in the galleries, create resources, and design programs that enable visitors to learn about and have experiences with works of art. The 2024–2025 MMSC Education Apprentices will facilitate gallery activities, art-making projects, and other hands-on learning opportunities for existing programs such as Open Studio and family days. The two MMSC Education Apprentices are required to work the third Saturday and third Sunday of every month (minus December), an additional Sunday in October and in April, and one Thursday night in September.
Compensation
- $20/hour
Commitment
- These are part-time (6 hours per week), in-person, academic year positions. Successful candidates must be able to commit to an entire academic year and able to devote their entire work-study award to their position at the Meadows Museum. Positions run from August 26, 2024–May 14, 2025, with breaks that mirror the academic calendar. The museum will work with each Apprentice to determine the exact weekly schedule.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be eligible for federal work-study at SMU in the 2024–2025 Academic Year and devote their entire work-study award to their position at the Meadows Museum.
Qualifications
- applicants must be enrolled, returning undergraduate students at SMU, entering their sophomore, junior, or senior year in the 2024–2025 academic year
- applicants must have an interest in museum careers
- applicants to the Membership and Education Departments must have strong customer service and interpersonal skills, with the ability to interface comfortably in crowds with diverse groups of guests
- applicants must be punctual and dependable applicants must have regular availability of roughly 6 hours per week during museum office hours (Monday–Friday, 8:30 – 5 PM, Saturdays, 10–5 PM, and Sundays 1–5 PM). Exact office hours vary by museum department.
- applicants that speak Spanish are a plus
Application Process
Online applications (using the form below) are due by 11:45 PM on Monday, April 1, 2024. Priority will be given to applications received by 11:45 PM on Friday, March 22, 2024 and the museum reserves the right to close applications following the priority deadline based on response. Interview scheduling will begin immediately following the priority deadline. Interviews will occur before the end of the Spring 2024 semester, either in-person (preferred) or via Zoom. Positions will be contingent upon work study funding availability for the 2024–2025 academic year and a waitlist will be maintained.
Applicants must complete online application and submit:
- a résumé and a personalized cover letter that discusses their interest in the Meadows Museum Student Corps. The cover letter should also indicate which positions they are most interested in and address their qualifications for those positions. Additionally, applicants must share the name and contact information for 2-3 references (letters of recommendation are not required).
Application deadline:
April 1, 2024
Not Sure if you Have a Work Study Award?
Eligible students will see the Federal Work Study award listed as part of their Financial Aid package (you can review your eligibility by logging into my.SMU)
Find the online application here.
https://smu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5pVzB7LR3dro6Qm
