Art Bridges Summer 2026 Cohort Program Internship

About Art Bridges

Art Bridges Foundation is the vision of philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton. Since 2017, Art Bridges has created and supported projects that bring outstanding works of American art out of storage and into communities. Art Bridges partners with a growing network of over 200 museums of all sizes and locations on nearly 900 projects—impacting more than 5.3 million people across 49 states and Puerto Rico—to provide financial and strategic support for exhibition development, loans from the Art Bridges Collection and Partner Loan Network, and programs designed to educate, inspire, and deepen engagement with local audiences. The Art Bridges Collection represents an expanding vision of American art from the 19th century to present day and encompasses multiple media and voices. For more information, visit artbridgesfoundation.org.  

Required Documents to Apply:

Please provide your resume and a cover letter explaining your interest in the Art Bridges Internship Program. You are also welcome to include a writing sample, though it is not required.

Job Description:

The Art Bridges Internship Program and Summer Residency

Since its launch in 2020, the Art Bridges Internship Program has hosted over 80 students and emerging arts professionals from across the country in positions throughout the foundation. Our Internship Program is committed to providing a wide array of professional development opportunities to individuals with any level of experience or exposure to working in the arts, nonprofits, or philanthropic organizations.

The Art Bridges Internship Program Summer Residency is an eight-week opportunity for interns to gain hands-on experience on-site at the Art Bridges office. Summer interns will live and work full time in Bentonville, Arkansas, for the duration of their residency with travel cost coverage, housing, bikes, and additional benefits provided by Art Bridges. Summer interns will participate in a wide range of events, such as cultural site visits, guest lectures, professional development workshops, and networking opportunities (please see “Residency Inclusions and Events” for further details). Our intern events prioritize the incorporation of interns into Art Bridges’ work culture at all possible levels and emphasize themes of professional development, personal growth, and peer collaboration, which summer interns will experience fully over the course of their residency.

Job Description

Position: Art Bridges Summer 2026 Cohort Program Intern

Position Type: Paid internship, in addition to travel and housing support

In-person, full-time (35 hours per week) position in Bentonville, Arkansas, for eight weeks (June 8-July 31, 2026)

Number of Available Positions: 1

Timeline: Applications are due by January 8, 2026, but may close earlier if capacity is reached. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Interns will be selected by late March and will start on June 8, 2026.

About the Position

The Art Bridges Internship Program seeks twelve interns for the summer of 2026. Candidates are encouraged to apply for multiple roles with different departments based on their areas of interest. 

Cohort Program Department Overview:

• The Art Bridges Cohort Program expands access to American art by supporting multiyear, multi-institutional art-sharing partnerships among museums nationwide. The mission of the program is to create self-sustaining ecosystems of art sharing, collaboration, and community engagement across the country.
• Intern projects may include:

• Supporting the ideation, creation, and implementation of core program materials, including marketing assets, convening toolkit, and partner templates.
• Contributing to the development of collateral designed to enhance and streamline the partner experience as part of the program’s redesign.
• Collaborating with team members to ensure materials effectively communicate key information and align with program goals.

Summer Residency Inclusions and Events

• Paid and eligible for course credits
• Travel and housing supported by Art Bridges
• Free rental bikes for the summer upon request
• Site visits to regional cultural institutions
  • Past trips include Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the Momentary, Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, Creative Arkansas Community Hub & Exchange (CACHE), and a day in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to visit the Philbrook Museum of Art, Greenwood Rising, and the Gathering Place.
• Participation in the Art Bridges Creative Career Chats (in person or virtual)
  • Past guests include Robert Peterson (contemporary artist); Jason Herrick (Chief Philanthropy Officer, The Metropolitan Museum of Art); Nisa Mackie (Director of Learning & Audience Engagement, MoMA); Christopher Marley (contemporary artist); and many more.
• Professional development workshops and trainings
  • Past topics include resume building, cover letter writing, curriculum vitae development, job interview preparation, networking, mindfulness in the workplace, copyright and courier training, etc.

• Networking opportunities with staff across Art Bridges and within other regional cultural institutions and organizations through off-site visits

• Intern-led public speaking program, This American Art Life, where summer interns share about themselves, discuss current art news, and present their projects and accomplishments in a final presentation
• Additional recreational and social activities, such as social mixers with interns across Bentonville and staff events

Candidate Requirements

• Currently enrolled in a university degree program (at the undergraduate or graduate level) or a recent graduate (<1 year) with an interest in entering the workforce as an emerging arts professional
• Enthusiasm for working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and ability to work effectively in a team and independently
• Strong organizational and coordination skills with attention to detail
• Effective time-management skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 and familiarity with CRM systems as well as research and web-based search tools strongly preferred

Application Requirements

Please provide your resume and a cover letter explaining your interest in the Art Bridges Internship Program. You are also welcome to include a writing sample, though it is not required.

Work Schedule

This is a full-time, in-person role based in Bentonville, Arkansas, working 35 hours per week (Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, with a lunch break from 12 to 1 pm).

Occasional evening or weekend work may be required.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

Physical demands: Occasionally, while performing the duties of this job, the employee will be required to travel independently, regionally, and in communities served. This position requires working at a desk, utilizing a computer and a telephone for prolonged periods of time, good eye-hand coordination, bending and stretching for filing, and the physical stamina to lift a minimum of 25 pounds to a height of at least three feet for art materials storage and preparation and as appropriate for the demands of the office. Visual acuity to review written materials is required for this job.

Work environment: Work will be performed in an office environment, museum spaces, and communities served. Occasional evening and weekend hours may be required. The noise level in the office is usually low to moderate.

Computer equipment: Laptops will be provided to interns.

Art Bridges and DEAI

At Art Bridges, diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are central to all work and decisions made within our organization. We support our colleagues and partners in learning and growing together to make this important work part of our daily lives.

Art Bridges is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building and maintaining a culturally diverse workplace that is free of discrimination and harassment of any kind. We encourage all qualified applicants, including women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans, to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.

All offers of employment are contingent on your successful completion (where permitted by state law) of a confidentiality agreement and background check. In addition, you will need to provide proper identification verifying your eligibility to work in the United States on your first day of work.