Applebaum Internship at Motown Museum – Detroit, Michigan

About Motown Museum

In the 1960s, Hitsville U.S.A. was buzzing with activity. These modest buildings on Detroit’s West Grand Boulevard housed dozens of the music industry’s most talented, passionate and successful people. More than half a century later, the walls of Motown Museum continue to hold that entrepreneurial energy for its staff—and you could be part of our team. 

As a museum and cultural institution, we seek to hire talented and skilled individuals interested in careers, internships, and volunteers across a variety of functions—including staff for collections, programming, fund development, guest services, retail, management, and more.

About the role

• The Collections Intern will support the work of the Curatorial and Collections Department by assisting the Team with the care, organization, and documentation of the museum’s holdings. The intern will gain hands-on experience working with three-dimensional objects, uniforms, and archival materials, while contributing to collections projects that support storage improvements, documentation, and exhibition preparation. The intern will work directly within the Curatorial and Collections Department. This internship is part of the Applebaum Family Philanthropy Internship Program providing opportunities for young people to inspire entrepreneurship, independence, and leadership. This program is part of the 2026 cohort, where the intern will have opportunities to engage with other Applebaum interns across the metro Detroit region.

What you'll do

• Essential Functions
• Assist the Curatorial and Collections team with the organization and care of museum objects and archival materials.
• Support collections documentation by recording and updating object locations and related information in internal tracking systems.
• Assist with handling, cleaning, and basic preservation care of artifacts following museum collections standards.
• Work with three-dimensional objects and uniforms within the collection.
• Support preparation of objects for conservation, storage, relocation, or exhibition.
• Assist with collections inventories and organization of storage areas and vaults.
• Maintain orderly digital and physical records related to collections management.
• Provide general support to departmental projects related to collections care, preservation, and access.

Learning Opportunities

• Develop practical skills in museum collections management, including registration practices, object documentation, and tracking systems.
• Gain hands-on experience with professional standards for object handling, storage, and preventive conservation for historic artifacts and garments.
• Learn how museums organize and maintain physical collections and associated records to ensure long-term preservation and accessibility.
• Observe and participate in workflows related to exhibition preparation, collections relocation, and storage planning.
• Build professional experience working within a museum archives and collections team, learning how registrars, collections technicians, and curatorial staff collaborate to steward cultural heritage materials.

Qualifications

• Current undergraduate student in a Michigan college or university and reside in the southeast Michigan area for duration of internship.
• Please note that recent graduates or graduate-level students are not eligible to apply for the Applebaum program.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Interest in museum collections, archives, and cultural preservation.
• Ability to work carefully with historic objects and archival materials.
• Basic computer proficiency, including Microsoft Excel, Word, and SharePoint.

• Coursework or practical experience in collections care or museum studies.

Time Commitment

• Approximately 25 hours per week for 8 weeks.
• Must be available between June 1st and July 31st
• Must participate in Applebaum programming, including four leadership sessions
• Flexible scheduling based on academic requirements and departmental needs.

Application Materials

• Resume / CV
• A one-page cover letter describing your career goals and how this internship will contribute to your professional development.