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.

What you'll do

• Essential Functions
• Assist the Collections team with the organization and care of museum objects and archival materials.
• Support collection documentation by recording and updating object locations and related information in internal tracking systems.
• Assist with handling, cleaning, and basic preservation 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 collection 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 collection 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, collection 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

• Minimum Qualifications
• Current undergraduate or graduate student in Museum Studies, History, Archival Studies, MLIS, Public History, Art History, or a related field.
• 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.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with collections databases or archives management systems.
• Preparator or conservation experience.
• Coursework or practical experience in collections care or museum studies.

Time Commitment

• Approximately 20 hours per week for 7-8 weeks.
• 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.

Pay

· $2,000 stipend