Jobs, Internships & Research
Employment
We are not currently accepting applications for any positions.
Internships
An internship with Smithsonian Folkways Recordings offers a wide range of valuable and meaningful experiences in the recording industry and non-profit arts administration, within the context of the world’s largest museum complex. Specific learning opportunities include graphic design, music marketing, royalty administration, cataloging and research, and educational content creation. Interns are expected to work for at least 100 hours, and ideally no less than 10 hours/week. Some specific internships may require longer commitment to ensure a successful experience, both for the intern and for Folkways. In addition to honing specific skills, interns will meet regularly with their supervisors, work with other interns and other staff on team projects, and have access to a wide array of programming, as well as curatorial and professional experts across the institution. For information on specific internships available, please see below.
To apply, visit SOLAA and create an account. After selecting Internship, specify the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (please indicate the name of the specific internship in your essay.) You will be required to upload supporting materials, including an essay, resume, transcripts, and letters of recommendation.
The submission deadline for summer internships with Smithsonian Folkways is March 1. There are no deadlines for submitting applications for other seasons.
The completed application is to be submitted at least six weeks before the start of the internship.
If you have questions, please contact our intern coordinator Arlene Reiniger.
Web & IT Production Internship
Accepting applications year-round
Mentor: Toby Dodds
Type: Experiential, college credit
Description: The Smithsonian Folkways Web & IT Production Intern will assist Smithsonian Folkways' Director of Web & IT with day-to-day operations related to the management of our website and digital collections. These duties may include scanning archival documents, encoding audio and video, entering metadata, and contributing written content to our web site. Interns will gain hands on experience working in the realm of library science and web production. Additionally scholars interested in the fields of anthropology, ethnomusicology, American studies, history, and folklore will enjoy spending time with our collection and will be exposed to many unique topics and ideas. Skills gained in the areas of web and IT production are invaluable to future scholars, writers, educators, archivists and web site managers as they embark on their careers.
Length: 3 months, part-time to full-time
Location: On-site and/or virtual
Experience: The ideal candidate will be passionate about music and have some prior experience with web publishing or work in an archival setting.
Research
The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections are open to visitors and researchers by appointment. To contact the Archives or schedule an appointment, please contact Ceci Peterson at PetersonC@si.edu or call 202.633.7931.