IDEAL INTERNSHIP GRANTS

IDEAL Internships advance inclusivity, diversity, equity, access, and leadership within the museum field. The Decorative Arts Trust, recognizing long-standing barriers to entering curatorial and other museum careers, seeks to expand access for students from disadvantaged and underserved backgrounds as part of a broader effort to foster systemic change. Through new collaborations and educational opportunities, the Trust aims to encourage a wider range of perspectives, narratives, and voices within museums, historic sites, and other cultural organizations stewarding and promoting the decorative arts. Funded internships should be open to all eligible applicants and are intended to broaden the participation of traditionally disadvantaged students. The Trust seeks to support summer and academic-year internships that focus on the decorative arts, material culture, and object-based research, exhibitions, communications, and educational programming. There is an opportunity for a second year of funding if the grantee institution can demonstrate sufficient impact.

Deadline

Proposals are due by August 31 each year.

Amount

The Trust offers grants of up to $5,000 to support paid internships.

Guidelines

Please review these specifications before applying:

• The Trust seeks partner institutions—including art museums, history museums, and historic sites—with a demonstrated commitment to serving the breadth of their local community. Potential partners should also have a proven record of hosting successful internships.
• Interns will work toward a defined end goal or capstone project that supports their academic and professional growth, with their individual goals incorporated into the assigned work whenever possible. The Trust expects partners to provide opportunities for broader professional development, peer-to-peer networking, and public outreach through tours and presentations. The Trust also requires partners to evaluate and report on the success of the internships.
• The format and duration are to be determined by the prospective host institutions (e.g. full-time summer internship, part-time semester-long placement, or a part-time academic-year model). This flexibility allows partners to select the structure best suited to their needs and capacity.
• As part of our funding guidelines, institutions that receive grant support are expected to have at least one staff member maintain a Trust membership for the duration of the project. Our website outlines the various membership levels. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about this requirement.
• All IDEAL Internship Grants and funded internships are administered in a manner consistent with applicable federal and state nondiscrimination laws, including 42 U.S.C. § 1981, and are open to all qualified applicants without regard to race.

Please prepare the application in this format, combine into a single PDF file, and email to grants@decorativeartstrust.org:

• Section I (no more than four pages)
  • Institution name
  • Your name and contact information
  • Marketing—How will the internship be marketed? Is the internship geared toward an intended audience (educational level, academic program, school affiliation, etc.)?
  • Timing & Requested Amount—What is the proposed timing and duration of the internship? How many hours will the intern work? How will the grant funds be allocated (e.g., salary, transportation, equipment, housing)? Are you requesting a full $5,000 grant? Will any portion of the grant funds be allocated for purposes other than the direct benefit of the intern (salary, transportation, housing, etc.)? The expected hourly rate for IDEAL interns is $15 per hour.
  • Scope—Describe in detail the proposed object-based research, exhibition, installation, or education program associated with the internship and its capstone project. What outcomes are expected of the internship (e.g., professional development, networking, public outreach)? What opportunities are available for professional development and public engagement such as tours, presentations, virtual programs, and writing? How will the intern benefit from the experience overall? Please provide specific information about the expectations, focus, structure, and planned activities for the internship.
  • Evaluation—How will the institution evaluate the impact of the internship?
  • Investment—What is your institution’s current investment in inclusivity and equity internships? How does your proposal for an IDEAL internship differ from, or improve upon, other initiatives at your organization?
  • Conversation—How will this internship foster a conversation of equity and inclusivity within your organization?
  • Transformation—What interests you most about this internship opportunity, and how will it transform your institution?
  • Additions—Is there any additional pertinent information you wish to add?
• Section II (no more than one page)
  • Three images of objects or built environments representative of the scope of the intern’s role with captions (maker, title, date, location of creation, etc.). Please include at least one image for which you have existing permission or that is in the public domain or creative commons, and please indicate this image in the caption.
• Section III (no page limit)
  • Curriculum vitae (CVs) or resumes of staff supervising intern

Recipients 

2026

• Recipients Overview
• Chester County History Center, West Chester, PA
• Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA
• Dennos Museum Center, Traverse City, MI
• Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, SC
• Yakima Valley Museum, Yakima, WA

Questions? Contact us at grants@decorativeartstrust.org.