2025 IDEAL Internship Grants Awarded to Six Institutions
The Decorative Arts Trust is pleased to announce the six institutions that will receive IDEAL Internship Grants in 2025: the Asheville Art Museum in Asheville, NC; Bard Graduate Center in New York, NY; The Clay Studio in Philadelphia, PA; Filoli in Woodside, CA; the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, GA; and the Liberty Hall Historic Site in Frankfort, KY.
The IDEAL Internship Grant program was established in 2020 to create opportunities for undergraduate students of color through collaborations that create meaningful introductions to the museum field and introduce new perspectives and voices to curatorial practice. Since its founding, the program has supported 16 interns.
Asheville Art Museum
Although impacted by Hurricane Helene, the Asheville Art Museum plans to welcome two undergraduate interns in the fall of 2025 to assist with the development of and educational programming for two upcoming exhibitions focused on material culture. The interns will work alongside the curatorial, education, and communications teams to gain experience in all aspects of creating, installing, interpreting, and marketing exhibitions. Additionally, the interns will conduct research for a digital exhibition that will be hosted on the Museum’s website and social media channels.
William Waldo Dodge Jr., Ladle, 1930–32, Goblets, 1932, Footed Bowl, 1936, Asheville, NC. Hammered silver. Gift of the William W. Dodge Family, Asheville Art Museum. © Estate of the Artist.
Bard Graduate Center
Located in New York City, Bard Graduate Center, a division of Bard College, will create an internship within their Marketing, Communications, and Design department, specifically for Pratt Institute’s Undergraduate Communications Design program. The intern will work closely with staff on exhibition design, catalog production, and institutional branding. The internship will have a significant impact on a future designer’s career, allowing them to transition from academic study to professional practice working on content that they care about—the decorative arts. The intern will build a robust portfolio, showcasing projects that vary in complexity, media, and visual identities.
Installation view, Eileen Gray. Courtesy of Bard Graduate Center. Photo by Bruce M. White.
The Clay Studio
The Clay Studio, located in Philadelphia, PA, was the recipient of a 2024 IDEAL Internship Grant and will receive a second grant for 2025. The Clay Studio’s intern will gain valuable experience working with both physical and digital archival systems, the documentation of artwork, and exhibition planning and implementation. The intern will also receive hands-on experience in contributing to the institution’s online presence by creating web modules for exhibitions and engaging in digital marketing.
The Clay Studio’s The Future of Clay exhibition featuring works by Cesar Viveros, Jolie Ngo, Holly Wilson, and Chase Kahwinhut Earles.
Filoli
Filoli, a Georgian Revival estate turned museum in Woodside, CA, will host an intern to gain tangible and meaningful collections experience in preservation, cataloging, photography, and database management. The intern will work alongside Filoli’s collections and curatorial team to manage exhibits as well as the accession and deaccession processes. The intern will also learn about nonprofit public garden and museum management and public programming.
Filoli Family Room photo by Jeff Bartee.
High Museum of Art
The High Museum of Art in Atlanta, GA, will host a second IDEAL Intern. As the Museum approaches its centennial anniversary in 2026, the intern will assist with the planning and reinstallation of a selection of galleries devoted to American art and collaborate with curatorial and interpretation colleagues. Based on the intern’s interest, they will select objects to research from the collection, leading to writing labels and contributing to text panels. The intern will also assist with potential acquisitions and the Museum’s ongoing social media efforts focused on curatorial work.
High Museum American Art Galleries.
Liberty Hall Historic Site
Liberty Hall Historic Site in Frankfort, KY, will host an intern to study the Black experience at Liberty Hall, specifically regarding the buildings’ construction, the experience of urban enslavement, emancipation, and Reconstruction. The site includes Liberty Hall, the 1796 home built for Kentucky Senator John Brown, the 1835 Orlando Brown House, and five acres of historic gardens. The intern will present research findings through educational programming, exhibitions, and written interpretations for the site’s media platforms. Findings should lead to collaborative efforts with key community partners such as nearby Kentucky State University and other organizations centered on history and racial justice.
Sarah Parrent was a caretaker and guide at Liberty Hall from 1937 until her death in 1961. (Photo most likely taken between 1930 and 1950.)
For updates about applying for these internship opportunities, visit the institutions’ websites and follow them on social media.
Institutions interested in applying for grant funding are encouraged to check the IDEAL webpage for upcoming grant deadlines.
Thank you to the members and donors whose dedication to the Decorative Arts Trust’s Emerging Scholars Program supports the IDEAL Internship Program.
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Formerly known as the "blog,” the Bulletin features new research and scholarship, travelogues, book reviews, and museum and gallery exhibitions. The Bulletin complements The Magazine of the Decorative Arts Trust, our biannual members publication.
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