Textile Conservation Intern

DEADLINE DATE:October 26, 2026

SEMINAR EVENTS:Interns are required to participate in three, in-person seminars focused on professional development, learning how cultural organizations operate, and building a network of industry professionals. At the end of the semester, interns complete a final presentation to share their work.

Please ensure you are available for these dates when applying:

• Thursday, February 4 from 11:30am-1:00pm

• Thursday, March 18 from 1:00-3:00pm

• Thursday, April 22 from 2:00-4:00pm

• Final Presentations: May 23 from 11:30am-1:00pm

TO APPLY:Interested applicants must apply online at the Minnesota Historical Society’s career center at www.mnhs.org/jobs and include a cover letter, resume, and any required additional materials by the application deadline date.

APPLICATIONS MUST INCLUDE:

• Craft samples or work samples.

DESCRIPTION: This internship position within the Collections department provides practical, hands-on experience in textile conservation and museum collection care. The Textile Conservation Intern will assist with the careful handling and condition assessment of textile artifacts, perform basic hand sewing, and enter records into a complex collection database. Through these activities, the intern will gain key insight into long-term preservation needs and museum documentation standards while working under professional guidance.

RESPONSIBILITIES: 1) Careful handling of artifacts; 2) Executing condition assessments; 3) Hand sewing. 4) Database entry; 5) Writing reports.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Currently enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student, or have graduated within the past 12 months at the time of application.

• Ideal candidates might be currently pursuing, or a graduate with a degree in the following areas: textile conservation pre-program.

• Interest in textile conservation.

• Some experience handling fragile museum artifacts.

• An understanding of what a condition report is and how it is used within a museum.

• Some experience in entering information into a database.

• Good hand skills.

Knowledge Intern is Expected to Gain:

• Introduction to the field of textile conservation
• Artifact handling
• Understanding of long term preservation needs
• Experience documenting the conditions of museum collections
• Experience working in a complex database

Should you have questions with the application process, email internships@mnhs.org or call 651-259-3191.

At MNHS, we don’t just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on diversity for the benefit of our employees, interns, volunteers, our products and services, and our community. The Minnesota Historical Society believes that an inclusive culture among our team members is critical to our success as a historical society and museum, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. The Minnesota Historical Society is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and employer.