Art History Research Associate (PLC) – ONSITE – Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site

Start/End Dates: May 26, 2025 – October 10, 2025 (20 weeks)
Compensation: $688 per week
Medical Insurance: Not provided
Application Due: February 7, 2025

The Latino Heritage Internship Program seeks to engage ethnically and racially diverse young professionals in natural resource careers.

Eligibility Requirement:

• Must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident.
• No personal vehicle is required for this position.

Position Description:

The Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site (NHS) museum collection includes over 2,000 works of fine art. This collection comprises paintings, drawings, prints, and sculptures dating from the seventeenth to the early twentieth century, gathered over generations by the Longfellow family. Notable Western artists represented include Gilbert Stuart, Albert Bierstadt, Florence Freeman, Eastman Johnson, Lorenzo Bartolini, John Kensett, Anna Klumpke, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, and Winslow Homer.

The site’s archival collections, consisting of personal papers from the Longfellow family, provide valuable context for the fine art collection, with materials such as journal entries documenting the creation or purchase of artworks and family estate papers.

Responsibilities:

The Art History Research Associate will:

• Conduct research and compile documentation on individual works of art in the museum collection, focusing on provenance, publication and exhibit history, identification of school or style, and artist biographies.
• Prioritize research tasks in collaboration with park staff, targeting exhibited artwork while considering the associate’s expertise and interests.
• Utilize existing catalog records, art history reference works, and archival collections both on-site and at other repositories to conduct research.

The research will support:

• Improving catalog records for individual objects.
• Enhancing park rangers’ ability to interpret exhibited works.
• Assisting external scholars in using the collections.
• Developing future temporary and online exhibits.

The associate will:

• Identify candidates for temporary or online exhibitions.
• Recommend photography needs and digitization priorities for archival material.
• Prepare research findings for use by park staff and external researchers.
• Contribute project updates and behind-the-scenes insights to the park’s social media.

At the conclusion of the internship, the associate will present their findings and final project to park staff.

Responsibilities:

• Demonstrated interest or experience in art history or fine arts.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
• Experience conducting and citing primary-source research.
• Proficiency in data entry, metadata management, and/or using databases in a cultural heritage context.
• Experience or willingness to work in a multicultural environment where diversity and inclusion are core institutional values.

Qualifications:

The successful candidate will meet the following criteria:

• Between the ages of 18 and 35.
• Currently enrolled in an accredited academic program or recently graduated with an undergraduate or graduate degree.
• In good academic standing.
• Capable of being self-directed and working independently, while also contributing positively as a team member.
• A U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident.
• Able to pass a Federal background check.

The candidate will also demonstrate:

• Interest or experience in art history or fine arts.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience in conducting and citing primary-source research.
• Proficiency in data entry, metadata management, and using databases in a cultural heritage context.
• Experience or willingness to work in a multicultural environment committed to diversity and inclusion.

Interns in this program will receive 800 hours toward Public Land Corps (PLC) Hiring Authority. See below for more information about PLC.

Public Land Corps Non-Competitive Hiring Authority (PLC)
The Public Land Corps Non-Competitive Hiring Authority is a special hiring authority available to qualifying interns. The intern must be between the ages of 18 and 30 years old, inclusive, or a veteran up to age 35 and complete 640 hours of work on an appropriate conservation project to be eligible for this hiring authority. Upon successful completion of the PLC project(s), the intern is eligible for two years to be hired non-competitively into a federal seasonal, term, or permanent position. The applicant must apply to a PLC-eligible position advertised on USAJobs.gov and selected off a non-competitive certificate of eligibility. For more information, see DOI Personnel Bulletins 11-02 , 12-13, and 17-03.

EEO Statement

Environment for the Americas provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.