Employment

Internships: Unless otherwise noted, internship applicants must be currently enrolled in an academic program, or recently graduated within 1 year, and reside in Los Angeles vicinity.

Metropolis II Internship (Temporary Part-Time)

Conservation Center Department

SUMMARY

Reporting to the Kinetic Sculpture Preventive Conservator & Supervisor, this paid internship is designed to immerse the intern in the real, day‑to‑day world of an objects conservator, focused on the care, maintenance, and conservation of Metropolis II. The intern will learn alongside professionals in the museum gallery, gaining first-hand experience of what conserving a kinetic sculpture entails.

Chris Burden's Metropolis II is an intense kinetic sculpture, modeled after a fast paced, frenetic modern city. Steel beams form an eclectic grid interwoven with an elaborate system of 18 roadways, including one six lane freeway, and HO scale train tracks. Miniature cars speed through the city at 240 scale miles per hour; every hour, the equivalent of approximately 100,000 cars circulate through the dense network of buildings. According to Burden, "The noise, the continuous flow of the trains, and the speeding toy cars produce in the viewer the stress of living in a dynamic, active and bustling 21st century city."

This is a 13 week paid internship, approximately 24 hours per week at $17.87/hour

Anticipated Start Date: January 16, 2026

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Learn how to write condition reports detailing wear, learning how to create treatment reports and document the treatment process, learn how to document and categorize art inventory.  
• Participate in gentle cleaning of Metropolis II: buildings, trains, and cars to gain hands-on experience with art handling and conservation work. Shadow technicians during maintenance hours while they complete regularly performed maintenance.
• Undertake assigned documentation project of labeling, organizing, and cataloguing new cars in storage for future use.
• Shadow the supervisor during maintenance and operation days to gain understanding on the typical workflow of caring for a kinetic sculpture.
• Receive 1:1 mentoring with supervisor to learn how to handle and work with art in a professional museum environment while observing correct protocol. Hands on experience with the treatment, reporting, and documentation of a kinetic sculpture.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Internship applicants must be currently enrolled in an academic program, or recently graduated within 1 year, and reside in the Los Angeles vicinity.
• Enrolled in, or have a degree in Conservation, Art, Art History, or other related fields

Please submit a resume and a cover letter.

To Apply, Please use the following link.

Cataloging & Data Enrichment Internship (Temporary Part-Time)

Prints & Drawings 

SUMMARY

Reporting to the Acquisitions Administrator, the intern will assist with metadata cleanup and enhancement projects for recent acquisitions and gallery rotations in the Photography and Prints & Drawings departments. This internship offers hands‑on experience with museum cataloging systems and a chance to improve data equity.

The intern will have the opportunity to learn from curatorial and collection information staff about knowledge creation and art object description using critical cataloguing theory and new museum ethics. With training in culturally inclusive data practices from collection information staff and guidance from curatorial staff, interns will review and update records for the permanent collection, as well as research and write short-form content providing art historical context. The intern will also learn how to navigate and use the museum's collection management database.

This is a 9 week paid internship, approximately 15 hours per week at $17.87/hour

Anticipated Start Date: February 16, 2026

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Learns to update object records (e.g. titles, dates, media)
• Learns to enrich artist biographical data, including nationality, gender, and ethnicity (where verifiable and relevant).
• Assists with ensuring consistency and alignment with institutional metadata standards.
• Documents changes to support curators, researchers, and public access initiatives.
• Learns to use tools and platforms including: TMS (The Museum System) – for core catalog record editing, ODIN – internal digital asset management authority and metadata tracking system, Excel / Google Sheets – for data review, logging, and collaboration, Airtable – project tracking dashboard with batch assignments and status monitoring
• Develops hands‑on experience with museum collection database
• Acquires skills in artist metadata enrichment with DEIA best practices
• Contributes to data quality improvements that enhance institutional transparency
• Learns processes for batch data cleanup, tracking, and project documentation
• Attends regular meetings with other teams: CIDA, Registration, Exhibitions, Publications, Education, to learn more about day-to-day museum operations, workflows, and cross-departmental projects

QUALIFICATIONS

• Internship applicants must be currently enrolled in an academic program, or recently graduated within 1 year, and reside in the Los Angeles vicinity.
• Proficiency with spreadsheets (Excel or Google Sheets)
• Strong attention to detail, especially in data accuracy and consistency
• Experience in art history, library science, museum studies, or related fields is a plus
   

Please submit a resume and a cover letter.

To Apply, Please use the following link.

Research Library Intern (Temporary, Part-Time)
Research Library & Archives

SUMMARY
Reporting to the Head, Research Libraries and Archives, the Research Library Intern will have the opportunity to apply graduate-level coursework in description and metadata to a vast collection of uncatalogued and unprocessed contemporary artist monographs. The intern will assist in managing and maintaining the library’s collection of artist ephemera, which is received regularly from the Director’s Office and curatorial departments. Materials include exhibition notices from commercial galleries, press releases, small catalogs, exhibition brochures, and related items.

Throughout the internship, the intern will gain hands-on experience with copy and original cataloging, as well as familiarity with Library of Congress art subject headings and classification.

This is a 10-week paid internship, approximately 12 hours per week at $17.87/hour.
 Anticipated Start Date: January 16, 2026

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assists with sorting incoming materials, identifying duplicates, and flagging items outside of the library’s collecting parameters.
• Helps file materials alphabetically by the artist’s last name and ensures accurate placement within existing files.
• Learns to create new artist files as needed, including assisting with establishing catalog records in OCLC WorldShare and preparing appropriate housing.
• Supports updates and ongoing maintenance of the library’s Artist Files finding aid.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Internship applicants must be currently enrolled in an academic program, or recently graduated within 1 year, and reside in the Los Angeles vicinity.
• BA in art history or a related field.
• Organized and detail-oriented.
• Familiarity with online library catalogs preferred.

Please submit a resume and a cover letter.

To Apply, Please use the following link.

Volunteering is a unique form of philanthropy: a gift of unrestricted time and expertise to the museum. Volunteering provides a means for members to bond over shared artistic passions, and participate in group tours, lectures, receptions and travel. There are a number of ways to give of your time to help LACMA. 

Museum Service Council

The Museum Service Council volunteers greet museum visitors on the LACMA campus, support LACMA's important visitor survey program, assist with Free Day activities, and act as hosts for various special events. As a benefit, volunteers receive special invitations to private exhibition tours and other LACMA activities. 

The volunteer selection and training process occurs as needed, usually once per year. Please check back in Summer 2026 for more details.

Docent Council

Members of the Docent Council engage with visitors of all ages through guided tours and casual dialogue to make works of art accessible for all. We are committed to inclusivity, access, and equity, and we believe that the Docent Council should represent the diversity of Los Angeles.

An art background is not required in order to be a docent. Prospective docents should have an interest in learning about art, working with audiences of all ages and backgrounds, and facilitating positive museum experiences. In addition to working with visitors, docents enjoy an extensive program of continuing education provided by staff members and local experts. Members of the Docent Council perform a unique form of philanthropy by donating their time in a way that supports LACMA and the visitors it serves.   

The Docent Council is not currently recruiting new members. To be notified of future application opportunities, please email us at docentcouncil@lacma.org.