Background
On February 17, 1869, Cleveland Public Library (CPL) officially opened on the third floor of the Northrup and Harrington Block on West 3rd Street and Superior Avenue in downtown Cleveland with about 5,800 books in a space of 20 by 80 feet.
From these humble beginnings, the Library has grown to include the Main Library campus downtown (including the historic Main Library building, which opened in 1925, and the newer Louis Stokes Wing), twenty-seven branch libraries, the Public Administration Library, and the Ohio Library for the Blind and Print Disabled. Today, CPL maintains a collection of millions of books and other resources, serves millions of patrons, and the Library offers thousands of programs annually.
INTERNS MUST BE AVAILABLE FOR THE DURATION OF THE PROGRAM.
Arts Administration Intern
Details
Overview
The Cleveland Public Library is seeking an Arts Administration Intern to contribute to the library's investment in public art projects to enhance our spaces and engage the community. The intern will focus on the library's prequalified artist registry and Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process by contributing to the selection and acceptance of artists for the 2025 open call, and the creation of a renewal process for prequalified artists.
By the end of internship, the student will have the tools to create their own call for entry and understand critical aspects of managing open calls to artists. Per the interests and skills of the intern, other opportunities for patron engagement and arts activities will round out the work experiences of the internship. The internship will help to create opportunities for artists and contribute to CPL's vision of empowering people and providing community-powered learning experiences.
The intern will work primarily under the guidance of the Manager of Arts Engagement and Programming, with additional guidance from the Manager of Arts and Culture, and other department staff. Weekly check-ins with the Manager of Arts Engagement and Programming will provide mentorship and feedback throughout the internship. The internship will involve real-world tasks and collaborative project execution.
Through the internship, the intern will develop an understanding of the request for qualifications process including management of applications; essential elements of open calls for artists; processes for reviewing applications; and best practices in writing decision notification correspondence. The intern will gain professional training/experience working in a public library and in arts administration, develop project management skills and organizational skills, develop research, writing, communication, and networking skills, and build a portfolio of work showcasing their ability to design and implement administrative processes.
Responsibilities
The Arts Administration Intern will:
Update the artist registry, adding newly accepted artists for 2025 and contribute to each artist's listing.
• Create agendas, facilitate, and write meeting minutes for internal department meetings about the registry, and provide updates on their process.
• Conduct research on best practices for RFQs, open calls for artists, and make informed recommendations for the application renewal process.
• Be in contact with artists as needed for acceptance/rejection correspondence.
• Participate in decision-making discussions.
• Engage Patrons in our exhibit hall.
• Present final recommendations via Microsoft PowerPoint.
Requirements, Skills, and Qualifications
Soft Skills:
Ability to work collaboratively and independently
Detail-oriented; accountable, punctual, and flexible
Service-oriented; personable and enthusiastic
A passion for the arts and public service
Comfortable engaging with diverse staff and patrons, and speaking
Hard Skills:
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Acrobat
Familiarity with Microsoft Outlook and OneDrive
Familiarity with database systems is a plus
Experience in one or more studio art disciplines strongly preferred.
Please answer the following questions as part of your cover letter:
Why do you want to intern at the Cleveland Public Library and how
would an internship fit into your long-term goals?How would you contribute to the success and atmosphere of the Cleveland Public Library?
What background and/or interests do you have relating to community art and/or libraries? In front of groups?
Compensation
$20.00 per hour
INTERNS WILL WORK 28 HOURS PER WEEK AND ATTEND A MANDATORY OFFSITE PROGRAM DAY ONE DAY PER WEEK WITH THEIR COHORT.
Internship Period: June 16 – August 18
Total Weeks: 9 weeks
Work Hours per Week: 28
Total Hours: 252
Workdays: 4 days per week onsite; the schedule will include weekdays
(9:30AM–6 PM) and some Saturdays.
PROGRAM DAY:
On Fridays, interns will attend an offsite program day with their cohort.
These hours are separate from the internship hours.
Eligibility
To be eligible for Arts Intern 2025, you must be pursuing a bachelor’s degree and:
Currently enrolled as a full-time rising junior (a current sophomore)
– or –Currently enrolled as a full-time junior – or –
Currently enrolled as a full-time senior graduating by fall 2025.
Reside or attend college/university within Cuyahoga County.