James E. Lieber Art History Internship Fund
Established in 2019 by James E. Lieber ’84, and awarded by the Art History Program, the Lieber Art History Internship Fund provides grant support to Art History majors or minors for summer work experience as rising juniors and seniors through unpaid or underpaid internships with non-profit visual arts-related institutions in the United States or abroad, such as museums, cultural foundations, collections, publications, and visual arts education programs.
NEW for Summer 2025:
The James E. Lieber Art History Internship Fund will be awarding one current art history student a Wesleyan Scholarship for Internship at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, Italy in June and July 2025. In addition to covering program costs, the award includes a stipend of US$1000 to help offset travel expenses and a housing stipend of 1000 euros, made available in Venice at the start of each month (for a total of 2000 euros), to defray housing expenses.
Deadline for application is February 28 Friday, 12 noon.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation has overseen a unique international internship program at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (PGC) for over 40 years. The program offers students of art, art history, or related fields the opportunity to gain practical experience in museum operations while becoming familiar with an important collection of modern art.
Interns play an active role in the museum's daily life, with tasks ranging from supporting the Visitor Services Department by welcoming visitors to being present in the galleries and engaging the public with the collection. The Education Department oversees the program, and interns deliver regular presentations to visitors on Peggy Guggenheim’s life and career, individual works in the collection, and temporary exhibitions.
The daily schedule varies, and includes designated time for using the museum library, preparing and practicing talks, attending fellow students’ presentations, and exploring the collection. Opportunities may also arise to assist departments on specific projects, such as social media content creation or assisting with the weekly Kids Day creative workshop for young children.
Throughout the monthly cycle of the program, interns have the chance to meet museum staff, learn about different departments, and participate in enriching activities such as seminars, guided tours, and visits to cultural sites in and beyond Venice.
Applicants should have at least a basic level of Italian prior to the program - this can be demonstrated through enrollment in a language course. Additional language skills are advantageous as the museum welcomes international visitors, though English serves as the program’s shared language.
Click here to learn about the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.
Click here to learn more about the International Internship Program.
Recipients since the fellowship's founding in 2019:
2024:
Vansh Kapoor '26, Art History & Art Studio Double Major (Painting Concentration)
New York Transit Museum, New York City
2023:
Emma Kendall '24, Art History & English major
Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, New York City
2022:
Luz Rivera '24, Art History & Art Studio major
Mount Vernon Hotel Museum and Garden, New York City
Carter Burden Gallery, New York City
Rebeca Trevino '24, Art History, Art Studio & Dance major
The Latino Arts Project with The African American Art Musuem of Dallas, Dallas, Texas
2021:
Yu Qin '21, Art History major, College of East Asian Studies minor
VeritasChina, online
2019:
Natalia Gomez Vazquez '21, Art History major
Galería Toro in Granada, Spain