I am the black sheep of my family. My mom is a graphic designer, my dad is an architect, and my sister is a painter (although she doesn’t want to be labeled). I have no artistic talent whatsoever, and I barely have the ability to appreciate good art. That means that I’m probably not the best person to tell you about the The Museum of Modern Art, but they do have some great entry-level job opportunities, so I’m going to tell you about them anyway.

What Is Modern Art?

Founded in 1929, MoMA is dedicated to being the foremost museum of modern art in the world. What is modern art? We’ll use MoMA’s own words from their website to tell you that.

To achieve its goals The Museum of Modern Art recognizes:

That modern and contemporary art originated in the exploration of the ideals and interests generated in the new artistic traditions that began in the late nineteenth century and continue today.

That modern and contemporary art transcend national boundaries and involve all forms of visual expression, including painting and sculpture, drawings, prints and illustrated books, photography, architecture and design, and film and video, as well as new forms yet to be developed or understood, that reflect and explore the artistic issues of the era.

That these forms of visual expression are an open-ended series of arguments and counter arguments that can be explored through exhibitions and installations and are reflected in the Museum’s varied collection.

That it is essential to affirm the importance of contemporary art and artists if the Museum is to honor the ideals with which it was founded and to remain vital and engaged with the present.
That this commitment to contemporary art enlivens and informs our evolving understanding of the traditions of modern art.

That to remain at the forefront of its field, the Museum must have an outstanding professional staff and must periodically reevaluate itself, responding to new ideas and initiatives with insight, imagination, and intelligence. The process of reevaluation is mandated by the Museum’s tradition, which encourages openness and a willingness to evolve and change.

In sum, The Museum of Modern Art seeks to create a dialogue between the established and the experimental, the past and the present, in an environment that is responsive to the issues of modern and contemporary art, while being accessible to a public that ranges from scholars to young children.

How Do I Get a Job at The Modern Museum of Art?

One would have to imagine that getting a job at an institution as prestigious as MoMA is pretty difficult. They have some fantastic job opportunities that are well suited for new college grads, so you’ll need to find one that you’re a perfect fit for and blow them away with an outstanding cover letter. If your knowledge of art is less extensive than mine, then you should probably forget about it. MoMA is currently looking to hire for the following positions: Administrative Assistant – Media; Cataloguer (15 month project) – Prints and Illustrated Books; Coordinator, Community and Access Programs – Education; Coordinator, Education Administration – Education; Curatorial Assistant – Painting and Sculpture; and Education History Research Fellow (1 year project) – Education. You can find full descriptions and requirements for each of these opportunities on MoMA’s Jobs page.

To apply for a job at MoMA, you should send a cover letter and resume to jobs@moma.org with the position title in the subject line of your e-mail. You should also include salary requirements (we hate when companies/organizations ask for this – it’s unreasonable). The Museum of Modern Art is located in New York City, and so are all of their entry-level jobs.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

• MoMA.org
• Jobs at The Museum of Modern Art
• About MoMA
• MoMA’s History
• Visiting The Museum of Modern Art
• MoMA’s Collection

Have you ever visited MoMA?

We've identified The Museum of Modern Art as having career opportunities in the following categories:

• administrative
• all employers
• arts
• education
• history
• museum
• New York
• non-profit

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One response to “The Museum of Modern Art”

1. museumworker says:

   September 7, 2012 at 3:37 pm

   As an art history master’s student and someone who has worked for 3 years in the art world (including multiple art museum internships) I heartily disagree with you that a ‘new college grad’ would even come close to qualifying for an interview for any of these MoMA positions. Any of my classmates would be overjoyed to be interviewed for one of these positions with a master’s degree and internships under their belts. Do your research.

   Reply