Preservation Training Initiative: Pre-Program Conservation Internships at The Met

FAIN: PE-290156-23

Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, NY 10028-0113)
Elizabeth Perkins (Project Director: May 2022 to present)

A three-year initiative to fund six conservation internships at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for undergraduates and recent graduates who are interested in pursuing careers in conservation.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) requests $236,050 from the NEH’s Preservation and Access Education and Training program to support a three-year initiative that offers training and professional development opportunities to college students who are considering careers in conservation. For each year of the project, grant funds would support two paid internships— one for 12 months and one for 10 weeks in the summer— that offer training to students at a key moment in their academic careers. In seeking to address the economic, experiential, and academic barriers that limit entry into the cultural heritage field, especially among students whose backgrounds are currently underrepresented within museums, this project synergizes The Met’s singular training capabilities with its broader strategic vision to help create a much-needed pathway for talented, diverse students into graduate studies and careers in conservation.