The Mississippi Museum of Art announced Tuesday it has been chosen as one of the 10 art museums to participate in the Association of Art Museum Directors annual paid internship program.

The program focuses on college students from underrepresented backgrounds. MMA will host an intern for 12 weeks and provide opportunities for work and career development in different departments. In addition, the intern will be supported by a mentor from the leadership team.

AAMD’s paid internships are available to sophomore, junior or senior undergraduate students who have begun to solidify their academic interests and potential career path.

In 2023, interns will receive a stipend of $6,720 for the 12 weeks, equivalent to an hourly wage of $16 for a 35-hour work week. Mentors are responsible for directing the interns’ activities and providing overall counsel on their professional development. The approach encourages the kind of long-term relationship-building that is often essential to an individual’s success in the field.

“MMA is honored to be awarded the AAMD’s college internship program grant. Through the generosity of AAMD, we can provide a Mississippi student with a critical opportunity to engage with museum work, to get to know our institution from the inside, and to learn more about their own interests and future opportunities in this field,” said Betsy Bradley, MMA director. “We are eager to learn from and engage with the next generation of critical thinkers about the work we do every day and how we can best serve our diverse audiences.”

For information on how to apply, visit www.msmuseumart.org. Applications must be submitted by April 14. MMA will make its selection and contact the candidate by April 28.

“We are excited to welcome the class of 2023 internship hosts and grateful to Mississippi Museum of Art for embracing this program as a way to support students,” said Christine Anagnos, AAMD’s executive director. “Persistent financial limitations remain a barrier to accessing career-building summer work experiences, especially for students from Asian, Black, Hispanic, Native American, or multiracial backgrounds. Our paid internship program, which covers much of the costs the museums would otherwise need to bear on their own, is a benefit we can offer to our members while also investing in the future of the museum field. Mississippi Museum of Art was among those institutions selected because they proposed a compelling proposal that we are sure will be of interest to local college students.”

MMA has participated in the internship program previously.