Community Liaison Intern

Community Liaison Intern

The mission of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is to welcome all to celebrate the American spirit in a setting that unites the power of art with the beauty of nature. Founded by philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton, Crystal Bridges is a public non-profit charitable organization.

Crystal Bridges is a museum of American art located in Bentonville, Arkansas. We explore the unfolding story of America by actively collecting, exhibiting, interpreting, and preserving outstanding works that illuminate the American heritage and artistic possibilities. Founded by Alice Walton in 2005, the museum opened in 2011 and is a public, non-profit charitable organization with free admission.

The Momentary is a venue for the music, art, and food of our time, and a catalyst for creativity and economic vitality. An extension to Crystal Bridges, the Momentary is a 'living room' where the community gathers to be inspired, connected, and joyful. The Momentary enriches lives through music, art, and food experiences that inspire creativity, build community, and create joy. You belong here, make the most of this moment.

Position Summary:

The Community Liaison Intern supports the museum's Community Partners in Residence Program, an 18-month residency initiative by coordinating programming and relationship-building with five core community partner organizations. This internship runs June through December and provides direct support to the Community Programs Manager, with additional collaboration alongside the Director of Community Engagement.

Interns will play an essential role in deepening long-term, mission-aligned relationships with Community Partners in Residence partner organizations. Each partner participates in structured programs including onboarding to learn about museum resources, co-create programming throughout the residency, and a collective Community Showcase at the end of each calendar year.

This role serves as a connector between Community Partners in Residence organizations and teams across the Museum—including but not limited to Studio Programs, Guide Programs, Data & Evaluation. The intern will help ensure that partner-led experiences align with the Community Partners in Residence initiatives- Group Visits, Mobile Art Lab Activations, Community Spotlight Sessions, and Studio Takeovers- and support the co-creation, representation, and community voices of each partner within these programs.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Serve as a liaison for five Community Partners in Residence Program organizations, ensuring clear communication and strong relationship support.
• Coordinate logistics and scheduling for partner participation in Group Visits, Mobile Art Lab Activations, Community Spotlight Sessions, and Studio Takeovers.
• Support partners throughout the onboarding process, program pathways, and opportunities for co-creation.
• Meet with the Grants Manager to learn about grant-funded initiatives, how grants support the museum's mission, and how community programming aligns with current funding priorities.
• Create surveys, including open-ended formats, in collaboration with Data Strategy. Learn best practices for designing and analyzing qualitative data.
• Build a schedule for survey release, follow-ups, and data collection based on programming cycles and partner needs.
• Develop simple marketing materials on behalf of the partnership, such as informational sheets, program summaries, and basic promotional assets.
• Meet with Design team members to understand the museum's visual identity and ensure all materials align with established aesthetics.
• Create materials utilizing platforms such as Adobe Creative and Canva
• Support event preparation and day-of execution, including setup, partner communication, wayfinding, and documentation of engagement.
• Maintain detailed documentation, including schedules, meeting notes, partner updates, and feedback summaries for internal and leadership reporting.

Qualifications:

• Interested in community engagement, arts administration, nonprofit studies, social sciences, communications, or related fields.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills; comfortable serving as a public-facing liaison.
• Availability to support occasional evening or weekend programs as needed.
• Familiarity with design tools such as Canva is a plus
• Collaborative, proactive, and eager to engage with diverse audiences and community groups
• Reliable transportation required for travel to off-site programs
• Highly organized and detail-oriented; able to track multiple partners, timelines, and deliverables

Timeline:

• Applications due: May 1, 2026
• Anticipated Start Date: June 1, 2026
• Anticipated End Date: December 31, 2026

Schedule:

• Dates: June 1st–December 31st
• Hours: In alignment with CBMO internship guidelines (up to 20 hrs/week for undergraduates; up to 25 hrs/week for graduate students).
• Weekly schedule to be arranged with Community Programs Manager

To qualify for bachelor's or master's hours, you must be enrolled in an accredited program or have graduated from an accredited program within the last three years. Students will be required to submit a current schedule or official transcript.

Compensation:

• High School Interns: $12.00
• Undergraduate Students: $13.00
• Graduate Students: $14.00

To qualify for bachelor's or master's compensation, you must be enrolled in an accredited program or have graduated from an accredited program within the last three years. Students will be required to submit a current schedule or official transcript.

Required Documents:

• Cover Letter
• Resume

Housing:

Housing for internship positions is contingent upon the availability of funding and is not guaranteed. Internships that include housing explicitly state this within the position description. Any housing and/or relocation assistance provided is considered taxable income and will be reflected on the intern's Form W-2. If housing is provided, priority will be given to students whose primary residence is more than 150 miles or three hours from either Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art or the Momentary.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an intern to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Physical demands: In the work environment described below, position requires work at a desk, utilizing a computer and a telephone for prolonged periods of time, good eye/hand coordination, bending and stretching for filing, and physical stamina to lift a minimum of 25 pounds to a height of at least three feet for file and materials storage as appropriate for the demands of the office. Visual acuity to review written materials is required for this job.
• Work environment: Work will be performed in an office environment and museum spaces. The noise level in the museum work environment is usually low to moderate.

If the intern's personal equipment is used, the museum accepts no liability for any damage caused to said equipment while being used for museum purposes, nor loss or corruption of electronic files on devices.

All offers of employment are contingent on your successful completion (where permitted by state law) of a confidentiality agreement and background check. In addition, you will need to provide proper identification verifying your eligibility to work in the United States.

Crystal Bridges is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a workplace that is free of discrimination and harassment of any kind. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.