Internships

Oliver Art Center is pleased to host interns during the summer season, approximately June to August. For more information, or contact Associate Director, Theresa Gimpel.

Oliver Art Center is a fun, vibrant, and rewarding place to work! We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and abilities. At OAC, we believe respect and inclusion fosters creativity and allows our employees, volunteers, and participants to perform at their highest levels. The Oliver Art Center is an ADA accessible facility, and we are committed to expanding the diversity of our workforce whenever possible.

OPEN POSITION: ARTS ADMINISTRATION INTERN, SUMMER 2026

Position Description

The Arts Organization Administration Intern will work within the Programming and Exhibition areas of the Oliver Art Center. Through this internship, students will gain valuable real-world experience in non-profit art administration and art gallery operations. This position is appropriate for students considering careers in Art, Arts Administration, Business Administration, Non-Profit Administration, or Gallery/Museum Operations.

About the Oliver Art Center

The Elizabeth Lane Oliver Center for the Arts (OAC) is a non-profit cultural organization housed within the historic former Coast Guard building in Frankfort, Michigan. Its mission is to maintain an educational program and facility for the advancement of the arts. The OAC works to promote and develop the visual, performing, culinary and literary arts in Benzie County and the surrounding region.

The OAC is a vibrant and growing regional center for the arts in northwest Michigan. It maintains a full schedule of classes and workshops for adults, children and families year-round in ceramics, painting, collage, drawing, textile arts, culinary arts, fiction writing, poetry and photography. In addition, it offers more than a dozen exhibitions of visual art and numerous musical performances and community events each year.

The intern will experience the daily operations of a busy art center and gallery and support OAC’s staff in a range of areas, including but not limited to:

  • Visitor and member relations
  • Marketing
  • Gift shop activities
  • Production of OAC programs and events
  • Gallery operations and exhibitions setup
  • Gallery maintenance
  • Artist relations
  • Arts administration tasks
  • Educational program support

Applicants must have completed their first year of college and demonstrate a facility with tasks related to this position such as effective communication, the ability to self-manage, computer proficiency, and other related skills.

Housing and transportation are not provided as part of the internship. Housing can be difficult to come by in the Frankfort area; applicants should consider this before applying and have a plan in place for lodging.

This is a paid position offering up to 12 hours of work per week (typically 3 four-hour workdays) from early June through early August 2026. Pay rate is $15 per hour and will be managed through a direct-deposit system, with required state and federal taxes withheld. Internship hours are available Monday – Friday with occasional evening or Saturday/Sunday hours. Dates of the internship and workdays are flexible based upon the availability of the student and the needs of the OAC.

Course credit is available through participating institutions.

The Oliver Art Center is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

Applications must be submitted via the link below. 

https://form.jotform.com/260295762216156