Second Street Gallery Summer Internship 

Second Street Gallery is excited to partner with the University of Virginia to offer one UVA student a paid summer internship with the gallery.
The internship application is open to all rising second, third, and fourth year studio and art history undergraduate majors.

The Second Street Gallery Summer Internship offers one UVA student a unique, hands-on opportunity to gain experience at one of the region’s leading nonprofit contemporary art spaces. The intern will work closely with the gallery team and have the opportunity to work directly with the gallery’s Director and Chief Curator, Kristen Chiacchia, who holds more than 25 years of experience working in both for-profit and nonprofit art galleries, including 13 years as Director of a major commercial gallery in New York City.

The intern will gain valuable experience in many aspects of gallery operations, including administrative support, artist communications, exhibition preparation, event coordination, and marketing. They will also have hands-on opportunities to work on the deinstallation of exhibitions and participate in gallery outreach programming, and will gain insight into the behind-the-scenes process of preparing for new exhibitions. Through this experience, the intern will develop a deeper understanding of how a nonprofit contemporary art gallery operates while contributing meaningfully to the gallery’s programming and public engagement.

Details

• Pay: $3500 for a total of 240 hours

• Internship Terms: This position requires a total of 240 hours of work completed over the course of 6–12 weeks. Start and end dates are negotiable, but applicants must begin their internship no earlier than Monday, May 19, 2026, and conclude their commitment prior to Friday, August 15, 2026. Shifts will take place during regular gallery hours, 11AM–5PM Wednesday–Friday and 10AM–4PM Saturdays, with evening hours available during special events.

• Location: Second Street Gallery (115 2nd St. SE, Charlottesville, VA, 22902) This is an in-person only position.

• Reports to: Elizabeth Ronayne, SSG Gallery Coordinator

• Application Deadline: April 3, 2026

• Applicant Interviews: April 8–17, 2026

• Successful applicants will be notified of an internship offer no later than April 24, 2026

  Responsibilities

• Maintain a welcoming and friendly environment in the gallery

• Become knowledgeable about the artists and exhibitions on view and share information about exhibitions with visitors

• Answer visitors’ questions regarding the gallery/exhibitions/upcoming programs

• Personalize connections for visitors through one-on-one or group conversation

• Enforce gallery code of conduct

• Track and record daily gallery attendance

• Facilitate, process, and record artwork sales

• Answer phone calls and general email correspondence

• Provide event assistance (set-up, clean-up, artist assistance) during monthly Family Studio Days and occasional artist talks and workshops

• Work with the Second Street Gallery team to maintain day-to-day operations and keep gallery in order

• Run occasional errands on and around the Downtown Mall (vehicle not required)

• Submit gallery events to local calendars/event portals and assist gallery staff with social media posting 

• Assist with special projects as necessary

  Ideal Skills + Qualifications

Second Street Gallery is looking for applicants with excellent verbal and written communication skills, a passion for visual art, strong attention to detail, and a desire to learn. The ideal candidate is reliable, organized, and interested in gaining practical experience in the contemporary art world. Additionally desired skills and qualifications include:

• Experience in a public-facing or customer service role. Previous experience in an art space is preferred, but not required.

• Enthusiasm for working in a small team environment

• Committed to centering artists’ voices by listening to them and supporting them

• Experience using Google Workspace, including Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive
  

To apply, please send a brief cover letter (not to exceed one page), résumé or CV, and contact information for two professional references to: development@secondstreetgallery.org

Founded in 1973, Second Street Gallery is the oldest nonprofit 501(c)(3) contemporary artspace in Central Virginia. We promote contemporary artists through the presentation of their work in a professional gallery and encourage an appreciation of contemporary art by educating the public through exhibitions, lectures, workshops, classes, tours, and publications. Second Street Gallery is committed to offering Charlottesville and the Central Virginia region leading-edge new art in perspective and context, and to fostering an active and open appreciation of this art by directly engaging the issues surrounding works by the best contemporary artists in the field. Our primary mission is to enliven Virginia through access to the best in contemporary art and artists and to inspire new ways of thinking, seeing, and doing.