Historic Indian Agency House
Portage, Wisconsin
www.agencyhouse.org
(608) 742-6362
PAID EXHIBITS AND RESEARCH INTERNSHIP
PROJECT/INTERNSHIP TITLE: Wisconsin Pioneers Exhibit Internship
STIPEND: $2,000 for 400 work hours (or, approximately 10 fulltime work weeks)—with half ($1,000) paid at the inception of the internship, and the remaining half paid upon satisfactory completion of project.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: April 15, 2011
INTERNSHIP START: June 01, 2011 (flexible)
LOCATION: Portage, Wisconsin
ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION:
The Historic Indian Agency House (HIAH) is owned and operated by The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Wisconsin, one of 42 historical properties owned outright by the Colonial Dames of America, with an additional 28 affiliated with this genealogical association.
The Historic Indian Agency House was built in 1832 by the United States government as a residence for John Kinzie, Indian Agent to the Ho-Chunk people, and still sits on its original foundation on a 226-acre expanse of land nearly untouched by modern encroachment. The site holds the story of the fur trade, the opening of the West, and the accompanying demise of the Native way of life. Additionally, the site is an ecological gem that preserves remnants of the Ice Age and other natural processes that shaped Wisconsin. The mission of the site is to “preserve, interpret, and promote this 19th-century historic site in order to educate the public about the history of the Wisconsin territory, including the Winnebago Indians during the Commission of the United States Indian Agent John Harris Kinzie.”
The site was opened to the public in 1932, and since then has maintained a regular May 15 to October 15 open season. During this season, guided tours of the Agency House are offered for a nominal fee, with the permanent introductory exhibit and annual rotating exhibit available free of charge in the Visitors’ Center. The site also organizes and executes numerous adult and children’s programming ventures each year. A full-time, salaried executive director oversees all aspects of general operations and management, with 4 to 6 part-time docents employed during the open season.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
A generous grant from the Great Circle Foundation of East Northport, New York allows HIAH to seek a qualified intern for the 2011 summer season to carry out the Wisconsin Pioneers Exhibit Internship.
The Wisconsin Pioneers Exhibit Internship will result in an educational display exploring the homestead/farming experience of Wisconsin pioneers and immigrants. As the Agency House and surrounding grounds were used as a farmstead for over 70 years (from 1857 to 1928), this subject is particularly pertinent to the site. This exhibit will incorporate an assemblage of antique farm implements and artifacts held by HIAH, and includes approximately 120 square feet of exhibit space.
The internship will provide the selected candidate with an entire spectrum of exhibit design experience. In association with this project, the intern will be responsible for content development, historical research and narrative composition, exhibit construction, and physical installation of the completed exhibit. The candidate will also manage a small-scale budget specifically intended for research materials and exhibit supplies.
The information gathered and systematized as a result of this project will assist HIAH in gaining intellectual control of its collection; and the historical and logical framework provided by such an exhibit will provide visitors with a more meaningful experience.
The project will be supervised by Director Destinee Udelhoven. Udelhoven holds a Masters in American History and Museum Studies, and has produced traveling, temporary, and permanent exhibits. The selected candidate will also work closely with a family descended from one of the artifact donors who has a vested interest in the project, as well as local historians and other history and museum experts as needed.
The position will require approximately 400 hours of work between June 01 and September 01, 2011. The selected candidate will preferably work a regular 40-hour work week for 10 consecutive weeks, but flexibility to accommodate specific needs is possible.
Although the above-described project will remain the priority for the duration of the internship, other organizational duties may be assigned to the selected candidate. These duties may include, but are not limited to: clerical work, collections care, and gift shop duties.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Graduate student (or advanced undergraduate, based on the recommendation of professors or other acceptable references) enrolled at an accredited college or university, preferably in History, Public History, Museum Studies, Anthropology, or a related field. Must be creative, have good communication skills, possess an attention to detail, and both be self-directed and able to work within a team. Experience in exhibit design and development preferred but not required. Background in Wisconsin history preferred but not required.
OTHER:
Assistance in locating temporary housing, if needed, can be provided.
If additional hours are needed to fulfill program-specific internship requirements (i.e. 3 credits given for 480-hour internship, etc.), arrangements can be made to expand and extend this internship (with other public history projects and experiences) on an unpaid basis to meet such requirements.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE:
Applications must be received by April 15, with a final decision announced by May 01, 2011.
Applicants should submit a resume that details their relevant work and educational experience, including three references (two professional/academic and one personal). Applicants should mail all materials, with a cover letter outlining your interest in this position, to:
Destinee K. Udelhoven, Executive Director
Historic Indian Agency House
PO Box 84
Portage, Wisconsin
Email applications will also be accepted at:
destineekae@hotmail.com
Email submissions should state “Exhibit Internship” in the subject line.
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