MAAM is a teaching museum

The art of learning meets the learning of art

All of our exhibitions and programs complement the wide array of disciplines offered at MassArt. We inspire students to create meaningful work while demonstrating that their chosen profession – whether it’s artist, designer, educator, or museum professional – is a viable one. Students acquire museum skills by engaging with the exhibitions on view, planning public programs, and installing shows.

For MassArt Students

MAAM offers MassArt students various opportunities to engage with contemporary art, both inside and outside the classroom:

• Join the MAAM team and gain professional training and employment experience in a museum setting on campus 

• Explore the museum during in-depth tour or class visits with artists, curators, and museum educators  

• Work alongside museum professionals to install exhibitions and maintain gallery spaces to museum standards 

• Attend exhibition openings and public programs that offer opportunities to meet and network with established artists, curators, and cultural producers

For Area College Students

You don’t have to be a MassArt student to experience everything that MAAM offers. We provide these (and other!) opportunities for area college students: 

• Come for a contemplative visit or bring your friends for art-making workshops, late night events, and outdoor festivals 

• Self-guided or guided visits

• Drop-in talks

Work with us!

We value our role as a contemporary art museum woven into a vibrant and thriving community of makers. MAAM provides MassArt students with the opportunity to acquire critical professional-level museum skills, such as design, research, installation, art education, and programming.

Catalyst Fellows 

The Catalyst Fellows initiative encourages and supports MassArt first-generation students and/or students with demonstrated financial need who are interested in exploring careers in museums. Focusing on exhibitions, education, or outreach, Catalyst Fellows work in specialized areas at MAAM and receive an hours wage in addition to a scholarship award of $2,500 per academic year. During their time at MAAM, Fellows are paired with professional mentors in museums and cultural spaces in the Boston area and receive direct supervision from a MAAM staff person. 

Recent museum and gallery partners include Harvard Art Museums; Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston; Taft Museum of Art; and Gallery 360 at Northeastern University. 

The Catalyst Fellows initiative is generously supported by the Andree LeBoeuf Foundation and Mathieu Gaulin. 

Museum Attendants

Museum Attendants welcome our visitors and ensure the safety of our artwork. As makers, our attendants are knowledgeable about the context and process of making the works on view and the artists who create them. The Museum Attendant Program offers paid positions for MassArt students. 

Museum Installers 

Museum Installers work with the Museum staff to prepare exhibitions at MAAM. Our installers carefully unpack and handle artwork, install, and maintain our exhibitions while gaining invaluable experience toward a preparatorial career. This paid position is available to both undergraduate and graduate students.

Curatorial Fellows

Curatorial Fellows are a valuable part of the MAAM team. Key responsibilities of this position include exhibition research and coordination, managing gallery publications and online media, and corresponding with artists, galleries, and lenders. Curatorial Fellows must be well-versed in contemporary art and must hold a Bachelor's degree in Art History, Museum Studies, or a related field.

More information about current MAAM employment opportunities can be found here.