Monuments Conservation Internship

About Central Park Conservancy:
Central Park is one of the world's most famous and beloved public spaces. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1858, the 843-acre Park was the country's first purpose-built public park and is a National Historic Landmark and a New York Scenic Landmark. The Central Park Conservancy, a private, not-for-profit organization, was founded in 1980 to rescue the Park, which had fallen into serious disrepair. Since then, the Conservancy has overseen the investment of over $1.6 billion in the restoration of the Park, which now hosts over 40 million visitors a year.
The Conservancy is one of the largest and most successful public private partnerships in New York City and is considered a major civic institution given its impact on the health and vibrancy of both the Park and the City.  The Conservancy’s mission is to preserve and celebrate Central Park as a sanctuary from urban life. The City of New York has formally entrusted the care of the Park to the Conservancy which is responsible for every aspect of its care, including landscape maintenance, capital improvements, and the visitor experience. The Conservancy employs roughly 400 people and has an annual operating budget of $100 million. 
 
The Position: 
The Conservancy is offering six full-time summer monuments internship positions in outdoor sculpture and architectural conservation and associated park maintenance. Working under the supervision of the Manager of Conservation, interns will be trained in the examination, documentation, preservation, and conservation of the Central Park collection. They will accompany and support CPC preservation and conservation, and infrastructure staff in a working environment that fosters focus, collaboration, and sound judgment. Through thoughtful consideration of goals, rationale, materials, and methodologies, they will strengthen their competency as conservation technicians, while practicing treatment, honing crucial hand skills, and demonstrating efficiency with personal and public safety in their work. 

Through this program, the Conservancy seeks to promote and strengthen cultural diversity in the field of cultural heritage and encourages applications from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and other underrepresented groups and individuals with diverse and distinctive skill sets and experiences. 
 

Selection of possible projects for summer 2025:
•    Protective coatings refurbishment of the bronze sculptures The Tempest and 7th Regiment Memorial
•    Sherman Memorial fine finish refurbishment and pest bird deterrence
•    Maine Monument masonry project work   
•    Frederick Douglass Circle restoration project support  
•    Bethesda Terrace and fountain digital documentation, sculptural restoration, and masonry preservation  
•    Cleopatra’s Needle inspection, documentation and stabilization  
•    Central Park Conservancy Monuments archive organization  
•    Preservation and restoration of select bronze donor plaques  
•    Select Central Park infrastructure department project support

Summary of Essential Job Duties:
•    Exercise excellent judgment  
•    Effectively function independently and as part of a team
•    Safely operate vehicles and equipment in an urban park environment 
•    Comfortable working from heights and/or in confined spaces
 
Minimum Requirements: 
•    Applicants should have experience with, and strong interest in the professional and scientific methodologies and practices of conservation, historic preservation, and/or another closely aligned field such as archaeology, art history, applied science, and/or the trades, including masonry, metalworking, and fine carpentry   
•    Candidates must be eligible to live and work in the US before applying, and for the duration of this placement
•    Applicants must possess a current United States issued driver’s license or equivalent
•    Physically able to move 50 lbs. and to wear a respirator for up to 4 hours per day (with breaks)

Rate:  $22.00 per hour

This is an on-site internship.

Interested applicants should respond with a cover letter and C.V./resume by March 28, 2025. Applicants will be contacted after March 30 if selected for an interview.

Status:  Seasonal, Non-Exempt, Full-time, Hourly
Schedule: June 2, 2025 - August 8, 2025 / 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM, M-F 

Click here to apply