Costume Design & Props Intern

Description

Minnesota Children’s Museum’s mission is sparking children’s learning through play. We believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion is integral to fulfilling our mission. As a community resource for thousands of families, Minnesota Children’s Museum is dedicated to providing children with a fun, hands-on and stimulating environment to explore and discover.

The Costume Design and Props Intern assists Exhibit Production staff in creating, maintaining, and installing the many costumes and props used by children in our exhibits in St Paul. Many of our exhibits include costumes that children may wear while engaging in dramatic play. Our exhibits also include hundreds of props that need repair and maintenance.

Intern duties include but are not limited to building replacement props, small hand sewing repairs, and other prop maintenance tasks. Projects vary depending on the project workflow for our department, but examples of past projects include producing large numbers of backup duplicates of costumes in our exhibits, as well as designing and fabricating small props to match the current Maker Space activity. Specific assignments will vary based on the intern’s skill and experience level. This “behind-the-scenes” position rarely interacts with our visitors directly.

PAY: $16.00 per hour plus free parking or bus pass

SCHEDULE: Requires 120 hours during the internship session (10-12 hours per week, September - December 2025). Hours are completed on-site.

POSITION SUMMARY

The exact duties and projects will be determined by mutual agreement of the intern and museum staff.

• Repair and maintain existing costumes and props
• Pattern and stitch new costumes and props (depending on workflow and skill level)
• Take inventory
• Other duties as assigned

IDEAL CANDIDATE

• Knowledge and experience with costume design, patterning and stitching, including hand sewing.
• Ability to organize time and work independently, follow directions and complete tasks in an effective manner.
• Ability to concentrate in a busy work environment.
• Skill in coordinating tasks and projects.
• Enjoy working in a team environment.
• Previous coursework/experience in technical theater, costume design, or apparel design a plus.

ABOUT MINNESOCA CHILDREN’S MUSUEM

Located in downtown St. Paul, MN, we employ 55 full-time and 55 part-time employees and engage a variety of volunteers and interns. The workplace values that guide how we work together are: Play, Include, Grow, Serve, and Strive.

We are dedicated to growing a diverse and culturally competent team of highly engaged staff and volunteers to reflect and equitably serve the vibrant community around us. We embrace differences in age, ability, color, ethnicity, gender identity and/or expression, national origin, race, religion, and sexual orientation. We strongly encourage the application of individuals from diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to: Black, Indigenous, and people of color; immigrants and refugees; LBGTQIA individuals; people with disabilities; religious minorities; and the elderly.

MINNESOTA CHILDREN’S MUSEUM SAFE PLAN

Minnesota Children’s Museum is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all of our employees and volunteers. We have developed the SAFE Plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Every leader, manager, employee and volunteer are responsible for implementing this plan. Our goal is to mitigate the potential for transmission of COVID-19 in our workplace, and that requires full cooperation.

The museum believes COVID vaccinations are a vital tool in protecting yourself and others. We do not mandate a vaccination at this time and encourage our staff to take preventative steps to slow the spread of COVID by staying home when you are sick, testing when sick or exposed, and masking when sick or exposed.

Minnesota Children’s Museum is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a culturally diverse work environment.