Equity in Historic Preservation

Program/Department: Beyond Integrity/Preservation
Location: 4Culture, 101 Prefontaine Pl S, Seattle, WA 98104
Internship Term: two positions available from June through August, 2023
Compensation: $7,500 for 300 hours of work by each intern
Applicant Eligibility: recent graduates or current students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree.
Apply by: Monday March 27, 2023, 5:00 pm PDT

About the Internships

4Culture, the cultural services agency for King County, Washington, is committed to increasing the diversity of cultural resources that are identified, protected, and interpreted, to be more representative of the multicultural populations in King County. These internships will provide research experience related to historic preservation practice in the region, with the goal of exploring ways to strengthen processes to identify, protect, and interpret socially and culturally significant properties.
In 2023, 4Culture will offer two internships that will focus on properties that are vulnerable to redevelopment, and have a high level of significance and association with underrepresented communities. The interns will build upon previous research on how properties associated with underrepresented communities have fared in local landmark designation processes, and on how survey and inventory methods have impacted what is deemed worthy of preservation.

Interns will be supervised by staff at 4Culture and University of Washington College of Built Environments faculty, with community and governmental organizations acting as advisors.

Each intern will work independently, including making visits to public archives and libraries, accessible by public transit, as needed. Research supplies and a computer workspace at 4Culture can be provided for the duration of the internship. Bi-weekly progress reports will be required during the internship period, at least two formal presentations on collected research, and a final written report at the conclusion of the internship.

Internship applicants should have a specialization or intent to pursue academic training in public history, historic preservation, or related design and planning fields. A background in archival research and documentation of historic properties is preferred, and candidates from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities are especially encouraged to apply.

Undergraduate Internship:
The first internship is geared toward an undergraduate student or recent graduate with interests in historical research, community engagement, and preservation planning. This internship will focus on an urban neighborhood that is underrepresented within local landmark designations. The intern will work with community advisors to review the results of previous historic resources surveys, and will conduct additional research on significant sites, with a goal of identifying and prioritizing properties for local landmark nominations.

Graduate Internship:
The second internship, geared toward a graduate student or recent graduate with an interest in cultural landscapes and the preservation of rural sites and landscapes, will focus on a group of sites that tell a highly significant story associated with underrepresented communities, yet face obstacles to attaining landmark status. The intern will review previous studies, engage with community organizations, conduct historical research and documentation, and explore options to protect and interpret these sites.

Compensation

The internships will begin in June 2023 and are expected to go through August 2023, with some flexibility for length of internship, weekly work commitment, and work location. The anticipated stipend is $7,500 for 300 hours of work for each intern.
You may choose to seek academic credit with this internship, but it is not required. If you will be seeking academic credit, please let us know of any requirements we will need to fulfill.

Apply

Submit a cover letter including statement of interest, a resume/CV with two academic or professional reference contacts, and one brief writing sample (between 5 and 10 pages).

Please complete this brief application form AND email all your application materials to

The complete application is due by Monday, March 27, 2023, at 5:00 pm PDT. Applicants will be notified of selection by April 14, 2023.

Questions?

Contact Emily Lawsin, Preservation Support Specialist, by email at or by phone at 206-477-3110.

About 4Culture

4Culture is an independent public agency, chartered under state law and King County ordinance in January 2003, after 35 years as the King County Office of Cultural Resources. The ideal candidate for this position champions public support for arts and culture and has demonstrated commitment to, and experience advancing racial equity and social justice. As the cultural funding and services agency for King County, Washington, 4Culture works to make the region vibrant. The organization’s four program areas—Arts, Heritage, Historic Preservation, and Public Art—put public resources to use all over King County.

Guided by a vision of a King County in which every person has what they need to explore and create culture, we’re working to become an actively anti-racist organization. We know that this work is urgent and ongoing; as a public agency, we’re committed to being transparent about our successes and failures. 4Culture is part of the system of white supremacy that has historically disadvantaged Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color. We are working to understand systems of structural racism, dismantle them with the tools available to us, and build up something equitable that supports and recognizes the value in cultural expression of all of people, especially those in King County.

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