Paid Internship at Aperture

Aperture is a nonprofit publisher that leads conversations around photography worldwide. From our base in New York, Aperture connects global audiences and supports artists through our acclaimed quarterly magazine, books, exhibitions, digital platforms, public programs, limited-edition prints, and awards. Established in 1952 to advance “creative thinking, significantly expressed in words and photographs,” Aperture champions photography’s vital role in nurturing curiosity and encouraging a more just, tolerant society. With a capital campaign and development of a strategic plan underway, Aperture is preparing to move from Chelsea to a new, permanent home on 380 Columbus Avenue on the Upper West Side of New York City in early 2026.

Aperture is seeking to hire three (3) individuals to join our Spring 2026 Work Scholar program in the following departments: Editorial Magazine, Book Publishing, and Publicity & Communications. Work Scholars serve on a paid part-time basis (24 hours per week) for which they receive $18 per hour. The program will start January 21, 2026, and end on June 26.

About the Positions:

Editorial (Magazine):

Work Scholars will be immersed in a handful of publications. By the end of your time with Aperture, you can expect to know more than one publication inside and out and feel proud of your important contribution to the research, organization, and assistance on the project. Our goal is for you to learn how a magazine is produced from the inception process to publication. Along the way, it is our hope that this opportunity sharpens your attention to detail and professional communication skills--both experiences that will serve you in whatever field you choose to pursue.

In this position on the Magazine Team, you will be an important part of the editorial support system. You will assist the editors in being organized, to move projects along toward completion, and for key research and other editorial tasks. You will support the editors in the organization of images and texts for publication.

Book Publishing:

The Editorial Department is split between Aperture magazine and the book program. We publish Aperture magazine quarterly and approximately twelve to fourteen books per year, including major monographs by established photographers, catalogues to accompany exhibitions, limited-edition publications, and first books by emerging photographers. The Editorial Department is responsible for collaborating with photographers, writers, designers, and other institutions to publish photography and writing about photography. Each editor works with these collaborators on the sequence, content, and design of books or magazine issues, and helps shape the work into an independent object.

Our goal is for you to learn how a book is made from the inception process to the final production. You can expect to learn about the business and management side of publishing and what it means to be an art publisher today. This opportunity will sharpen your attention to detail and professional communication skills, as well as provide an understanding of editorial and production schedules, distribution cycles, and project management.

Publicity & Communications:

The Communications department ensures maximum public awareness of Aperture’s work as a nonprofit publisher, with recognition for all elements of programming: two annual seasons of books, the quarterly Aperture magazine, educational events, and touring exhibitions. Outreach and visibility are generated through earned media and editorial press coverage, social and digital content and campaigns, cross-promotional efforts with other organizations, and a range of programs including artist lectures and book signings in New York and around the world. The Communications department collaborates with all teams at Aperture to strategize and prioritize the promotion of key initiatives and programs.

About the Work Scholar Program:

Aperture’s Work Scholar Program welcomes individuals to engage in Aperture’s programs and contribute to the editing, design, production, circulation, sales, and marketing of photography’s most significant publications; the development of major traveling exhibitions; educational programs for children and adults; the creation of web content; and all other business operations essential to a nonprofit organization.

In addition to working closely with the Aperture staff and contributing to the day-to-day office work flow, work scholars make contacts within the photo community at Aperture events and through meetings with various professionals in the photography field. Aperture’s Chelsea location offers the unique opportunity to work in New York City and have access to art galleries, museums, and other art-related facilities.