Internship

Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation Internship
The Photography Collections Preservation Project (PCPP) is proud to offer the Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation Internship to undergraduate students interested in art, photography, and the creation and management of archives. Founded to address a lack of diversity among the staffs of 21st-century cultural institutions, the Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation Internship will provide young people from under-represented populations with the chance to learn about the management of important works of photography and to gain other useful professional skills. We welcome applicants with all levels of interest and experience.

PCPP is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving significant collections of photography. We work directly with photographers and their archives, and so will you. You will learn about photography, archival organization and preservation, and the management of cultural and non-profit organizations. With our guidance and training, you will be responsible for processing, evaluating, arranging, and describing photographs, as well as maintaining records. You will also communicate with photographers, museums, libraries, and donors; work on database building and upkeep; and help with PCPP’s social media channels and website.

PCPP is grateful to the Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation for its leadership and the support, which makes this unique opportunity possible. To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter that includes why you are interested in the internship to info@photographypreservation.org. 

Gratitude to The Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation for their generous support.

Past Interns

Ayesha Kazim

2019-2020 Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation Intern
Ayesha Kazim is a third-year undergraduate student at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts working towards a B.A. in Photography and Imaging, and a minor in the Business of Media, Entertainment, and Technology at the Stern School of Business. Prior to attending NYU, Ayesha graduated from THINK Global School, a traveling boarding school, where she lived and learned in fourteen countries while completing the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Ayesha’s passion for documentary and fine-art photography has granted her awards including the Gordon Parks Foundation Scholarship (2018) and the Benjamin A. International Grant (2019). With her intended career path in photojournalism, Ayesha’s central aim is to link her interests in photography, the humanities, and the social sciences to cultivate a more objective world view and redefine the processes in which current events are delivered and depicted.

Nikisha Roberts

2018-2019 Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation Intern
Nikisha Roberts is a first-year at Stony Brook University focusing on Political Science. Previously she attended The High School of Fashion Industries, where she became adept in darkroom and digital photography among other visual art media. During high school, Roberts was recognized by several awards and programs, including the Joy of Giving Something Scholarship (2018), The Opportunity Network (2016-2018), and the Expanding the Walls program at The Studio Museum in Harlem (2018).

Nicole Kaack

Administrative Fellow
Nicole Kaack is an independent curator and writer based in Queens, NY. She is the current Curatorial Fellow at The Kitchen, New York, as well as Administrative Fellow at the Photographic Collections Preservation Project (PCPP). Kaack's writing has been published by Whitehot Magazine, artcritical, Art Viewer, SFAQ / NYAQ / AQ, Artforum, and The Brooklyn Rail. She has also contributed texts to I will set a stage for you, published by HOLOHOLO Books and edited by Ana Iwataki and Marion Vasseur Raluy, as well as to a publication designed in association with Hauser & Wirth’s Recto / Verso panel series. Kaack is the co-founder of the newsletter of missing out, co-director of the artist publication prompt:, and co-founder of the press Blind Carbon. She received her BA in art history and visual art from Columbia University and is currently pursuing her MA in art history at Hunter College.

Lizette Terry

Graduate Volunteer
Lizette Terry, is a first-year graduate student at New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, pursuing an M.A. in Black Feminist Theory and Visual Arts and Cultural Studies. Before beginning graduate studies at NYU, Lizette graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in Comparative Women’s Studies from Spelman College, where she completed her capstone documentary project, “Rooted.” Chronicling a community’s response to the impacts of new developments in the historic Westside of Atlanta, “Rooted” was chosen as one of 16 “Official Student Selections” at 2017 Bronze Lens Film Festival in Atlanta, GA. Upon graduation in 2020, Lizette’s goal is to work in the film industry and as a media studies educator in the social sector.