Museum Fellowship – Samek Art Museum, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA

Apply Here: https://jobs.bucknell.edu/en-us/job/497305/samek-art-museum-fellowship
Fellowship Overview

The Museum Fellowship is offered for college graduates interested in pursuing a museum career. The fellowship offers professional training in arts administration and is designed to help fellows support their academic and career goals through supervised hands-on work experiences. Under the supervision of the Samek Art Museum director and chief curator, the fellow will have the opportunity to be involved in every aspect of the museum’s programs and operations through job shadowing and being involved in professional staff activities. This is a 9-month fellowship occurring from Aug. 15, 2023-May 15, 2024. This fellowship is a commitment of an average of 20 hours/week to the museum (except holidays and University recesses.) The fellowship offers a $3,000/month salary as well as $1,000 allocated for external educational opportunities such as travel to conferences. This part-time, term position is eligible for limited University benefits including health insurance for yourself with the ability to purchase coverage for eligible dependents.

Fellowship Learning Goals

For the fellow, the purpose of the fellowship is:
•To learn to function as a professional within his/her institution as well as the broader community of museums, and to understand current museum issues.
•To learn to function within the organizational structure of a museum and to develop a knowledge of governance and administrative operations.
•To develop knowledge and skills related to specific areas of museum work.
•To develop the ability to identify, assess and solve on-the-job museum problems.
•To assess individual wishes and needs for professional development.
•To learn how exhibitions are curated and produced in a professional art gallery/museum environment.
•To learn how the permanent museum collection of artworks is conserved, documented, and used in teaching and research.
•To learn how galleries and museums educate the public about art in an informal life- long learning environment.

Fellowship Assignments

The fellow engages in learning opportunities and provides assistance with all aspects relating to the museum collections, interchanging/rotating exhibitions and interpretive programs, including, but not limited to:

• Under tutelage of the museum director, the Fellow will curate their own exhibition – generating every aspect from concept to installation – to be presented to the public in the Spring semester.
• Apprentice museum director in Arts Leadership course; learning arts management content and assisting instructor to understand teaching skills.
• Researching artists and the exhibition history of artworks, creating exhibition documentation, corresponding with artists, and other tasks that contribute to developing exhibitions.
• Receiving training in handling original artworks by assisting with installing and de-installing exhibitions and assisting with delivery and pick-up artwork.
• Documenting art objects, and making the collection available to students and faculty in a learning environment.
• Curatorial field trips to regional galleries and museums.
• Accompany director and staff to selected campus arts meetings.
• Training and service as roaming docent.
• Occasionally opening gallery and assisting with producing events behind the scenes.
• Practicing public didactic museum with regular writing for museum’s blog.
• Read assigned readings about the history of museums and exhibition practices.
• Attend regular meeting with museum director to reflect on fellowship experiences, plan individual projects and receive work assignments, discuss readings, and receive career consulting.
• Attend weekly museum staff meetings to observe and participate in administrative planning for the museum’s programs and operations.

Fellowship Requirements

The ideal candidate has a demonstrated interest in curatorial practice. Attention to detail, excellent communication skills, and the ability to multitask and prioritize are essential to the position. Strong research skills are a plus. Background in art history with coursework in modern art preferred.

• A Master’s degree in art history, art education, curatorial studies, or museum or closely related field.
• Must be proficient with social media tools.
• Must be able to lift 30 pounds and work crouched or on ladders.
• Must have a valid driver’s license.
• Candidates must agree to a background check because they will have access to art collection storage areas.

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