The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art (MBMA) seeks a talented emerging curator for the position of Art Bridges Fellow in the field of American Art, a three-year full-time position.
Reporting to the Chief Curator, the Fellow will support and coordinate MBMA’s collaborations with Art Bridges. Through the Art Bridges Cohort Program, MBMA will create and launch a multi-year partnership among regional museums to share exhibitions drawn from their collections. In the context of this project, the Fellow will conduct research and contribute to the interpretation of the museum’s holdings of Art of the Americas. The Fellow will also work with MBMA’s Curatorial Department to develop projects drawn from MBMA’s collections. The Fellow will have the opportunity to travel with MBMA staff to recruit, select, and collaborate with cohort partners.
This work will take place against the backdrop of MBMA’s major capital project –relocating to a purpose-built, $150 million new building designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architects Herzog & de Meuron. In the context of this project, MBMA has the opportunity to reimagine what a museum can be for the twenty-first century. The Fellow will collaborate with the Curatorial team in planning the display of Art of the Americas in the new facility, including liaising with the Art Bridges team around requests for long-term loans to be included in this project.
The curatorial field is shifting significantly, and the MBMA intends to be at the forefront of the field while remaining rigorous in scholarship and approach. MBMA’s interpretation, documentation, and display apply a particular focus on equity, access, inclusion, anti-racism, and the deconstruction of colonialism and imperialism. The successful candidate will be an exemplary collaborator, possess knowledge in one or more areas related to the museum’s American Art holdings, and have a sincere interest in creating a more equitable museum. Essential to this position is an interest and willingness to reframe the meaning of American Art and explore its ever-expanding narratives.
This position is designed to help prepare candidates for a successful career within the museum field. The Fellow will be a key member of the Curatorial team who will support and learn from curators and work closely with other departments across the museum, from the particular context of the MBMA’s collaborations with Art Bridges. The Fellow will receive peer support from the museum’s recently endowed fellowship position, the Blackmon Perry Fellowship in African American Art and Art of the African Diaspora.
The Art Bridges Fellows Program is dedicated to creating diverse museum leadership with a national cohort of emerging professionals and mentors. With its partner museums, the foundation will establish deep career pathways for historically underrepresented groups in the arts. The Art Bridges Fellow at the MBMA will attend two convenings in Bentonville, Arkansas each year, including a month-long residency and orientation from July 10 to August 4, 2023.
Founded in 1916 and located in historic Overton Park, the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is the oldest and largest art museum in Tennessee and a cultural anchor for the tri-State area that includes Arkansas and Mississippi. The museum holds over 10,000 works spanning 5,000 years of global human history with strengths in European, American, African diaspora, and global contemporary art with a particular strength in photography. The Brooks Museum enriches the lives of our diverse community through the museum's expanding collection, varied exhibitions, and dynamic programs that reflect the art of world cultures from antiquity to the present.
Responsibilities:
- Serve as primary point of contact and coordinator for MBMA’s collaborations with Art Bridges.
- Perform research and develop exhibition checklists and interpretive materials in support of MBMA’s collaborations with Art Bridges, whether in conjunction with its regional cohort, or in the context of the museum’s galleries in Overton Park or in the new facility.
- Support and learn from the Curatorial team in their curatorial duties, particularly pertaining to the care, interpretation, and display of the museum’s growing collection
- Participate in activities pertaining to Curatorial committees, advisory groups, docent training, and donor groups
- Participate in public programs and other events
- Ensure that diversity, equity, access, and inclusion are primary considerations across all work
Requirements:
- MA in Art History or related field, with a focus on an area directly pertaining to the museum’s holdings of art of the Americas
- Museum experience preferred
- Demonstrable interest in creating a more equitable museum and/or interest in social justice and/or knowledge of critical theories including but not limited to race, class, ability, gender, and sexuality
- Strong research skills
- Focused, with keen attention to detail
- Excellent written and spoken communication, with the ability to adapt to multiple types of audience
- The ability to work independently and collaboratively across departments
- Openness to engage with a variety of stakeholders including but not limited to staff, visitors, trustees, artists, community partners, donors, funders, and academic institutions
- Ability and willingness to attend out-of-hours functions as necessary
Salary: $50,000 for 35 hours/week + benefits
Deadline: April 3.
Benefits: (i) A cafeteria plan that includes optional health, dental, vision, additional life insurance and supplemental policies, and a flexible spending account. The museum contributes toward the employee portion of premiums related to your choice of benefit options. (ii) A 403(b) retirement plan. The museum matches up to 4% of your salary annually. (iii) Employment category, combined with years of service to the museum, determines the amount of time off (OPTO) that each employee receives in addition to regular paid holidays.
The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or marital or veteran status. We actively encourage minority candidates to apply for open positions.
Qualified candidates are invited to apply by emailing a cover letter and a CV to rosamund.garrett@brooksmuseum.org with “Art Bridges Fellow” as the subject line.
Please include in your cover letter:
- The reasons for your interest in a museum career
- How you identify as a person representing diversity in terms of culture, background, or experience, and why increasing diversity/representation is important within the museum field
- Drawing on your areas of study, background, extracurricular activities, or other experiences, how you can contribute as an Art Bridges Fellow