NMAAHC is announcing a new fellowship opportunity in Curatorial Studies funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. This is open to students currently enrolled in, or recent graduates of a graduate program at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and other institutions who have an evident interest in the curatorship of African American heritage.

The fellowship will be funded by a Mellon grant and housed in the NMAAHC’s Office of Curatorial Affairs. The curatorial fellow will be mentored and supervised by the Museum’s Chief Curator and will be located at one of the two NMAAHC sites: the headquarters in Washington D.C. or the Pennsy Collections and Support Center, Landover, MD.

The curatorial fellows will be part of an exciting journey of groundbreaking efforts to culminate with the opening of the new National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) on the National Mall in 2015. As the Smithsonian’s 19th and newest museum, and the first “green” museum, the NMAAHC is committed to presenting a compelling history of our country through the lens of the African American experience. Researching, collecting, documenting and conserving thousands of objects, documents, photographs, works of art, garments, musical instruments, and oral histories will be an integral part of the fellows’ hands-on experience. The focus will be on curatorial studies; however, there will be a conservation component as well.

The fellowship program will expose graduate students to opportunities in curatorial studies and inspire them to consider curatorial careers. Through this pilot program, the Museum may facilitate entry to museum professions for individuals from communities that are historically not well represented in this field.

The NMAAHC Andrew W. Mellon Curatorial Fellowship will be a one year paid position, with a stipend of $30,000 plus funds for travel and research.

One fellow will be selected each year. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis for a start date of June 1 of each year; however, applications should reach us no later than February 15 for a start date of June 1. Change in the start date is possible upon approval of the Chief Curator, NMAAHC.

Please address all inquiries to the Fellowship Program Administrator at NMAAHCMellonAdmin@si.edu.

http://nmaahc.si.edu