The Andrew W. Mellon Undergraduate Curatorial Fellowship Program provides specialized training in the curatorial field for students across the United States from diverse backgrounds. The program aims to make a critical impact on American art museums by expanding the diversity of their curatorial staff and developing gifted curators who are committed to engaging with the full spectrum of museum audiences. The program is organized around two components for which candidates must apply:
1. Summer Academy: Summer Academies, to be held at each of the six partner museums, are one-week immersion programs designed to provide a rich experience in the museum environment and expose the participants to career options related to art and art history, with an emphasis on the curatorial field. Each Summer Academy includes workshops, tours, field trips, and networking events with museum professionals. Fifteen students will be selected to participate in the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s 2018 Summer Academy during the week of June 17–24. At the end of each Summer Academy, participants are invited to apply for the Fellowship Program.
2. Undergraduate Curatorial Fellowship Program: Two fellows will be selected following each Summer Academy. Fellows participate in the Andrew W. Mellon Undergraduate Curatorial Fellowship Program throughout their undergraduate career with the goal of entering into a graduate program. The two-year fellowships provide students with hands-on experience inside a museum setting, working with curators and staff on exhibitions, collections, and programs. Fellows are matched with a museum mentor/curator who works to enrich the academic experience and broaden the fellow’s understanding of art and art history. Fellowships are part-time during the academic school year and full-time during the summer at a partner museum. Fellows receive a yearly stipend of $10,000.
Background
In July 2015, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation joined with the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) and the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) to announce the results of the first comprehensive survey assessing the ethnic and gender diversity of the staffs of art museums across the United States. Among museum curators, conservators, educators, and leaders, only four percent are African American and just three percent Hispanic. The published report, Art Museum Staff Demographic Survey, addresses the pilot phase of this program in more detail (see https://mellon.org/programs/arts-and-cultural-heritage/art-history-conservation-museums/demographic-survey/ ).
Partner Museums
The program is being implemented at six partnering institutions. Each museum holds a world-class, encyclopedic collection that represents the broad range of artistic production across history and around the globe.
1. Art Institute of Chicago
2. High Museum of Art, Atlanta
3. Los Angeles County Museum of Art
4. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
5. Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City
6. Philadelphia Museum of Art
Eligibility Requirements
The program is intended specifically for undergraduate students from historically underrepresented groups in the curatorial field and who, if selected as a fellow, can commit to two years in the program prior to graduating. Applicants should express an interest in art, art history, or the museum field. In addition to having a strong academic record, applicants should be able to demonstrate, through areas of study, extracurricular activities, background, or other experiences, how they will contribute to the program. Applications for the 2018 Summer Academy are due by Wednesday, January 31, 2018.
Webpage
www.philamuseum.org/MellonUndergrad
Philadelphia Museum of Art Staff Contact
Teyona Jackson
Coordinator of Mellon Undergraduate Fellows and Delphi Project Foundation Programs
MellonUndergrad@philamuseum.org
This initiative is generously supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
