What are the responsibilities and job description for the Homeroom Fellow position at MoMA?
About MoMA PS1
PS1 was born out of New York’s alternative space movement in the 1970s, transforming an abandoned nineteenth Century schoolhouse in Long Island City, Western Queens, into a space for artists and their collaborators to generate ideas and present work.
Located in what was once an industrial enclave, the institution has now become a creative landmark in the fastest growing residential neighborhood in the country. Continuously responsive to the potential for collective impact, in 1976 PS1 was registered as an independent non-profit in a city-owned building. In 1982 it became the first Cultural Institutions Group (CIG) that focused on contemporary art as part of NYC’s Department of Cultural Affairs. Then, in 2000 PS1 also established an affiliation with the Museum of Modern Art and in 2010 it became known as MoMA PS1.
In 2022-23 we have a budget of approximately $11MM and are a team of around 50, led by an independent Board of Directors. Working with an evolving constellation of practitioners, neighbors, and partners, we are committed to the critical work of diversity, access, and inclusion. It is through these lenses that we examine and build our programs, relationships, and organizational culture. We champion how artists are at the intersection of the social, cultural, and political issues of their time. We center equity in how we work and what we do.
We recognize that a successful candidate will meet many of the requirements listed on this job description, but may not meet 100% of the qualifications. If much of this job description describes you, we encourage you to apply for this role.
Working within the Curatorial Department, the Homeroom Fellow will be responsible for undertaking various research initiatives, collaborative curatorial projects, and programs initiated by the Curatorial Department that pertain specifically to the Homeroom space and related programs and community partnerships. Established in October 2020, Homeroom is a dedicated exhibition space that embodies MoMA PS1’s commitment to community-centered practices with artists at the core. Located on the Museum’s first floor, the program serves as a platform for activations by partners and collaborators, who author each presentation to amplify the work of artists affiliated with their respective organizations. Through these distinct presentations, Homeroom activations tell a larger narrative of community building and intersectionality, with collaborators returning through various threads of PS1’s program, often in conversation with one another. Recalling the histories of the building as the first school in Long Island City and then a site for creative experimentation since PS1’s founding in 1976, Homeroom offers opportunities to connect with others, to learn and unlearn, and to imagine generative ways of being that prioritize care and reciprocity. The Homeroom Fellow will work directly with the Assistant Curator on all aspects of organizing Homeroom activations, including organizing meetings with community partners, assisting with and programming workshops and gatherings, and maintaining all aspects of exhibition checklists and organizational materials.
The Fellow will conduct broad and detailed field research: in Long Island City archives and libraries, as well as with various community organizations and businesses; and in miscellaneous organizations on topics including (but not limited to) sustainability, ecology, arts education, radical pedagogy, social justice, and political geography/cartography. The fellow will also attend events hosted by community partners off-site, representing PS1 as a cultural liaison.
Responsibilities will also include contributing to didactic materials to be presented in Homeroom and for web materials, organizing and overseeing public events—relating to research undertaken—liaising with various participants and MoMA PS1 staff to administrate, promote, and oversee programs that range from talks and conferences to performances and workshops, and proposing and implementing methods for evaluation, including metrics and narrative reports.
Requirements:
- Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences, Liberal Arts, Art Education, Arts Administration, Studio/Media Art, or related field and two-years or more experience in a non-profit environment (voluntary or paid work is equally accepted).
- Background in research is essential, with astute working knowledge of qualitative research methods, data collection and organization, and project management.
- Knowledge of current curatorial methodologies, and an understanding and or/interest of collaborative curatorial practices rooted in community organizing protocols
- Event management experience, strong communication skills, and the ability to work collaboratively.
- Experience in community organizing
- Ability to work evening and late hours to accommodate the program schedule.
- Self-starter with ability to work in a fast-paced, team-driven environment.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills with ability to interact with a wide range of staff, cultural professionals, and audiences.
