What are the responsibilities and job description for the Anne Lunder Leland Curatorial Fellowship position at Colby College?
Job Description
Department:
Museum Curatorial
Pay Rate Type:
Hourly
Employee Type:
Job Summary:
The Anne Lunder Leland curatorial fellowship offers an in-depth introduction to the field of museum curating in the context of an academic museum. The fellow provides support to the Colby Museum’s curatorial department, including administrative and production assistance related to the museum’s exhibitions and related programs, collection installations, publications, and acquisitions. The fellow facilitates research queries and cross-departmental communication. Exhibition and collection support duties also include research assignments and interpretive materials production. The fellow plays a key role in overseeing the museum’s online magazine The Lantern and mentors student participants in the museum’s internship program. The fellowship also proves the opportunity to gain curatorial experience with the museum’s annual exhibition Senior Art Exhibition of work by graduating studio art majors.
The fellowship experience includes mentorship from staff experienced in curatorial work, and close collaboration across museum areas. The fellow also has opportunities to teach during class visits to the museum, facilitate tours, and present to various groups, thus gaining valuable presentation and engagement skills that are important to curatorial work. This fellowship position at the Colby Museum is a two-year appointment, with the possibility of renewal for a third year.
THE MUSEUM AND ITS MISSION
Located in Waterville, Maine, the Colby Museum opens access to art and artists for the Colby community, for Maine residents and visitors, and for audiences beyond, creating a forum for experimentation, research, dialogue, and connection. We grow and use our stellar collection in ways that activate the power of art to expand imagination and forge new connections, fostering a more open, creative, and compassionate society. We teach to inspire and open possibilities, so that students at Colby and other visitors can become more curious, nimble, and able to contribute within a changing world, in keeping with Colby’s dynamic liberal arts mission. We incubate art scholarship and practice in ways that explore and expand how the idea of America is understood and how art is made, interpreted, and shared. We do so by supporting new research, providing mentorship, and convening a diversity of people and perspectives. The Lunder Institute for American Art and our exhibitions, programs, and publications facilitate field-wide impact. We are committed to our audiences, including the Colby College community, residents of Waterville and the broader Maine region, national and international visitors, and the artists, scholars, and partners with whom we collaborate.
Essential Functions
To perform successfully in this position, an individual must be able to perform essential duties satisfactorily as well as possess education/experience, employ the knowledge, skills, and abilities as listed in representative fashion. Colby College actively supports the Americans with Disabilities Act and will consider reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position. This listing of essential duties is not all-inclusive, but representative; other duties may be assigned.
Minimum Qualifications:
Education and/or experience:
The physical demands and work environment characteristics described herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform essential functions of this position and/or may be encountered while performing essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Interested candidates should apply electronically by clicking the “Apply Now” button on the Colby College website. Please upload a cover letter and resume to your application.
Department:
Museum Curatorial
Pay Rate Type:
Hourly
Employee Type:
Job Summary:
The Anne Lunder Leland curatorial fellowship offers an in-depth introduction to the field of museum curating in the context of an academic museum. The fellow provides support to the Colby Museum’s curatorial department, including administrative and production assistance related to the museum’s exhibitions and related programs, collection installations, publications, and acquisitions. The fellow facilitates research queries and cross-departmental communication. Exhibition and collection support duties also include research assignments and interpretive materials production. The fellow plays a key role in overseeing the museum’s online magazine The Lantern and mentors student participants in the museum’s internship program. The fellowship also proves the opportunity to gain curatorial experience with the museum’s annual exhibition Senior Art Exhibition of work by graduating studio art majors.
The fellowship experience includes mentorship from staff experienced in curatorial work, and close collaboration across museum areas. The fellow also has opportunities to teach during class visits to the museum, facilitate tours, and present to various groups, thus gaining valuable presentation and engagement skills that are important to curatorial work. This fellowship position at the Colby Museum is a two-year appointment, with the possibility of renewal for a third year.
THE MUSEUM AND ITS MISSION
Located in Waterville, Maine, the Colby Museum opens access to art and artists for the Colby community, for Maine residents and visitors, and for audiences beyond, creating a forum for experimentation, research, dialogue, and connection. We grow and use our stellar collection in ways that activate the power of art to expand imagination and forge new connections, fostering a more open, creative, and compassionate society. We teach to inspire and open possibilities, so that students at Colby and other visitors can become more curious, nimble, and able to contribute within a changing world, in keeping with Colby’s dynamic liberal arts mission. We incubate art scholarship and practice in ways that explore and expand how the idea of America is understood and how art is made, interpreted, and shared. We do so by supporting new research, providing mentorship, and convening a diversity of people and perspectives. The Lunder Institute for American Art and our exhibitions, programs, and publications facilitate field-wide impact. We are committed to our audiences, including the Colby College community, residents of Waterville and the broader Maine region, national and international visitors, and the artists, scholars, and partners with whom we collaborate.
Essential Functions
To perform successfully in this position, an individual must be able to perform essential duties satisfactorily as well as possess education/experience, employ the knowledge, skills, and abilities as listed in representative fashion. Colby College actively supports the Americans with Disabilities Act and will consider reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position. This listing of essential duties is not all-inclusive, but representative; other duties may be assigned.
- Provide administrative curatorial support for the museum’s exhibitions, permanent collection, and related programs
- Assist curators with the digital and printed maintenance of checklists, layouts, image files, loan correspondence, museum graphics, and logistical details related to exhibition curation and collection display
- Create wall labels for all collections rotations and select exhibitions in Adobe InDesign
- Help coordinate logistical needs for artist/curator visits including honoraria, travel, lodging, meals, and related events
- Work collaboratively with all areas of the museum’s curatorial, education, and collection departments
- Field external inquiries regarding the collection and past exhibitions
- Curate/co-curate the annual Colby College Senior Art Exhibition for graduating senior artists, mentoring students, liaising with faculty, and leading planning for team of museum colleagues
- Play a key role in facilitating the museum’s digital publication, The Lantern, including developing content, liaising with contributors, and managing the WordPress interface
- Participate in museum social media content development and execution related to exhibition and curatorial projects
- Conduct ongoing collections and exhibitions research as required, with the possibility of contributing to museum publications and interpretive content
- Secure image rights for exhibitions and publications; provide additional support for publications projects as needed
- Update new information to the museum object files in conjunction with the museum’s registrars
- Schedule and facilitate exhibition installation photography
- Prepare materials related to proposed acquisitions
- Assist with responses to artist gift and exhibition proposals
- Lead outs, teach in the galleries during class visits, and/or present materials as assigned
Minimum Qualifications:
Education and/or experience:
- Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent in education and experience
- Relevant coursework in art history and demonstrable administrative experience preferred
- Outstanding interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills with a high level of motivation
- Excellent research skills and attention to detail
- Experience in a professional environment, able to work flexibly and collaboratively within a team
- Able to work independently as well as in a team, exercise judgement, establish priorities, manage projects with minimal supervision and to adjust as new projects are assigned
- Unwavering commitment to fostering an antiracist, equitable work environment supportive of people from different cultures, backgrounds, and life paths
- Ability to effectively collaborate with staff, students and faculty
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, familiarity with and/or ability to learn use of Adobe Creative Suite (especially InDesign); WordPress; Google applications; Airtable and other digital cloud collaboration platforms
The physical demands and work environment characteristics described herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform essential functions of this position and/or may be encountered while performing essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- To successfully perform the essential functions of this position, an employee must be able to maintain appropriate confidentiality with regard to employee data, documents, issues, etc., and respect privacy needs of employees and past employees with regard to the same.
- The ability to comply with highly inflexible deadlines is required to successfully perform the essential functions of this position; there will be multiple occurrences of sudden, urgent task completion required.
- There may be occurrences of employees, past employees, members of the general public, and others who express opinions, may exhibit strong emotions, which will require the employee to interact professionally, diplomatically, and appropriately in such situations.
- While performing the essential duties of this position, an employee would frequently be required to move around the office space as well as within hallways, meeting rooms, and other parts of the campus facilities.
- There may be multiple/daily instances of prolonged personal computer use which would include keyboard and/or mouse usage as well as viewing a computer monitor.
- An employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 35 pounds to perform essential position functions.
- Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust focus.
- The overall work environment requires the mental ability to shift focus quickly due to interruptions; an employee must be able to mentally track multiple projects and tasks as well.
- The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate; however, there may be unexpected instances of somewhat loud sounds.
Interested candidates should apply electronically by clicking the “Apply Now” button on the Colby College website. Please upload a cover letter and resume to your application.
