What are the responsibilities and job description for the Louise C. Herreshoff Curatorial Fellow in American Art position at Washington and Lee University?
The W&L Art Museum and Galleries (AMG) invites applications for the inaugural Louise C. Herreshoff Curatorial Fellowship for American Art. This two-year fellowship, with the possibility of a third-year renewal, is designed to support emerging curators and scholars of American art while advancing the museum’s purpose, scholarship, and national impact.
Reporting to the Associate Director of Curatorial Affairs (ADCA), the curatorial fellow will support scholarly research on AMG's permanent collection of American art. The selected fellow will collaborate with the Collection and Curatorial team, along with members of the Washington and Lee campus community.
The Fellow is an integral member of the museum's staff whose work serves the museum's mission. The fellow will develop practical skills in all four areas of curatorial practice: research, installation and exhibition development, collections management and planning, and public engagement. The fellow will also participate fully in the intellectual life of the campus community.
In the first year, the fellow will contribute to curatorial, exhibition, and publication initiatives connected to the 150th anniversary exhibition in 2026 of American artist Louise C. Herreshoff Eaton Reeve's life and birth. In the second year, the fellow will have the opportunity to propose an exhibition that draws from the American Art collection.
The curatorial fellow must be in residence at the W&L Art Museum and Galleries in Lexington, Virginia, during the fellowship period.
Working Conditions: The worker is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions (as in typical office or administrative work).
Exempt, Full Time, Benefit Eligible - Fixed Term (Fixed Term)
Reporting to the Associate Director of Curatorial Affairs (ADCA), the curatorial fellow will support scholarly research on AMG's permanent collection of American art. The selected fellow will collaborate with the Collection and Curatorial team, along with members of the Washington and Lee campus community.
The Fellow is an integral member of the museum's staff whose work serves the museum's mission. The fellow will develop practical skills in all four areas of curatorial practice: research, installation and exhibition development, collections management and planning, and public engagement. The fellow will also participate fully in the intellectual life of the campus community.
In the first year, the fellow will contribute to curatorial, exhibition, and publication initiatives connected to the 150th anniversary exhibition in 2026 of American artist Louise C. Herreshoff Eaton Reeve's life and birth. In the second year, the fellow will have the opportunity to propose an exhibition that draws from the American Art collection.
The curatorial fellow must be in residence at the W&L Art Museum and Galleries in Lexington, Virginia, during the fellowship period.
Washington and Lee University actively promotes a dynamic and welcoming environment that allows students and employees of multiple backgrounds and perspectives to learn, work, and thrive together. Successful candidates will contribute to that environment and exhibit potential for excellence in their areas of expertise.
Visit
jobs.wlu.edu
to learn more about working at W&L, our benefits, community, and living in the area.
Essential Functions:
- Contribute to knowledge about the collections and increase access to the collections through deep research and cataloging, including interdisciplinary interpretation and provenance research.
- Research artists and artworks in the permanent collection, rectify outdated or inaccurate records, and write interpretive texts.
- Mine the permanent collection for curatorial inspirations.
- Assist the ADCA with formulating plans for continuing to grow and shape the American art collection.
- In concert with Collection staff, assist with expanding physical and digital access to the art collection, establish priorities for storage and display, and work with contracted specialists to identify conservation needs and treatment.
- Supervise interns and students.
- Support the University’s teaching needs by facilitating direct engagement with the American art collection, including teaching or co-teaching courses, conducting gallery-based class visits, or leading object study sessions.
- Develop and contribute to public and campus-based programs, lectures, and other special events, including programs for and with students and faculty, with particular attention to expanding and diversifying Museum audiences.
- Represent the Museum and contribute to the field through participation in conferences, public lectures, publications, and institutional and scholarly partnerships.
- Inspire researchers, scholars, and students beyond the southeast to engage with the Museum’s collections, exhibitions, events, and other activities.
Minimum Qualifications:
- A master’s degree in art history or other allied interdisciplinary humanities such as American Studies, Gender Studies, or African American Studies. Candidates with a doctoral degree must have been officially conferred within seven years of the start date of the fellowship.
- Knowledge of museum ethics and the legal regulations governing collecting.
- The ideal candidate will demonstrate a strong interest in a curatorial career.
- Commitment to fostering the appreciation of works of art in a museum context.
- Demonstrated strength working collaboratively and in an innovative manner.
Pay: Anticipated pay for this role is $62,000
Application Instructions:
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Please upload a resume and cover letter in your application. You will be asked to provide names and contact information for three professional references.
Application instructions and information about Washington and Lee University can be located at
jobs.wlu.edu
.
Physical Requirements:
- Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with whole hand or arm as in handling.
- Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
- Repetitive motions: Making substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.
- Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.
Working Conditions: The worker is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions (as in typical office or administrative work).
Types of Work: Light work: Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. If the use of arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for Sedentary Work and the worker sits most of the time, the job is rated for Light Work.
Position Type:
Salary : $62,000
