The Grapevine

Luce Curatorial Fellowship (multi-year position)–applications due Jun. 1, 2021

The Smithsonian American Art Museum seeks an outstanding emerging scholar of American art for a curatorial fellowship funded by the Henry Luce Foundation. Beginning in fall 2021, this two-year position, with a possible third-year renewal, will provide an invaluable professional development opportunity to a scholar interested in a curatorial career in an art museum. It will also support scholarly research on SAAM’s permanent collection, one of the largest and most inclusive collections of American art in the world. The selected fellow will work under the supervision of a senior curator and in collaboration with a team of staff from various departments. The appointee will develop practical skills in all four areas of curatorial practice: research, installation and exhibition development, collections management and planning, and public service. He or she will also participate fully in the intellectual life of the museum’s Research and Scholars Center, home of its research fellowship program and journal, American Art. 

Under the guidance of the supervisory curator, the Luce Curatorial Fellow will take a key role in the reconceptualization and reinstallation of works from the collection in thematically organized sections of SAAM’s Luce Foundation Center for American Art, the only visible art storage and study center in Washington, D.C. The rehang of the Luce Foundation Center will build on overarching concepts in the museum’s 2022–2023 reinstallation (currently in development) and illuminate connections among artists, artworks, and different facets of the collection. The appointee will research artists and artworks, rectify outdated or inaccurate records, write interpretive texts, and conduct audio/video recordings and/or offer tours to further support these installations. They will work with conservation, design, and installation staff to evaluate requirements and limitations of artworks within specific spaces and execute planned installations. The fellow also will have the opportunity to collaborate with museum interpretation and education staff to address diverse audiences and formats. The appointee may assist project-related development efforts and also propose speaking engagements or public presentations related to their research findings. In the second or third year, the fellow will have the opportunity to propose an installation for the galleries, an online exhibition, or a touring show.
 

QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate will demonstrate scholarly excellence and promise in addition to a strong interest in a museum career. A PhD in art history within the last five years is preferred; however, the fellowship is open to individuals with other academic specialties, such as African American and Women’s Studies.This position is open to all U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals. Applications are requested from scholars whose interests and areas of expertise align with one of the museum’s collection strengths:

  • 19th-Century Art: The reinstallation of the permanent collection will necessitate the re-envisioning of the Luce Foundation Center’s display of 18th and 19th-century American art. The goals are to use the Luce Center as an extension and expansion of themes central to the reconceptualized galleries and to explore additional themes and constellations of significant artworks. The fellow will be a full participant in the curatorial discussions of those themes, interfacing with curators responsible for 20th century, modern and contemporary holdings as needed, and conducting in-depth research on individual artworks, artists, and historical frameworks associated with their area of expertise. Those areas can fall anywhere within the range of 19th-century art from the Federal period through the Gilded Age. 
  • Folk and Self-Taught Art: Since 1970, when it acquired and first exhibited James Hampton’s The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations’ Millennium General Assembly, the Smithsonian American Art Museum has been acknowledged as a leader in recognizing and repositioning folk and self-taught artists and their important contributions to American art. SAAM’s collection became internationally known in 1986 with the acquisition of the Herbert Waide Hemphill collection and has grown exponentially since 2012 when the museum hired its first full-time curator specializing in this area. Within the area of folk and self-taught art, and reaching into the broader collection as needed, the Luce Curatorial Fellow may focus on frameworks including but not limited to era, region, type of practice, and cultural significance, or consider a particular artist or cultural group in depth. The appointee will also assist on the exhibition project Amish Quilts from the Faith and Stephen Brown Collection, opening in Spring 2024. 

HOW TO APPLY

The fellowship is categorized as a term trust position (IS-9, not-to-exceed three years) with a starting salary of $60,129 plus benefits and an allowance for research and conference travel. The Smithsonian offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, vacation and sick leave, holidays, and health insurance.

Applications must be received by Tuesday, June 1, and include:

  • A cover letter outlining the candidate’s interest in the fellowship
  • A statement of 750 to 1,000 words that describes the applicant’s area of research and how it relates to one of the two areas of curatorial focus outlined above
  • A published paper or other writing sample
  • Curriculum vitae with two references

Please submit applications to SAAMFellowships@si.edu.

All applications will be reviewed by a committee comprised of the chief curator, deputy chief curator, mentoring curator, and chair of academic programs. The fellowship must begin by December 31, 2021.

SAAM believes that recruiting and maintaining an equitable, inclusive, and diverse staff is critical to our mission. We welcome and encourage applications from qualified persons of color; who are Indigenous; with disabilities; who are LGBTQIA+; who are veterans; and/or with other underrepresented backgrounds and experiences. The Smithsonian does not discriminate on grounds of race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age, or disability.

Web Series: Garden for Boston project

In late June, the MFA Boston will share the Garden for Boston project, two outdoor installations on the green spaces of the Museum’s main entrance by Roxbury-based artist Ekua Holmes and Aquinnah Wampanoag artist Elizabeth James-Perry. Holmes will plant 3000 sunflowers in raised beds in Radiant Community, related to Sunflower Project, her ongoing initiative to beautify the city and particularly Roxbury. In Raven Reshapes Boston, James-Perry will use Indigenous planting techniques to transform the grass around the Cyrus Dallin sculpture, which represents an invented Native man, into a field of corn and other plants surrounded by shells. We hope that their installations will be the first two of many to intervene in the Museum’s facade.

In anticipation of this exciting project, Marina Tyquiengco and Martina Tanga have organized a series of three Zoom culminating in a conversation between the artists on June 22. This series will recognize Boston as a place of Native and Black histories and lived experiences through the expertise of artists, scholars, and thought leaders. Below is a list of the titles, times, and speakers in each program and a link to sign up.

Before Boston: Black and Native Histories of Place

May 18 @ 5:30 pm

zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uXsQ1r1ORHGse2enD1EIlA

With Elizabeth Solomon, Dr. Jean O’Brien, and Dr. Kerri Greenidge

Community Crossroads: Black and Native Experiences in Boston

June 1 @ 5pm

zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FP5wI0sLS6m8HJYHAvlzRA

With Dr. Tiffany Lethabo King, Professor Mwalim Peters, and Mary McNeil

Planting Together: Conversation with Ekua Holmes and Elizabeth James Perry

June 22 @ 5-6pm

zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5sNvMWAkTKufdQbOv92SMQ

Webinar: “The Lives of Monuments: Patriots of African Descent”

On June 19, 1993, the Monument to Patriots of African Descent was dedicated at Valley Forge National Historical Park. It is not only one of the newest Revolutionary War monuments in a National Park, but also the only site in the Northeast that honors African Americans’ contributions to the founding of our nation.
“The Lives of Monuments: Patriots of African Descent” is a virtual public event that brings together scholars, National Park Rangers, and members of the public to discuss Black representation in histories of the American Revolution and its monuments. Join us on Thursday May 20th from 6 to 7:30pm ET by following this link to register: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_I4FFyH_BR2ur3vefrnmK1Q. Tune in ten minutes early to see a slideshow with photographs of the monument.
The event features Dr. Paulette Jones and Mrs. Deanna Shelton (Valley Forge Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc.), Dr. Renée Ater (Public Scholar and Professor Emerita at the University of Maryland), and Ranger Steven Walter (Park Guide at Valley Forge NHP). They will discuss the process of commissioning the Monument to Patriots of African Descent, the history of sites that commemorate or exclude Black Americans from public culture, and the National Park Service’s role in foregrounding racially diverse histories of the American Revolution.
It is the third installment in the five-part webinar series “The Lives of Monuments: Memory, Revolution, and Our National Parks.” The series is organized by Dr. Emma Silverman, National Park Service Mellon Humanities Postdoctoral Fellow, and it is made possible by the National Park Foundation with funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The May 20th event is also co-hosted by the Valley Forge Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Follow the links below to register for upcoming webinars:
June 17, 2021 from 6 to 7:30pm EST, “The Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier–Vandalism and the Legacy of the Founding Fathers” (Independence National Historical Park)
us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uosA5wQUSFGG8CZML1-jFg
July 8, 2021 from 6 to 7:30pm EST, “The General von Steuben Statue—Interpreting the Revolution’s ‘Gay General’ and LGBTQ+ Histories in the Early Republic” (Valley Forge National Historical Park)
us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qfz3kjnpSo2j7CYJJoRfUg
Recordings of all “Lives of Monuments” events will be available on the National Park Service YouTube channel soon.
Contact Emma_Silverman@partner.nps.gov with questions.

FEL: Luce Curatorial Fellowship @ Smithsonian American Art Museum

Application deadline: June 1, 2021

The Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) seeks an outstanding emerging scholar of American art for a curatorial fellowship funded by the Henry Luce Foundation. Beginning in fall 2021, this two-year position, with a possible third-year renewal, will provide an invaluable professional development opportunity to a scholar interested in a curatorial career in an art museum. It will also support scholarly research on SAAM’s permanent collection, one of the largest and most inclusive collections of American art in the world. The selected fellow will work under the supervision of a senior curator and in collaboration with a team of staff from various departments. The appointee will develop practical skills in all four areas of curatorial practice: research, installation and exhibition development, collections management and planning, and public service. He or she will also participate fully in the intellectual life of the museum’s Research and Scholars Center, home of its research fellowship program and journal, American Art.

DUTIES
Under the guidance of the supervisory curator, the Luce Curatorial Fellow will take a key role in the reconceptualization and reinstallation of works from the collection in thematically organized sections of SAAM’s Luce Foundation Center for American Art, the only visible art storage and study center in Washington, D.C. The rehang of the Luce Foundation Center will build on overarching concepts in the museum’s 2022–2023 reinstallation (currently in development) and illuminate connections among artists, artworks, and different facets of the collection. The appointee will research artists and artworks, rectify outdated or inaccurate records, write interpretive texts, and conduct audio/video recordings and/or offer tours to further support these installations. They will work with conservation, design, and installation staff to evaluate requirements and limitations of artworks within specific spaces and execute planned installations. The fellow also will have the opportunity to collaborate with museum interpretation and education staff to address diverse audiences and formats. The appointee may assist project-related development efforts and also propose speaking engagements or public presentations related to their research findings. In the second or third year, the fellow will have the opportunity to propose an installation for the galleries, an online exhibition, or a touring show.

QUALIFICATIONS
The ideal candidate will demonstrate scholarly excellence and promise in addition to a strong interest in a museum career. A PhD in art history within the last five years is preferred; however, the fellowship is open to individuals with other academic specialties, such as African American and Women’s Studies. Applications are requested from scholars whose interests and areas of expertise align with one of the museum’s collection strengths:

  • 19th-Century Art: The reinstallation of the permanent collection will necessitate the re-envisioning of the Luce Foundation Center’s display of 18th and 19th-century American art. The goals are to use the Luce Center as an extension and expansion of themes central to the reconceptualized galleries and to explore additional themes and constellations of significant artworks. The fellow will be a full participant in the curatorial discussions of those themes, interfacing with curators responsible for 20th century, modern and contemporary holdings as needed, and conducting in-depth research on individual artworks, artists, and historical frameworks associated with their area of expertise. Those areas can fall anywhere within the range of 19th-century art from the Federal period through the Gilded Age.
  • Folk and Self-Taught Art: Since 1970, when it acquired and first exhibited James Hampton’s The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations’ Millennium General Assembly, the Smithsonian American Art Museum has been acknowledged as a leader in recognizing and repositioning folk and self-taught artists and their important contributions to American art. SAAM’s collection became internationally known in 1986 with the acquisition of the Herbert Waide Hemphill collection and has grown exponentially since 2012 when the museum hired its first full-time curator specializing in this area. Within the area of folk and self-taught art, and reaching into the broader collection as needed, the Luce Curatorial Fellow may focus on frameworks including but not limited to era, region, type of practice, and cultural significance, or consider a particular artist or cultural group in depth. The appointee will also assist on the exhibition project Amish Quilts from the Faith and Stephen Brown Collection, opening in Spring 2024.

HOW TO APPLY
The fellowship is categorized as a term trust position (IS-9, not-to-exceed three years) with a starting salary of $60,129 plus benefits and an allowance for research and conference travel. The Smithsonian offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, vacation and sick leave, holidays, and health insurance.

Applications must be received by Tuesday, June 1, and include:

  • A cover letter outlining the candidate’s interest in the fellowship
  • A statement of 750 to 1,000 words that describes the applicant’s area of research and how it relates to one of the two areas of curatorial focus outlined above
  • A published paper or other writing sample
  • Curriculum vitae with two references

Please submit applications to SAAMFellowships@si.edu.

All applications will be reviewed by a committee comprised of the chief curator, deputy chief curator, mentoring curator, and chair of academic programs. The fellowship must begin by December 31, 2021.

SAAM believes that recruiting and maintaining an equitable, inclusive, and diverse staff is critical to our mission. We welcome and encourage applications from qualified persons of color; who are Indigenous; with disabilities; who are LGBTQIA+; who are veterans; and/or with other underrepresented backgrounds and experiences. The Smithsonian does not discriminate on grounds of race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age, or disability.

The Association of Print Scholars’ 2021 Distinguished Scholar Lecture by Dr. Curlee Raven Holton (May 7, 2021)

The Association of Print Scholars extends an invitation to members/subscribers of ACRAH to its upcoming Distinguished Scholar Lecture entitled “Being an Artist, Printmaker, and Creative Collaborator,” to be delivered by Dr. Curlee Raven Holton, Director of the David C. Driskell Center at the University of Maryland via Zoom on May 7, 2021 at 3 PM (EST). 


Additional information about the lecture and the registration link is available online:

https://printscholars.org/rsvp/aps-sixth-annual-dsl-curlee-raven-holton/)

Job Posting: Program Coordinator, US Latinx Art Forum (application reviews begin May 1, 2021)

The U.S. Latinx Art Forum seeks a paid program coordinator to join our team and oversee the day-to-day administration of a fellowship program. 

USLAF Program Coordinator 

The Program Coordinator reports to the USLAF Director of Programs and serves as the day-to-day administrator for a fellowship program slated to launch in June 2021. The USLAF Program Coordinator serves as the main point of contact between the USLAF Director of Programs, institutional partners, fellows, and funders. 

This position is flexible and remote, with an anticipated start date of June 1, 2021. 

Required Qualifications: 

● Demonstrated knowledge of and expertise in Latinx art 

● Strong written communication skills 

● Strong collaborative and interpersonal skills 

● Prior experience working in the arts sector, cultural institutions, or non-profit organizations 

● Experience with public programming in remote and in-person contexts

● Ability to manage multiple projects and communicate effectively and tactfully with a wide range of stakeholders and participants 

● Proficiency with web content management systems and digital platforms 

Desired Qualifications: 

● Proficiency in one or more languages of the Latinx diaspora in addition to English 

Responsibilities: 

● Ensures efficient and courteous correspondence on behalf of USLAF pertaining to the fellowship program 

● Maintains documentation and file structure for all activities related to the fellowship program 

● Conducts research in support of the fellowship program 

● Consults with institutional partners to develop opportunities for public and inward-facing programming related to the fellowship program 

● Coordinates programming schedules in keeping with project budget 

● Ensures alignment on deliverables, implementation strategies, and reporting schedules for the fellowships 

● Responds to and liaises with communications teams as requested 

● Drafts interim and final reports and budgets related to the fellowship program

● Manages day-to-day communications, scheduling, and logistics related to the fellowship program 

● Maintains web and social media presence for activities related to fellowship program

● Collaborates to shape objectives of annual convening and oversees its implementation

● Coordinates travel plans for fellows and institutional partners 

● Compiles information for monthly digest of program updates 

Compensation: Salary range $35,000-45,000 plus funds to offset the cost of benefits 

To Apply: Send a cover letter, résumé, and contact information for three professional references to admin@uslaf.org by May 1, 2021. Review of applications will begin on May 1, 2021 until the position has been filled. 

About the U.S. Latinx Art Forum: USLAF is a national organization of over 450 members that amplifies and advances demands for equitable representation within cultural institutions and academia. USLAF achieves these aims through data collection initiatives that track the representation of Latinx art; resource lists featuring Latinx artists, art organizations, and digital platforms; meetings with stakeholders to understand the broad structural obstacles they face as artists, curators, educators, and cultural workers at multiple career stages; the Mazorca Initiative COVID-19 artist relief programs for USLAF members; and a membership portal that facilitates community building for Latinx artists and advocates 

USLAF is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

JOB: Visiting Asst Prof of Premodern Art & Architectural History @ Kenyon

Kenyon College, a highly selective, nationally ranked liberal arts college in central Ohio, invites applications for a one-year position in Art History at the rank of Visiting Assistant Professor beginning in July 2021.

Description

The successful candidate will specialize in the art and architecture of the pre-modern or early modern world (before c. 1800). Specialists in art and architectural traditions outside of Europe are particularly encouraged to apply. We are interested in teacher-scholars who can offer ways to engage with the Department’s Visual Resources Center, our Study Collection, and regional art museums in Columbus and Cleveland. The successful applicant will be able to teach broadly in their field, as well as one or more of the following areas: Pre-Columbian, Latin American, Native American, Oceanic, Ancient Near Eastern, or African art. The selected candidate will teach five total classes. In addition to teaching ARHS 110 Introduction to Western Art: Ancient to Medieval, and ARHS 113 Survey of Architecture in the fall semester, the selected candidate will teach three spring courses that emphasize their research and teaching specialties. Applicants should complement, not duplicate, current expertise of the department.

Application Process

To apply, candidates should visit the online application site found at:

http://careers.kenyon.edu

Applications must include: 1) a cover letter describing teaching experience, research interests, teaching philosophy, and information on ways that issues and practices related to diversity, inclusion, and equity have been or will be included in teaching, 2) a curriculum vitae, 3) unofficial graduate transcript(s), 4) a list of three references with detailed contact information, including email address (at least one reference must speak to the candidate’s teaching experience). Note: references will only be contacted for those candidates who advance to the latter stages of the search.

Review of applications will begin May 3 and will continue until the position is filled.

Direct questions to Austin Porter, Assistant Professor of Art History and American Studies, at portera[at]kenyon.edu

CFP” “Dark Amusements: Turn-of-the-Century American Spectacles and Race” @ SECAC 2021

Please consider submitting a proposal to the SECAC 2021 panel, “Dark Amusements: Turn-of-the-Century American Spectacles and Race”

The U.S. at the turn-of-the-century marked a period of profound technological and societal transformations. This session will examine the growth of spectacles in response to these sweeping changes. This marked a turning point in the U.S., where people’s interests shifted, as David Nye points out, from a fetishization of the “natural sublime” to the “technological sublime.” This change, spurred by the myriad inventions and innovations flooding the consumer market, led to new ways of seeing, and new forms of entertainment. These new forms of entertainment often took the shape of public spectacles and popular amusements. This session will examine how the burgeoning American spectacle culture celebrated American ingenuity, on the one hand, while simultaneously re-inscribing and reinforcing racial hierarchies. In the post-Reconstruction era, when white anxiety about the status of people of color within American society was at its zenith, spectacles were used to circulate and naturalize racist ideologies about white superiority. The repercussions of this expression of hegemonic power by European Americans will likewise be examined. Potential paper topics may include, but are not limited to, panoramas, world’s fairs, early cinema, vaudeville, minstrelsy, amusement parks, Wild West shows, or the perverse spectacles of lynching postcards and before and after photographs from Indigenous boarding schools.

SECAC 2021 in Lexington, KY – November 10-13
Abstracts due May 4. 2021
Conference and submission details can be found by following this link: secacart.org/page/Lexington

SYMP: Teaching the ‘Long’ 18th Century


https://virginia.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qPSWyVTlSzCdu6PkVWVUlw

JOB: Visiting Prof @ Portland State University

Portland State University College of the Arts and the School of Art + Design invite applications for the James DePreist Visiting Professorship. One of the first African-American conductors on the world stage, James DePreist helmed orchestras from Amsterdam to Tokyo and is credited with building the Oregon Symphony into one worthy of international acclaim. A National Medal of Arts winner, poet and educator, Mr. DePreist demonstrated a lifelong commitment to the power of arts education and the importance of equal access. This Professorship seeks to perpetuate his exemplary spirit by supporting inclusive experiences and diverse, non-western perspectives in art and design education.

The teaching focus of each new Professorship is determined by the current needs of the School of Art + Design in concert with the interests and expertise of the successful candidate. For the 2021-2023 position we seek a scholar with an active record and expertise in African Diaspora or Native American/Indigenous art history of any time period, including contemporary.

This is a 1.0 FTE, two-year position, renewable for a maximum total of four years. The position begins September 16, 2021.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Full-time Fixed Term position teaches 9 classes (36 credits) during the three-quarter academic year. Instructional workload reduction may be made to accommodate recruitment and outreach activities, advising and mentoring students, committee work, curriculum or special program development.

The successful candidate will have an active scholarly research agenda; a commitment to teaching the introductory art history survey as well as upper-division courses in the area of his/her/their expertise; and an interest in the possibility of engaging local collections of pertinent material, for example the Native American holdings of the Portland Art Museum.

To apply, please submit:

A letter of interest. 
A CV.
A statement of teaching philosophy.
A statement of research interests.
Evidence of teaching effectiveness.
Writing sample(s).
Full contact information for three references (including phone numbers and email addresses).

Review of applications will begin April 12th, 2021 and will continue until the finalists are identified. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

For further information, please contact Professor Alberto McKelligan Hernández at alberto6@pdx.edu or (503) 725-3366.

https://jobs.hrc.pdx.edu/postings/34365