Curatorial Fellowship

The Roy Lichtenstein Curatorial Fellowship at Columbus Museum of Art

Position Title:  Roy Lichtenstein Curatorial Fellow
Department:  Curatorial
Reports to:  Head of Exhibitions and Pizzuti Family Curator of Contemporary Art
Supervises:  Interns and Volunteers, as needed
FSLA Status:  Full-time, Exempt
Work Schedule:  Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Salary:  $37,000 annually, with benefits
Proposed Start Date:  July 1, 2020 or as agreed

Columbus Museum of Art is pleased to announce the opening of applications for the second Roy Lichtenstein Curatorial Fellowship. This two-year fellowship in the Museum’s curatorial department is funded by a generous long-term grant from the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation. The position is intended for recent post-graduates in art history or a related field anticipating a career as a museum professional. The Fellowship offers a platform from which to develop museum experience as an assistant on current projects, as well as the potential to develop new projects and programs with both scholarly and public impact.

The Roy Lichtenstein Curatorial Fellowship grant recognizes Roy Lichtenstein’s connection to the Columbus community and the formative influence of his years living in the city. The artist matriculated into The Ohio State University’s College of Education, School of Fine and Applied Arts in 1940. He received his BFA in 1946 and his MFA in 1949. He also taught studio courses in the School of Fine and Applied Arts between 1946 and 1951.

The Museum seeks a talented and thoughtful communicator with strong curatorial ambitions in the area of modern and contemporary art. The ideal candidate will use this position to meaningfully connect multiple partners, stakeholders, and audiences with artists, art works, and the ideas they embody.

In addition to the Museum’s Chief Curator, the Columbus Museum of Art currently maintains curatorial positions in the fields of photography and contemporary art, which encompasses art since 1945. Working with the curators, as well as colleagues at The Ohio State University and elsewhere, the Lichtenstein Curatorial Fellow will assist in the creation and implementation of exhibitions, public programs, and publications. Projects will include the reinstallation of a large share of the permanent collection at the Museum’s Broad Street location, as well as temporary exhibitions at the Pizzuti Collection of the Columbus Museum of Art on Park Street in the city’s Short North district.

The Lichtenstein Curatorial Fellow will also participate in the Museum’s Center for Art and Social Engagement (CASE) initiative. Working across the curatorial and learning departments, this project involves the thematic organization of works from the permanent collection to address social issues, using inclusive interpretation strategies to foster active engagement and the consideration of multiple viewpoints.

The proposed starting date for the Lichtenstein Curatorial Fellow is July 1, 2020.

Position Summary

The Lichtenstein Curatorial Fellow will provide curatorial, administrative, and research assistance to the museum’s curatorial staff in support of the Curatorial Department’s ongoing programs. The Fellow will work closely with the Curator of Contemporary Art and the William J. and Sarah Ross Soter Associate Curator of Photography and Head of Exhibitions on public programs, permanent collection matters, exhibitions, and publications. The Fellow may share responsibility with the Museum’s registrars in responding to general collection inquiries and overseeing research requests and scholars’ visits.   

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Assist in the research, development, and implementation of exhibitions organized by the Museum and its curators, particularly in the areas of contemporary art and photography. This may include drafting exhibition-related texts, as well as coordination of checklists, loan paperwork, written correspondence, photography and other forms of documentation.
2. Lead the development and coordination of selected public programs. Alongside internal museum colleagues, this may involve coordination with local colleagues and other outside partners.
3. Assist in the development and coordination of exhibition-related publications, including communication with authors, editors, designers, and publishing houses.
4. Assist in maintaining documentary files and answer research inquiries about collections and exhibitions.
5. Attend Committee on Collections meetings, take minutes, and provides administrative and logistical support for meetings.
6. Oversee and manage interns within the curatorial department.
7. Provide guest curators with in-house curatorial support.
8. Assist curators in the management of the permanent collection including installations, loans, labels, and text panels.
9. Provide curatorial support for the Museum’s docent and educational programs as needed.
10. Serve as liaison to donors and collectors as needed.
11. Communicate across departments to ensure that Marketing, Development, and Learning departments have access to necessary information as needed on exhibitions, programing, and collections.
12. Assist curatorial staff with administrative duties as requested.

Qualifications:

1. Master’s degree in art history or related discipline required, PhD preferred.
2. Relevant previous museum or gallery experience preferred.
3. Strong organizational skills, including ability to prioritize and maintain attention to detail
4. Proficiency with standard office applications and aptitude to learn CMA’s collection management software.
5. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. 

Performance Standards:

The Roy Lichtenstein Curatorial Fellow is expected to be:

1. professional and discreet in the performance of their duties
2. efficient and accurate in their work,
3. a team player who works well with a variety of staff and volunteers,
4. a skilled communicator,
5. comfortable working with the scholarly community, and
6. willing to take on additional responsibilities as needed.

Physical Demands:

The Museum is happy to offer reasonable accommodations for those with disabilities, but candidates will need to see, talk, hear, and manipulate computer software.

To apply, email the following Application Materials to employment@cmaohio.org or mail to Human Resources, Columbus Museum of Art, 480 E. Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio  43215.

1. Cover letter addressing your interest in the position and specifying your areas of research, relevant experiences, and goals for the Fellowship.
2. Full curriculum vitae of education, professional experience, honors, awards, and publications
3. Contact details for two professional references.

The deadline for all application materials, including letters of recommendation, is April 30, 2020.