The Cleveland Museum of Art – The Leigh and Mary Carter Director’s Research Fellowship

The Leigh and Mary Carter Director’s Research Fellowship provides art history graduates with an interest in pursuing a museum career the opportunity to assist the Director and (at his direction) members of the museum’s curatorial staff in scholarly, collection-, and/or exhibition-related research connected with projects undertaken by the Cleveland Museum of Art. The Fellow will receive work direction from the Director and/or the relevant curator and participate fully in the intellectual life of the institution. The incumbent will conduct in-depth art historical investigation connected with projects consistent with the museum’s long-standing reputation for scholarly inquiry and stature as a major international center for object-based study. 

The Leigh and Mary Carter Director’s Research Fellow will gain experience working with one of the finest collections and most accomplished curatorial teams in the country. Experience for a recent graduate or PhD candidate will include the opportunity to collaborate with museum professionals in the Director’s Office and Curatorial, Conservation, Library and Archives, Education, Exhibitions, and Design departments. The incumbent will also have the opportunity to hone their skills in research, writing, and public speaking. 

The Fellowship is a two-year position, with an option for a third year of renewal. Candidates should be recent graduates of an accredited PhD program in art history or a related field, or PhD candidates who have completed their coursework and exams who are writing their dissertations. Approximately 80% of the fellow’s time will be dedicated to work in support of museum projects; the remaining 20% of the time can be spent on the fellow’s own research or dissertation. Candidates should demonstrate scholarly excellence and promise and a strong interest in pursuing a museum career.  

While all those with an interest in the position are encouraged to apply, fields of academic specialization closely related to current museum projects will be of particular interest. Candidates interested in the arts of Africa or candidates interested in photography are especially encouraged to apply for the next fellowship.

Arts of Africa: A candidate for African Arts would be primarily responsible for assisting with the early stage research and administrative work related to an upcoming exhibition on the artistic relationships between northern and eastern Africa and the Byzantine Empire circa 300 to 1500. The fellow would also conduct research into the CMA’s collection of Northern African textiles. Additionally, they will support the curator with general exhibition and departmental work. Potential candidates with backgrounds in historical African arts (c. 300–1900 CE), or the arts of northern and eastern Africa will be given special consideration. Candidates must have excellent reading skills in French and/or German. Knowledge of Arabic, Coptic, Amharic, Gǝ’ǝz, Tigrinya, Greek, or Old Nubian are a strong plus. 

Photography: Candidates who specialize in the history of photography, with a particular interest in 19th-century European photography and/or photographs of India are of particular interest. The latter has been an area of focus for the museum in terms of collecting for several years, and the museum continues to collect robustly in this area, with the goal of planning for a future exhibition. 

Applications, including a cover letter that addresses the candidate’s interest in the position and the relevance of their experience to the museum’s collection, a curriculum vita, the names of three professional references, and a writing sample should be submitted by March 1, 2021. 

The CMA can sponsor visas for this position, and international candidates are encouraged to apply.  

Salary: $45,000 plus benefits