Art Bridges Fellow at the American Folk Art Museum

Title: Art Bridges Fellow
Department: Curatorial, Collections & Exhibitions
Reports to: Director of Collections & Exhibitions
Start: February 2023
Job Type: Full-time (5 days/week); Fixed Term (three-year)

Overview:
The American Folk Art Museum (AFAM) seeks a collaborative and highly-motivated fellow to oversee the planning and execution of the exciting new Collection Loan Partnership through Art Bridges Foundation. This new role will partner with AFAM & Art Bridges team members to research, prepare and oversee the loan of works from the Museum collections to a series of borrowing institutions nationwide. The position will also support AFAM’s Curatorial Chairs and Director of Collections & Exhibitions in various initiatives, including exhibition research and the
management of AFAM’s diverse collections of over 7,500 works of art.

The Art Bridges Fellows Program is dedicated to creating diverse museum leadership with a national cohort of emerging professionals and mentors. With its partner museums, the foundation will establish deep career pathways for historically underrepresented groups in the arts. The Art Bridges Fellow at AFAM will attend two convenings in Bentonville, Arkansas each year, including a month-long residency and orientation from July 10 to August 4, 2023.  

Management of Art Bridges Collection Loan Partnership:
Serves as key Museum liaison with Art Bridges staff
Establishes and manages project deadlines; assists with the tracking of project expenses
Facilitates the assessment and preparation of objects for loan, addressing conservation and display/installation requirements in collaboration with other Staff
Collaborates with art handlers and Art Bridges staff to coordinate packing and shipping of objects
Prepares object cataloguing information; ensures consistency and accuracy of labels
Creates and maintains shared project files for staff use and eventual archiving
Documents loan-related data in TMS
Manages property documentation for Museum object collections including object files and loan paperwork
Researches content for object labels and liaises with borrowing institutions accordingly

Works with borrowing institutions to address questions and propose ideas for
programming content, sharing relevant information from AFAM’s own program and
exhibition history
Liaises with External Affairs team to meet needs for press and marketing
Works with Digital Assets Manager to prepare images and address copyright

Curatorial, Collections & Exhibitions Assistance:
Contributes to ongoing strategic goals for expanding knowledge of the AFAM collection,
including cataloguing, research, writing, and digitization initiatives
Organizes ongoing collection review projects, coordinating curatorial assessment of
objects for condition, provenance, and significance
Works with the Director of Collections & Exhibitions to maintain best practices for collection record-keeping
Assists the Curatorial Chairs in object research for exhibitions and the preparation of interpretative programs
Researches and responds to outside research inquires
Other duties as assigned

Qualifications:
2-3 years of museum experience, or equivalent experience in another cultural/arts
organization
MA degree or equivalent experience in art history, museum studies, material culture, or a related field
Exceptional attention to detail
Strong project management skills
Collaborative approach to communication
Creative and proactive problem-solver
interest in and commitment to Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI) in
the field
Knowledge of museum best practices with respect to packing, shipping, art handling, and collections care
Knowledge of TMS preferred
Knowledge of the fields of folk and self-taught art is a plus

Salary & Benefits:
Salary of $55-58K/annually, dependent on experience and qualifications

The American Folk Art Museum offers a robust Employee Benefits Plan, including fully paid single health insurance, generous Paid Time Off, and discounts on local transit passes

To Apply:
Application Deadline: Please submit materials to Eve Erickson, Executive Assistant to
the Director & CEO and Administrative Manager, at eerickson@folkartmuseum.org, by
December 19, 2022. Interviews will be conducted virtually.
Application Materials: CV; letter of interest; 250-500 word writing sample on an art
historical topic (for instance, in the form of an object label)
Candidates from historically underrepresented backgrounds in the museum field are encouraged to apply

COVID-19 Policy: American Folk Art Museum takes the health and safety of our Museum community seriously and as such requires all employees to be fully vaccinated with an FDA approved COVID-19 vaccine (two shots of Pfizer or Moderna or one shot of Johnson & Johnson) including at least one booster if eligible. Requests for reasonable accommodations for medical, religious, or other reasons will be considered in accordance with applicable law.

Equal Opportunity Employer
The American Folk Art Museum provides equal opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, pregnancy, alienage or citizenship status, marital status or domestic partner status, genetic information, genetic predisposition or carrier status, gender identity, HIV status, military status and any other category protected by law in all
employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, training and apprenticeship, promotion, upgrading, demotion, downgrading, transfer, lay-off and termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment.