Mellon Fellow for Native Art at the Philbrook Museum of Art

Job Title: Mellon Fellow for Native Art

Job Status: Full-time

Location: Tulsa, OK

Salary: $45,000 – $50,000

Description

*** Please apply on our website: https://philbrook.org/visit/careers/ and include a resume and cover letter. Apply by 8/1/24 to be considered. 

Institutional Overview

Philbrook Museum of Art is the leading cultural institution in the state, and last year welcomed over 160,000 visitors to its museum, historic 1920s Italianate Villa, and 25 acres of spectacular gardens in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The state is home to 39 Native nations—the most of any in the United States—and the city, which is at the confluence of Cherokee, Muscogee (Creek), and Osage tribes, has one of the highest percentages of Native populations in the country. 

Philbrook features a dynamic and ambitious program of rotating exhibitions and galleries with selections from an actively growing collection of approximately 15,000 objects. The collection spans approximately 5,000 years of global history, with artworks from Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe dating from 3,000 BCE to today. Strengths include Italian Renaissance paintings and sculptures, a growing contemporary collection, and renowned Native holdings, which comprises approximately a third of the collection and are complemented by robust Native Artist files. The diverse collection supports a vision of Philbrook as central to the lives of our community as a place for learning, inspiration, and fun. Through bold action and strategic investment, we create a space for new ideas, diverse perspectives, and social connection. 

Philbrook holds the visitor at the core of its mission, which is to make a more creative and connected community through art and gardens. Philbrook recognizes that integral to our own mission is to seek out, learn from, and support those already engaged in community building efforts. Our own efforts toward creating a safe place for belonging, learning, inspiration, and fun begins with transparency and accountability to our institutional values: 

Creativity: We regard learning, creativity, and the investigation of ideas as a vital, life-long pursuit. We advocate for inquiry, debate, play, experimentation, and collaboration in all our activities, programs, and practices. 

Wellbeing: We believe art and gardens are essential to the physical and emotional wellbeing of our community. We create and support opportunities for relaxation, inspiration, reflection, exercise, and fun. 

Relevance: We embrace our role as civic influencers to spark dialogue and promote positive change; increase access to diverse ideas, cultures, and perspectives; champion social justice; and be relevant and welcoming to all. 

Sustainability: We strive to employ sustainable practices to preserve our collection, campus, and environment for future generations. We exercise fiscal responsibility to ensure short- and long-term viability and maximize our impact. 

Position Overview

Philbrook Museum of Art seeks applications for a two-year appointment as Mellon Fellow for Native Art. The Fellow will play a key role in a highly creative workplace, joining a team of three curators particularly focused on Native and Contemporary collections. Native art has long been a cornerstone of the Museum’s program, which includes acquisitions, exhibitions, and commissioned projects, as well as engagement with artists, history, and our community through interdisciplinary programming. 

The Mellon Fellow for Native Art will play a pivotal role in the Museum’s efforts to expand the canon of modern & contemporary art beyond traditional Western narratives and perspectives through collections, exhibitions, and programs. Working closely with the Assistant Curator of Native Art and under the supervision of the Chief Curator & Nancy E. Meinig Curator of Modern & Contemporary Art, the Mellon Fellow will be a key contributor to the Museum’s Native initiatives, which may include shaping and administrating: assessment of Native collection, NAGPRA research and communication, and development of the Native Advisory Committee. The Fellow will also undertake research and projects that expand the impact of the collection, including producing new installations, didactics, and programs, and preparing for exhibitions and efforts to reinstall the collection. 

Essential Responsibilities

  • Collection Research & Stewardship: In collaboration with the team and in particular the Assistant Curator for Native Art, the Fellow will contribute to the comprehensive assessment of Philbrook’s collections and acquisitions specifically with respect to Native art and the Native Artist Files. This may include verifying, correcting, and augmenting records and supporting the return of objects to Native communities. This project will involve research, liaising with colleagues, consultants, and community members, as well as serving as project manager. 
  • Native Advisory Committee: In collaboration with the team and in particular the Assistant Curator for Native Art, the Fellow will support efforts to develop a Native Advisory Committee to inform decisions within the department and across the Museum. 
  • Research & Exhibition Development: Working in conjunction with the Curator of Native American Art, conduct research on collection items under consideration for a major traveling exhibition drawn from the permanent collection. Work with Native Advisory Council members to select objects for the exhibition and for related installations within the Museum. Participate in collaboratively planning collection reinstallations and developing interpretive and didactic materials.
  • Outreach & Visibility: Nurture mutually beneficial relationships with artists, gallerists, donors, collectors, critics, and other colleagues locally and nationally. Stay current with the field of Indigenous art, including new and emerging artists as well as broader trends and developments in the field. Participate in planning and presenting programming related to Museum’s donor and collecting groups.
  • Public Programming: Develop and support innovative programs each year geared toward a broad general audience and in alignment with the institutional mission and vision. Present information to docents, collectors, interest groups, or other organizations in the form of lectures, tours, and public programs within field of expertise.
  • Evaluation: Embrace the evolving relationship between museums and their audiences and use evaluative methods to better understand and serve those audiences. Participate in evaluation of programs on an ongoing basis and respond appropriately to feedback to ensure a successful process of continual improvement.
  • Collaboration & Administration: Collaborate across the institution to support efforts in fundraising, education, collection care, programming, public relations, and communications. Supervise interns and volunteers working with the Native art collection.

 

Requirements

The ideal candidate has a background in Native art, is committed to an audience-centered curatorial practice, is a strong researcher, writer, and administrator, and appreciates working within an organizational structure that values collaboration, teamwork, and creativity. Applicants affiliated with an Indigenous community are encouraged to apply.  

Equivalent Education/Experience

  • Bachelor’s degree in Native American / Indigenous studies, anthropology, art, art history, education, film, interdisciplinary studies, visual culture, or related field; Master’s preferred. Relevant experience may be substituted for a degree.
  • At least one year of experience in a related position in a museum, gallery, research setting or as a community organizer working in arts and culture.

Knowledge/Skill/Ability

  • Knowledgeable about best practices with respect to Native art and working with Native communities. 
  • Highly articulate, with excellent writing and public speaking skills. Able and willing to engage a broad range of constituents, including community members, academic audiences, general visitors, artists, collectors, dealers, and potential donors
  • Creative, open-minded, and committed to innovative museum practice
  • Flexible and goal-oriented, with the ability to handle constantly changing priorities
  • Welcomes ideas from unconventional sources
  • Demonstrates keen cultural sensitivity
  • Diplomatic, kind, and gracious, with a sense of humor and innate curiosity
  • Some familiarity with museum practices, including one or more of the following areas: collections care, exhibition development, interpretation, and community consultations
  • Excels at self-directed research and project management. 
  • Comfortable with personal computers and social media, including word processing, digital imaging, and database applications
  • Able to represent the Museum while traveling and attending events. 
  • Able to work occasional evenings and weekends to support programs and events institution-wide. 

Salary & Benefits

  • Paid Time Off and Holidays
  • Health Insurance Benefits – Medical, Life, Dental, Vision
  • 403(b) Retirement  Plan

Pay range – $45-50k 

Philbrook provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.   

Applicants affiliated with an Indigenous community are encouraged to apply.

Apply via AAM