Belle da Costa Greene Curatorial Fellow at The Morgan Library & Museum
Job Title: Belle da Costa Greene Curatorial Fellow
Location: New York, NY
Salary: $52,000. Excellent benefits. Fellows will also have a travel budget of $2000 per year for research and for activities supporting their professional development, such as attendance at a conference. Starting date for the Fellowship is September/October 2025.
Description:
The Morgan Library & Museum seeks applications for the Belle da Costa Greene Curatorial Fellowship, a two-year curatorial fellowship to be awarded to two promising scholars with experiences and perspectives that have not been adequately reflected in the curatorial and special collections fields. Named for the Morgan’s first director, one of the most prominent American librarians and cultural leaders of the first half of the twentieth century and a woman of African-American descent, this full-time program will equip the Fellows with a strong working knowledge of museum and special collections library operations and provides the Fellows with resources and mentorship to further a professional career in libraries, archives, or museums.
The Morgan seeks candidates who are interested in working on specific projects as outlined below. The program will provide the Fellows with experience in a variety of core curatorial activities, such as exhibition and publications planning, research on the collection and on potential acquisitions, the creation of public programs, and donor relations. The Fellows will also have the opportunity to propose and curate an installation or small exhibition in the museum. Fellows join all departmental meetings as well as the Morgan’s Curatorial Forum, a monthly gathering of all curators and conservators. Regular interaction with colleagues in other departments, including the Thaw Conservation Center, will give the Fellows a good grounding in the key functional areas of a museum and special collections library. Travel funds will support the Fellows’ professional development.
Eligibility
Graduate degree in relevant field or equivalent professional experience required (see more details below). General qualifications include experience conducting archival research using primary sources, deep intellectual curiosity and versatility, and a demonstrated ability to work independently, collaboratively, and efficiently. Candidates should have excellent writing and public speaking skills
Project Proposals, by Department
Applicants for the fellowship should describe their specific interests in, and qualifications for one or more of the departments listed below.
Ancient Western Asian Seals and Tablets
The Department of Ancient Western Asian Seals and Tablets seeks a fellow to work closely with the department head on upcoming exhibition and publication projects. Exhibition projects will include planning and executing of outreach programs and writing and editing exhibition and communication materials. As collaborations with contemporary artists and various communities connected to the collections will be essential to these projects, we strongly encourage applicants who are enthusiastic and experienced in working with contemporary artists or who are artists themselves engaging with ancient western Asia to apply. Proficiency in modern languages spoken in the regions where the Ancient Western Asian Seals and Tablets collection originates, such as Arabic, Persian, Kurdish, or Turkish, will be beneficial in developing multilingual tours, classes, and other outreach and communication materials. Experience and interest in archival and archaeological collections are preferred.
Drawings and Prints
The Department of Drawings and Prints seeks a Fellow to catalog key areas of the collection, particularly the more than five hundred lifetime impressions of Rembrandt’s etchings and/or the extensive holdings of nineteenth-century French drawings. Duties include provenance research, drafting short catalog entries (to be posted on the Morgan’s website), and updating bibliographic information for each object. The Fellow would also have the opportunity to mount an installation, and would be expected to assist with all aspects of department curatorial work. Candidates should hold or be in pursuit of an advanced degree in the history of art (PhD preferred). Other qualifications include superior research and writing skills, reading knowledge of German, Dutch, or French, and a documented interest in works on paper.
Literary and Historical Manuscripts
The Department of Literary and Historical Manuscripts (LHMS) seeks a Fellow to work on the processing, study, and collection management of the Morgan Archives. Among her many roles at the Morgan, Belle da Costa Greene (1879–1950) served as the institution’s first archivist, preserving the Morgan family papers and institutional records that today make up the Morgan Archives. These collections are wide-ranging and include letters, documents, objects, photographs, drawings and prints, and printed books. They principally cover the history of the Morgan family; the historical activities of the Pierpont Morgan Library; the acquisition of art, books, and manuscripts for the library; and correspondence with scholars and dealers about the Morgan’s collections. Building on recent work to process Belle Greene’s professional papers, the Fellow would essentially serve as a processing archivist and document unprocessed collections by creating finding aids, rehousing archival material, and implementing collection management solutions to make these historical records more visible and accessible to researchers. The Fellow would also serve as an advocate for the Morgan Archives, answer reference questions about these collections, and give public presentations about archival material and the role of archives more generally. Candidates should hold or be in pursuit of an MLIS degree with a focus on Archives and Records Management (or a similar specialization in archives); a second degree (MA or PhD) in a subject relevant to the Morgan Archives, such as American history, art history, book history, or museum studies, is preferred but not required. Other requirements include excellent written and oral communication skills; facility with Microsoft Office and Google Drive/Docs; careful attention to detail; and experience creating archival finding aids.
Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts
The Department of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts seeks a Fellow whose primary duty would be to assist with exhibitions that will be presented during the two-year fellowships. These shows include, for the first year, “Sing a New Song”: The Psalms in Medieval Art and Life (fall 2025), Come Together: 3,000 Years of Stories and Storytelling (spring 2026), and Tarot! Renaissance Roots / Modern Visions (summer 2026). The Fellow would give gallery tours, research objects, and, by participating in all aspects, learn how the Morgan prepares and presents its exhibitions. Working with the department’s large collection of single leaves and cuttings, the Fellow would also potentially have the opportunity to conceive and mount a small installation. As a full member of the department’s curatorial team, the Fellow would also participate in all facets of its work, from cataloguing new acquisitions to networking with supporters. Candidates should hold or be in pursuit of an advanced degree in art history, medieval studies, or other related field (PhD preferred). Other requirements include a demonstrated history of the study of illuminated manuscripts and working knowledge of at least one of the following languages: Latin, French, Italian, German.
Modern and Contemporary Drawings
The Fellow will be involved in the preparation of the early stages of exhibition research and planning, including an upcoming show devoted to Helen Frankenthaler’s works on paper as well as several projects involving commissions by contemporary artists. They will also assist on later-stage projects including an exhibition on modern and contemporary artists working with Tarot that includes such diverse figures as Leonora Carrington, Remedios Varo, Ithell Colquhoun, Niki de Saint Phalle, Betye Saar, Dorothy Iannone, and Kerstin Brätsch. In addition, the fellow will be engaged in research on objects in the collection—updating exhibition and publication records, writing descriptions, and especially assisting with imaging needs. The fellow will also assist in researching potential and new acquisitions with an eye to areas of the collection that need development, and are expected to participate in the day-to-day activities of the department. They will have the opportunity to develop their own research around objects in collection and to mount a small installation based on their research. Candidates should hold or be in pursuit of an advanced degree in the history of art (PhD preferred). The successful candidate will have substantial knowledge of modern and contemporary art and excellent research and organizational skills.
Music Manuscripts and Printed Music / Printed Books and Bindings
The Departments of Music Manuscripts and Printed Music and of Printed Books and Bindings seek candidates for a jointly appointed fellowship position, to be primarily directed by the Department of Music. The successful candidate would assist with the planning and development of an exhibition on the history and cultural impact of ragtime. Exploring the fascinating story of one of the first international crossover moments in Black cultural production, this major exhibition of musical Americana will revisit the contributions of such major figures as Scott Joplin, Bert Williams, and James Weldon Johnson while introducing the public to lesser-known artists like Ernest Hogan and John William “Blind” Boone. This Fellow would work alongside experienced curators and researchers in a collaborative capacity by assisting with the finalization of the checklist, conducting and collating research for interpretation, providing research and editorial assistance for the exhibition catalogue, assisting with the organization of loan materials, and coordinating interdepartmental logistics. The Fellow in this position would also have the opportunity to inventory unprocessed materials in a major collection of music, including sheet music, printed scores, manuscripts, and other related ephemera. Candidates should read music, hold or be in pursuit of an advanced degree in music or a related field (PhD preferred), and have broad familiarity with American music history, though expertise in the ragtime era is not required.
How To Apply:
Fellows are selected on a competitive basis via an application process. All application materials must be in English. The following elements are due by December 31, 2024 via this form.
- A cover letter addressing the candidate’s interest in a Belle da Costa Greene Curatorial Fellowship in one or more of the Morgan’s curatorial departments (listed below). The letter should discuss the applicant’s interest and qualifications in the department or departments’ subject area in general, and in the specific project or projects on offer.
- A personal statement explaining how the candidate’s experiences and perspectives would contribute to the multiplicity of narratives in the museum and special collections fields in the future.
- A complete curriculum vitae, including language proficiencies
- A writing sample (in English)
- Names of three references
Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. The Morgan will notify successful candidates of their selection by March 2025