MillerKnoll Curatorial Research Fellowship at Cranbrook Art Museum – Museum Studies

Job Title: Curatorial Research Fellow

Job Status: Full-time, temporary

Location: Bloomfield Hills, MI

Salary: $35,600

Description

MillerKnoll Curatorial Research Fellowship – Cranbrook Art Museum

Cranbrook Art Museum is accepting applications for a full-time, paid, curatorial fellow to conduct research on mid-twentieth-century modern design. This is a unique opportunity for an emerging scholar with a passion for modern design, decorative arts, or architecture who will help shape our understanding of the role played by various designers, architects, and design companies in the evolution of what many now call mid-century modernism. A major thrust of the Fellow’s work will be assessing and reassessing the contributions of key figures associated with Knoll and Herman Miller. As such they will have special access to the collections and holdings of these companies and others.

The fellow will work closely with the museum director, chief curator, and archivists at MillerKnoll. The research is expected to culminate in an exhibition and/or publication and thus the fellowship period is for a three-year period (ideally August 2022 through July 2025) of work.

The successful applicant will become a key member of the museum staff. The intimate scale of the institution ensures that Fellows are exposed to all aspects of museum operations. Fellowships at Cranbrook Art Museum have attracted talented new curators who have gone on to lead curatorial programs in major museums across the country.

The fellowship is a full-time curatorial position that will:

In collaboration and cooperation with the curatorial and archival teams at Cranbrook Art Museum and MillerKnoll, co-develop and execute a research plan to support a potential exhibition and publication.

Conduct research on existing holdings as well as potential acquisitions and prepare related texts and presentations for Cranbrook’s acquisition committees.
Conduct onsite and offsite object and artist research and assist with display and interpretation within the museum’s innovative, open storage Collections Wing.
In collaboration and cooperation with the curatorial and registration staff, help develop exhibitions, including but not limited to checklist development, loan and contributor agreements, layout of exhibitions, primary and secondary research of artworks and artists for presentation.
In collaboration and cooperation with the project team and outside parties, help develop publications, including but not limited to manuscript writing, copy editing, fact checking, image rights acquisition, and facilitation of author and publisher contracts as needed.
Be required to travel off-campus collections and storage facilities as needed.

About Cranbrook

Cranbrook Art Museum is a leading venue for the presentation of twentieth- and twenty-first-century art, craft, architecture, and design. The Art Museum is located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, a suburb of metropolitan Detroit, on the beautiful 319-acre historic landmark campus of the Cranbrook Educational Community. The Art Museum’s sister institution is Cranbrook Academy of Art, a renowned graduate school of art, architecture, craft, and design, which played an important role in the development of mid-century modernism. In 2011, the Art Museum completed a total renovation of its original 1942 Art Museum and Art Library building designed by Eliel Saarinen and created a new Collections Wing, a purpose-built, state-of-the-art handling and storage facility for its collections, which allows for a curated and publicly accessible viewing of selections from nearly 7,500 works of art. It shares the Collections Wing with the archives of Cranbrook, which is part of the Center for Collections and Research.

Compensation and Residential Housing

The 12-month fellowship begins in July 2022 and continues through June 30, 2023. The fellowship is subject to renewal for up to three years, based on performance, allowing for the continued development and realization of the project. This is a temporary full-time (40 hour per week) position with annual compensation of $35,600 with an apartment (no smoking or pets) on Cranbrook’s campus provided at no cost for the duration of the fellowship. The position is also eligible for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Simply Blue medical plan.

Applications

Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled with priority given to applications received by August 5, 2022. Please send a cover letter (including interest in the subject, areas of research specialization, and career path and goals), résumé, at least two writing samples, list of three references with contact information (phone, email), and completed Cranbrook Employee Application (which can be downloaded from the Employment page of our website at www.cranbrook.edu) to:

Cranbrook, Human Resources, P. O. Box 801, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48303-0801, or email humanresources@cranbrook.edu.

Cranbrook is an equal opportunity employer.

Requirements

The ideal candidate should hold a PhD in architectural or design history or related field with specialization in early-to-mid-twentieth century modernism. At minimum, completion of M.A. coursework in a related field is required; familiarization and experience in archival research; document and object handling procedures; demonstrated research and interpretation skills; outstanding speaking, writing, and editing skills; attention to detail; strong working knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel); and collections database experience (TMS strongly preferred). Previous curatorial experience or internships preferred but not required. A commitment to the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access is fundamental. Knowledge of aspects of the Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop) are helpful, but not required. A valid driver’s license with satisfactory driving record and access to an automobile is required.