Curatorial Fellowship at The Preservation Society of Newport
Job Title: Curatorial Fellowship
Job Status: Full-time
Location: Newport, RI
2023-2024 The Preservation Society of Newport County Curatorial Research Fellowship – Wild Imagination: Art and Animals in the Gilded Age
Job Summary
The Preservation Society of Newport County offers annual Residential Research Fellowships to scholars and emerging professionals, designed to provide dedicated time and resources for comprehensive projects relevant to the organization’s current needs in areas such as fine art, decorative art, material culture, landscape design, horticulture, social history, and historic preservation. The Preservation Society of Newport County Residential Fellowship is an opportunity to advance scholarship and gain specialized training/experience needed for future and emerging professionals seeking to pursue careers in academia, museums, historic preservation, historic houses and landscapes, or other cultural institutions.
Our Collections:
The Preservation Society of Newport County protects, preserves, and presents a remarkable collection of eleven historic house museums spanning the history of Newport from the Colonial period through the Gilded Age. Our properties include Hunter House (c.1748), Kingscote (1841), Chateau-sur-Mer (1852), Green Animals Topiary Garden (c.1860), Chepstow (1861), Isaac Bell House (1883), Marble House (1892), The Breakers (1895), The Breakers Stable and Carriage House (1895), The Elms (1901), and Rosecliff (1902). Housed within these architectural masterpieces are more than 60,000 artworks from all around the globe, dating from ancient times to the modern era.
Position Description
The 2023-2024 Curatorial Fellow will work closely with both the Chief Curator and Curator of Collections in support of the upcoming summer 2024 exhibition on art and animals in the Gilded Age. The exhibition will address important cultural themes through a range of fine and decorative objects as well as period literature drawn primary from the collections of the Preservation Society. Topics of research will include the intersection of animal representations with changing understandings of animal sentience, imperial expansion, the rise of the animal welfare movement, popular natural history, breeding and the pseudoscience of eugenics, nostalgia for a lost preindustrial age, fashion, and scientific and technological advancements in
deep ocean exploration. The Curatorial Fellow will perform archival and object-based research to explore Americans’ changing relationship with animals in the Gilded Age, a period that shaped our attitudes towards animals today.
Fellows must have the ability to complete research in a clearly defined area of study on a timeline that will result in regular deliverables. Additionally, all Fellows must present a public lecture and write a 2,500-3,000 word essay based on their area of research. Proven ability to work independently, organize and manage multiple projects, and meet rigorous deadlines is necessary, as are strong research, writing, and public speaking skills.
Fellows must contribute to the overall dynamics of the Fellowship Program through a high level of engagement with fellow scholars, Preservation Society staff, and peer institutions in and around Newport. As such, in addition to the formal research project, the Fellow will be assigned participatory assignments that fall outside the project or project scope. Thereby, a deep understanding will be gained that produces a holistic overview of the complex, yet essential, structure that allows non-profit institutions to offer truly compelling opportunities to diverse audiences.
Basic Qualifications
In order to be considered for the 2023-2024 Curatorial Research Fellowship, Candidates must have a MA in Art History, American Studies, Anthropology, Historic Preservation, Material Culture, Social History, or related fields. The degree should have been conferred within five years from the start of the fellowship. Doctoral candidates conducting dissertation research will also be considered for residential Fellowships
Additional Qualifications and Skills
-PhD preferred.
-Curatorial or related experience preferred.
-Dedication to exploring and promoting paths to understanding the social histories, individual works, and collections of the PSNC.
-Proven ability to work independently, organize and manage multiple projects, and meet rigorous deadlines is necessary, as are strong research, writing, and public speaking skills.
Application Procedures
Please apply online with a cover letter indicating interest and suitability and a résumé or curriculum vitae. Complete applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, starting March 25th. Zoom interviews will be conducted with preferred candidates by May 15th. Successful interview candidates will be asked to provide two academic or professional references, an academic writing sample, and one personal reference.
Selected candidates will be notified by June 1.
Additional Information
The fellowship term is September 3, 2023, to August 15, 2024. Residential Fellows receive $24,000 in annual compensation, dedicated research and travel budget, and housing at no cost in the Berwind-Stautberg Scholars Center.