knight curatorial fellowship

In March 2011, The Bass Museum of Art initiated the first of three, one-year curatorial fellowships focusing on contemporary art thanks to generous support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, as part of its Knight Arts Challenge.

Now in it’s second year, this Fellowship offers one emerging curator experience in working in a mid-sized art museum while performing curatorial tasks, working alongside other museum departments and dialoguing with artists, collectors and arts professionals in the Miami arts community. Among other responsibilities, the Fellow will conduct studio visits in Miami and assist in developing public programming to engage the art community. He/she will assist in the coordination of exhibition programming and contemporary artists’ projects, and facilitate educational programs for museum members.

“Connecting these curators from across the globe with Miami’s renowned contemporary artists will help to expand the reach of the community’s art scene,” states Dennis Scholl, vice president/arts. “We hope this program will encourage artistic exchange for years to come.”

“These three one-year Knight Curatorial Fellowships seek to enhance the curatorial dialogue in the Miami community, whereby artists, art professionals, collectors and art enthusiasts engage in critical conversations about art and cultural issues as well as promote an exchange of ideas,” states Silvia Karman Cubiñá, Executive Director and Chief Curator, Bass Museum of Art.

The Bass Museum of Art seeks one qualified candidate with some experience in the curatorial field demonstrating exhibition development and project administration. Fluency in English language is required, as well as excellent writing and interpersonal skills. Masters degrees or foreign equivalent are preferred but not required. Strong weight will be given to personal references and strength and creativity of sample exhibition proposal.

Application deadline: DEADLINE EXTENDED to January 15, 2012 12am/midnight

Please email the following documents, all in one email to Leilani Lynch at llynch@bassmuseum.org:
1) Cover letter explaining why you would be a good fit
2) A one page CV
3) Three personal references (name, affiliation and email). Do not email recommendation letters.

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FAQ about the Knight Curatorial Fellowship

1. Is the fellowship a full-time position, requiring residence in Miami? Yes.

2. What does the work entail? The Knight Curatorial Fellowship is designed as an entry level position to provide hands-on experience to a recently graduated aspiring curator. From the curatorial department’s perspective, it will provide exposure to museum management and operations required in the process of presenting an art exhibition, from curatorial research through putting up the last label before the opening reception, and everything in between. The Fellow will gain a better understanding about how to write grants, develop exhibition budgets, perform registration tasks, write press releases and work with the education department. One of the main responsibilities of the Fellow is to engage with and communicate with the artistic community in Miami, doing studio visits, visiting collections and promoting curatorial dialogue in Miami.

One specific project that is part of this Fellowship, for example, is ArtPublic, collaboration between the Bass Museum and ArtBasel, whereby the Fellow serves as the coordinating point person and liaison with ArtBasel staff for this outdoor public art exhibition.

3. Will the Fellow get to conceptualize/curate an exhibition? No.

4. In the e-flux announcement there is a confusing sentence. What does it mean: “Strong weight will be given to personal references and strength and creativity of sample exhibition proposal.” Please disregard the last part of this sentence, “and strength and creativity of the sample exhibition proposal.” This is a mistake. An exhibition proposal is not part of the initial application process.

5. What is the stipend? $40,000 per year, payable by check every two weeks

6. Does the Fellowship include health insurance? Yes. After the initial 90 days of the Fellowship, the museum offers the Fellow a health insurance option whereby the museum contributes 50% of the cost.

7. Does the museum provide housing? No. We can, however, recommend an apartment close to the museum that you can rent by the week while you search for a permanent apartment. You may even decide you want to stay in this apartment which is also available for longer-term leases.

8. Does the museum provide cover the flight to and from Miami from your home city? No.

9. Does the Fellow need to be a US citizen? Yes.

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Please click here to check out the Knight arts blog where current Curatorial Fellow, Kristin Korolowicz, recently posted about TC: Temporary Contemporary.