Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in Art History Leadership

Job Description

Job Description

The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) and the Department of Art History and Art at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) recognize that the growth of effective museum and academic leaders does not stop at graduation.

Indeed, critical skills such as project management, effective administration, and leadership training, are often not integrated into graduate experiences.

The Mellon Foundation is generously supporting a Postdoctoral Fellowship to address these gaps. Through this position, the Joint Program between the CMA and CWRU will educate and better prepare future academic and museum administrative leaders early in their careers.

By working closely with leadership, staff, and faculty at the CMA and CWRU, the postdoctoral fellow will learn the academic and administrative intricacies of both museum and academic environments.

The fellow will play a key role as a member of the joint CMA / CWRU program as a liaison between the museum and university.

In this role they will coordinate CWRU’s instruction in CMA spaces, oversee the academic year internship program, and facilitate CWRU lectures and / or symposia held at CMA.

The fellow will also play a critical role in fostering an intra-institutional scholarly community by creating regular activities for CWRU / CMA interns to publicly share their research.

They will also work to strengthen the bridges between CWRU research centers, campus facilities, and CMA initiatives. Finally, the fellow will have the opportunity to help coordinate the next short-term Mellon Visiting Fellowship for artists, scholars, or other thought leaders at CMA.

Pending time and interest, the fellow may also work on a distinct project with a CMA curator in their area of expertise, or they might choose to teach an undergraduate or graduate course in the CWRU / CMA joint program.

Candidates are encouraged to use the fellowship opportunities to engage from a public humanities viewpoint with communities of color and other groups who may feel less connected to art museums.

The fellowship is designed to help the fellow to craft plans for personal and professional development and growth, including through executive leadership coaching from the CWRU Weatherhead School of Management.

The postdoctoral fellow will play a significant role in shaping the future of the CMA / CWRU partnership and obtain grounding for a successful career in museums and / or academic institutions.

The fellow will report to both the Director of Interpretation and Adult Programs at the CMA and to the Chair of the Department of Art History and Art at CWRU.

They may also work with curators, educators, and faculty in other areas of specialization, pending mutual interest.

Applicants should have received their PhD in art history or a related field no earlier than five years prior to the application deadline.

They should demonstrate interests in the intersections of museums and academic institutions. Applications should include a cover letter explaining the applicant’s interest and qualifications for this fellowship, together with a CV, a writing sample of no more than 20 pages, and contact information for three academic or professional references.

The two-year fellowship will provide a salary of $45,000 per year, plus benefits, and a $3,000 travel stipend per year. Candidates must be eligible to legally work in the USA.

Applications received by April 1, 2024 will receive full consideration, but applications received later may also be considered.

The fellowship will begin in either summer or autumn 2024.

In employment, as in education, Case Western Reserve University and The Cleveland Museum of Art are committed to Equal Opportunity and Diversity.

Women, veterans, members of underrepresented minority groups, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Case Western Reserve University and The Cleveland Museum of Art provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities.

Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact CWRU’s Office for Inclusion, Diversity and Equal Opportunity at 216.

368.8877 to request a reasonable accommodation. Determinations as to granting reasonable accommodations for any applicant will be made on a case-by-case basis.