Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) is offering a two-year fellowship in Photography Conservation. Please see the Announcement below.
To apply, please submit a statement of interest, C.V., and the names and contact information for two references by email to DWRCLunder@si.edu, with “2024 Photographic Fellowship Application” in the subject line. The deadline for application submissions is close-of-business July 15, 2022. Interviews will be conducted by phone in mid-August with a final decision anticipated by the end of August.
Announcement: Two-Year Bank of America funded, Post-Graduate Fellowship in Photographic Conservation at the Lunder Conservation Center:
The Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) is accepting applications for a 2-Year Post-Graduate Fellowship in Photographic Conservation in the museum’s Lunder Conservation Center, thanks to generous funding through the Bank of America. The fellowship will focus on the preservation of two recently acquired collections of significant photographic materials dating from the 1840s to the 1970s, comprised of early African American daguerreotypists, early photographs of diverse portrait subjects, as well as photographic objects related to abolitionists, and photographic jewelry. The collection requires professional museum conservation to stabilize and prolong the life of the artworks. Conservation research will be a vital component of the post-graduate fellowship, as it will broaden knowledge of the photographic techniques, materials and methods employed by these early artists and provide essential guidelines for exhibition display as well as preventive care and storage needs for each object.
The fellow will collaborate with SAAM Photographic Conservator, Curator, and Curatorial Research Assistance for the conservation treatments, preservation, and analytical and historical research on the artworks. They will also collaborate with SAAM’s registration department to catalog the components and perform condition exams on the two collections, along with researchers at the Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute (MCI) for the research and analysis of materials. Remedial treatments and interventions to stabilize the artworks will be included in the scope of the two-year project.
The fellowship is open to U.S. and international conservators with a Master’s degree in conservation from a recognized conservation training program. Candidates must have proficient English language skills (written and spoken). One of the missions of the Lunder Conservation Center is to serve our professional and public communities through outreach and educational programming. Candidates with experience or interest in public programming are encouraged to apply. Experience with Folk and Self-Taught Art and a strong background in preventive conservation is preferred but not required.
The fellowship includes an annual stipend of $57,000, with additional annual allotment of $6,000 in research/travel expenses, as well as up to $2,000 toward relocation expenses. The fellowship begins in October 2024 and is for a term of 24 months. SAAM fellowships are open to all persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, parental status, marital status, or sexual orientation.
