The Art Gallery of Ontario is seeking applicants for a two-year Curatorial Fellowship in the Decorative Arts.
MARIE ZIMMERMANN CURATORIAL FELLOW
(35 hours per week)
Through the generous funding of the Decorative Arts Trust, the Marie Zimmermann Curatorial Fellow will join an ongoing project at the museum to study and catalogue our important collection of historic picture frames. Drawn from across Europe from the late 1400s to late 1900s, and numbering over 1,000 frames, the collection is one of the largest in North American museums and serves as an essential study collection for the history of this artform.
About the Fellowship
– The Fellowship is designed to provide mentorship and on-the-job practical training to equip the fellow with skills necessary to enter the job market for a career in museums.
– The Fellow will work alongside the Frames Conservation Fellow to catalogue the historic frames collection
– After attending the AGO’s May 2024 Conference on the History and Conservation of Frames, the Fellow will assist in editing the papers for publication
– The Fellow will liaise with colleagues in Registration and Digital to make digitized frame information available online and to build a new program around the lending of frames to other museums around the world
– Assists with our reframing initiative by identifying new matches between paintings and historic frames from the AGO collections
– Researches potential acquisitions of historic frames and helps to identify potential future de-accessioning of historic frames from the collection
– The Fellow will also gain experience through broader department and museum activities. A vibrant cohort of curatorial and conservation fellows works at the museum and the group will meet with leaders from different divisions within the museum to learn about many aspects of how our institution functions, and about different career paths within museums.
Relevant Skills:
– PhD or ABD (all requirements toward the completion of a PhD with the exception of dissertation submission) in art history or a related humanities field
– Expertise in an area directly related to decorative arts, furniture, or sculpture made in European between 1500 and 1900.
– Excellent analytical and writing skills; experience in writing for different purposes and broad audiences.
– Demonstrated experience in speaking and writing about art to specialized audiences as well as broader publics.
– Experience with decorative arts an asset.
– Minimum 1 year of related experience working within a curatorial department at a museum, an auction house, or art dealer
– Well-developed organizational, interpersonal and public relations skills.
Compensation and Benefits
– The successful candidate will receive a $45,000.00 USD stipend annually, paid in CAD. This is subject to income tax.
– The fellow will receive a stipend to cover health insurance for the period of the fellowship.
– The fellow will receive 10 days of vacation per year.
Application materials
– Cover letter introducing yourself, your academic trajectory, and your interest in frames and decorative arts more broadly
– Curriculum Vitae
– Two letters of recommendation from a University Professor or museum professional. Recommendations should be sent to european@ago.ca by February 16, 2024.
Eligibility:
– Preference is given to candidates who are Canadian citizens or currently eligible to work in Canada.
– International applicants must be eligible through International Experience Canada https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/iec.html
– You can determine your eligibility for these programs here: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/iec.html
-Or, for US residents, through SWAP Working Holidays https://swap.ca/ or InterExchange https://www.interexchange.org/programs/travel-experiences-for-u-s-residents/work-travel-canada or another Recognized Organization (R.O.).