Opportunity - Curatorial Fellowship, Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts, deadline November 22
Posted by April Steele • Tuesday, October 4. 2011 • Category: Jobs & OpportunitiesThe application date for this opportunity has passed.
Program Dates: February 2012 – February 2013
Application Deadline: November 22, 2011 (postmark date). Email applications must be received by midnight.
Brooklyn, New York, September 20, 2011 – MoCADA is proud to invite submissions for its Curatorial Fellowship, made possible through the generous support of the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Lambent Foundation. The goal of the Fellowship is to cultivate emerging curators of African descent who are grounded in the belief of the power of art to transform individuals and communities. From an open competition, two individuals will be selected to come to Brooklyn, New York to participate in the year-long program. Selected fellows will be immersed in the conceptual and practical methods necessary in working as a museum curator and arts administrator within a community based institution.
Today, as in the past, many artists and arts organizations are deeply involved in the struggle for human rights. Through art, music, dance, poetry, filmmaking, writing, and other art forms, we inform and educate, raise the collective spirit, and inspire action for social justice. It is our goal through the Curatorial and Arts Administration Fellowship to train the next generation of politically and socially conscious arts leaders who will utilize their talent and training to create exhibitions, educational programs, catalogs and policy that will create a more equitable society.
The successful candidates will work full-time at MoCADA from February 2012 to February 2013. With the guidance of the Founder and Executive Director of MoCADA, Fellows will be taught the art of founding an institution and will work with staff to understand how a not-for-profit organization works ranging from public relations and finance to development and fundraising. Under the leadership of the Exhibitions Director, fellows will assist in all aspects of bringing MoCADA’s exhibition schedule to fruition and will be led through the process of developing a curatorial concept into an exhibition at MoCADA. Fellows will also participate in weekly discussion sessions, attend artist talks, and be introduced to MoCADA’s professional network through a schedule of site visits to local institutions, artist studios, and symposia.
All of these aspects will be integral to the fellows experience as they work to curate their own exhibition at MoCADA at the culmination of the fellowship. The program’s goal is to provide emerging curators with professional training to become socially, politically and aesthetically well informed, productive contributors to the museum field, and the field of art at large. As MoCADA continues to see tremendous growth it seeks to expand the scope of its exhibition program by creating a learning initiative geared specifically to burgeoning curators of African descent.
Application Requirements: Applicants must have a minimum of a BA or BFA in Art History, Studio Art, or other related field with a specialized interest in African/African American/African Diasporan visual arts.
MA or MFA preferred, but not required.
Applicants should have a record of achievement in community organizing/programming/events and have experience in working in a fast paced around the clock, team-orientated environment with impeccable social and professional skills. Fellows are expected to have a command of basic computer skills and applications and an affinity to social media outlets.
Application Guidelines: Applications must include a 300-word description of an exhibition idea. The description should include an exhibition concept or key idea, and any artists that the applicant is considering. Also required is a current resume, two professional recommendations (these can be mailed directly to MoCADA), a cover letter that outlines why applicants want to participate in The Curatorial Fellowship. This letter should also include a brief description of a recent exhibition that has made a lasting impact on the applicant.
Application Deadline: November 22, 2011 (postmark date). Email applications must be received by midnight.
Stipend: $25,000 stipend and a small travel allowance.
Program Dates: February 2012 – February 2013
For More Information / To Send Application Materials:
Ms. Kalia Brooks
Director of Exhibitions
MoCADA
80 Hanson Place
Brooklyn, NY 11217
No phone calls please
F: 718-230-0246
info(at)mocada.org
The Curatorial Fellowship has been generously supported by the Institute of Museum and Library
Services (IMLS) and the Lambent Foundation.
MoCADA’s mission is to rediscover valuable African cultural traditions that were lost through colonization and the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade and to foster a dynamic space for the creation of the continuous evolution of culture. MoCADA believes that the concept of the museum exists within its people and it is the museum’s goal to serve as a conduit for African Diaspora forms of expression ranging from the visual and performing arts to film and television with the goal of repositioning the continent of Africa and its people in both a foundational and central role in world development.
