Museum Research Worker jobs in Cleveland, OH

The Leigh and Mary Carter Director’s Research Fellowship provides art history graduates with an interest in pursuing a museum career the opportunity to assist the Director and (at his direction) members of the museum’s curatorial staff in scholarly, collection-, and/or exhibition-related research connected with projects undertaken by the Cleveland Museum of Art. The Fellow will receive work direction from the Director and/or the relevant curator and participate fully in the intellectual life of the institution. The incumbent will conduct in-depth art historical investigation connected with projects consistent with the museum’s long-standing reputation for scholarly inquiry and stature as a major international center for object-based study.

The Leigh and Mary Carter Director’s Research Fellow will gain experience working with one of the finest collections and most accomplished curatorial teams in the country. Experience for a recent graduate or PhD candidate will include the opportunity to collaborate with museum professionals in the Director’s Office and Curatorial, Conservation, Library and Museum Archives, Education, Exhibitions, and Design departments. The incumbent will also have the opportunity to hone their skills in research, writing, and public speaking.

The Fellowship is a two-year position, with an option for a third year of renewal. Candidates should be recent graduates of an accredited PhD program in art history or a related field, or PhD candidates who have completed their coursework and exams who are writing their dissertations. Approximately 80% of the fellow’s time will be dedicated to work in support of museum projects; the remaining 20% of the time can be spent on the fellow’s own research or dissertation. Candidates should demonstrate scholarly excellence and promise and a strong interest in pursuing a museum career. Generous funding in the amount of up to $7,000 will be allocated to the Fellow to support work-related travel.

In 2018, the Cleveland Museum of Art was the first art museum in the USA to publish a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan. The CMA recognizes that the museum is greatly enriched by the diversity of its staff and visitors; among the goals of the DEI plan is to recruit, mentor, and retain employees with diverse backgrounds and perspectives to ensure the CMA’s position as a global leader among museums. The CMA is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer with a strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. We prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, marital status or any other legally protected status. Members of all underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. This position will provide an opportunity for an emerging art historian with a diverse background to participate in curatorial work in the setting of an encyclopedic art museum.

While all those with an interest in the position are encouraged to apply, fields of academic specialization closely related to current museum projects will be of particular interest. Candidates interested in contemporary art or candidates interested in the history of photography are especially encouraged to apply for this fellowship.

Contemporary Art: Candidates with a background in African American art and global contemporary art are especially encouraged to apply. The fellow in contemporary art would be primarily responsible for supporting and contributing to all aspects of an upcoming career survey of Martin Puryear, co-organized by the CMA and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. As this exhibition spans Puryear’s five-decade career, it brings into focus the dynamic array of influences and ideas that animate the artist’s work, including African American history, global traditions of material culture, and the natural world. The fellow would also assist in developing an exhibition focused on the CMA’s recent acquisition of Emma Amos’s monumental portrait series The Gift (1990-94), which celebrates Amos’s personal community of women artists. There will be opportunities for the fellow to take the lead in shaping key aspects of both projects. Beyond these exhibitions, the fellow would support the Curator of Contemporary Art with general department work and other projects as they arise. Strong writing skills are essential, and experience working with art-related digital components is a plus.

Photography: Candidates who specialize in the history of photography, with a particular interest in 19th-century European photography and/or photographs of India are especially welcome. The latter has been an area of focus for the museum in terms of collecting for several years, and the museum continues to acquire robustly in this area. A third possible avenue of research would be assisting with the preparation of an exhibition of German-born Argentinean artist Grete Stern’s Surrealist photomontages known as the Sueños or Dreams; a reading knowledge of Spanish would be a prerequisite for that project.

Applications, including a cover letter that addresses the candidate’s interest in the position and the relevance of their experience to the museum’s collection, a curriculum vita, the names of three professional references, and a writing sample should be submitted by April 27, 2024.

Salary: $45,000 plus benefits

Start date: July 2024 or later

Full-time Benefits include:

• Partner level membership to CMA
• Free, unlimited admission to select Cleveland Museum of Art ticketed exhibitions (two adult member tickets per visit, subject to availability)
• 50% off admission to select ticketed exhibitions for members' guests
• Free admission to select ticketed exhibitions for unlimited children, 17 and younger, when accompanied by a member
• Priority registration and discounts for museum art classes for adults and children
• 20% discount in the museum store
• 10% discount in the museum restaurant and café
• Annual subscription to Cleveland Art members magazine
• Free Garage Parking
• Your employment relationship with the museum qualifies you for free or discounted admissions to other cultural institutions such as the Natural History Museum, Botanical Gardens, The Cleveland Zoo, etc.
• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance
• Voluntary Life
• Short Term Disability
• Long Term Disability
• HSA
• FSA
• 401(k) with company match
• Accident Insurance
• Critical Illness Insurance
• ID Theft
• Legal Services
• Pet Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Time Off