Museum Fellows
Program
RISD MUSEUM FELLOWS PROGRAM
Theory and History of Art and Design Concentrators have the opportunity to engage in collaborative learning experiences through semester-long fellowships at the RISD Museum. In conjunction with the RISD Museum of Art, THAD allows selected concentrators to participate in the Museum Fellows program, which offers a firsthand look at a range of museum professions, along with a rare level of access to the museum’s diverse collections. Museum Fellows complete a semester-long apprenticeship with a specific department at the RISD Museum. The positions carry course credit, require significant time commitments (about 8-9 hours per week), and involve serious engagement in the real work of curators, conservators, registrars, and educators.
The Museum Fellows program enables both undergraduate and graduate students to experience the behind-the-scenes workings of a significant art museum while also learning the finer points of handling sensitive and valuable art objects.
2024-2025 Fellowships
Application Deadline: March 1, 2024 5:00 PM
The following positions are available for the academic year 2024-25. The Department of Theory and History of Art and Design invites all eligible concentrators to apply to the Museum Fellows Program (eligibility guidelines are defined below). For a list of all application material please see below. All eligible applicants will receive consideration without discrimination based upon race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, or any other protected category.
FALL 2024
Curatorial
Prints, Drawings, and Photographs
1 Fellow
The fellow will learn to handle works of art and use the collection database. The fellow will also assist students in accessing works of art during the department's open hours (Wednesdays and Fridays, 10 am-12:30 pm) along with retrieving and returning works of art for classes. In addition, the fellow will learn to catalog (record, enter, and track) works of art, especially as new gifts and purchases enter the collection. The fellow may be asked to conduct basic research on objects in the collection or for departmental exhibitions. The ideal candidate is detail oriented, with strong research, writing, and organizational skills, and is comfortable working with their hands.
6 hrs/week
Reports to Conor Moynihan (Assistant Curator and Acting Department Head, Prints, Drawings & Photographs)
FALL 2024
Education
Public Programs
1 Fellow
The fellow will assist in the creation and implementation of interdisciplinary public programs related to works on view in the galleries. The fellow will gain an understanding of object-centered, adult-focused, informal learning, along with the tools and methods used in researching program impact. Previous experience working with the public is necessary. A strong candidate has an interest in museums, teaching strategies, and possesses strong verbal and written communication skills.
6 hrs/week
Reports to Deb Clemons (Director, Public Programs)
FALL 2024
Education
Family & Teen Programs
1 Fellow
The fellow will learn to connect the museum to family audiences through programming and interpretive materials. The fellow will gain an understanding of gallery-based learning and programs in museums and the tools and methods used in researching program impact. Previous experience working with children is necessary. A strong candidate has an interest in community learning and possesses strong verbal and written communication skills and some familiarity with art.
6 hrs/week
Reports to Christina Alderman (Director, Family and Teen Programs) and Kate Hao (Public Programs Coordinator)
FALL 2024
Curatorial
Contemporary Art
1 Fellow
The fellow will assist in providing research on prospective additions to the contemporary art collection and on works in the collection being considered for forthcoming presentations and/or based on requests from other museums. The fellow will also assist with ongoing collection management and cataloging, including a large-scale collections and exhibitions file digitization project. Further duties may include providing research for exhibitions and projects to be determined. The ideal candidate is detail oriented and possesses strong research, writing and organizational skills.
6 hrs/week
Reports to Gabrielle Walker (Nancy Elizabeth Prophet Curatorial Assistant)
SPRING 2025
Conservation
Costume & Textiles
1 Fellow
The Costume and Textiles collection contains more than 30,000 objects and includes textiles, clothing, and fashion items from 1500 BCE to the present. The THAD fellow will assist conservation staff with caring for the costume and textile collection and will be introduced to conservation theory and techniques, including hand-stitching, vacuuming, and other treatments. Tasks may include rehousing garments in storage, preparing works of art to go on display, and closely examining objects to document damage in reports. Strong candidates will be curious researchers with an interest in the care of museum collections; some familiarity with the history of costume and textiles is preferred.
6 hrs/week
Reports to Anna Rose Keefe (Assistant Conservator) and Jess Urick (Associate Conservator)
SPRING 2025
Education
Public Programs
1 Fellow
The fellow will assist in the creation and implementation of interdisciplinary public programs related to works on view in the galleries. The fellow will gain an understanding of object-centered, adult-focused, informal learning, along with the tools and methods used in researching program impact. Previous experience working with the public is necessary. A strong candidate has an interest in museums, teaching strategies, and possesses strong verbal and written communication skills.
6 hrs/week
Reports to Deb Clemons (Director, Public Programs)
SPRING 2025
Education
Family & Teen Programs
1 Fellow
The fellow will learn to connect the museum to family audiences through programming and interpretive materials. The fellow will gain an understanding of gallery-based learning and programs in museums and the tools and methods used in researching program impact. Previous experience working with children is necessary. A strong candidate has an interest in community learning and possesses strong verbal and written communication skills and some familiarity with art.
6 hrs/week
Reports to Christina Alderman (Director, Family and Teen Programs) and Kate Hao (Public Programs Coordinator)
SPRING 2025
Conservation
Paper Preservation
1 Fellow
The fellow will assist with ongoing collection care and collection management. The fellow will be trained in appropriate conservation handling skills and will learn to retrieve and return objects in storage, prepare works from the collection for exhibitions, create protective supports and enclosures, and assist with the cleaning and ongoing organization of the conservation studio. The ideal candidate is comfortable working with their hands, detail oriented, and observant.
6 hrs/week
Reports to Christin FitzGerald (Paper Preparator, Prints, Drawings, and Photographs).
How to Apply
Application Material and definitions
Application Material
An application to the RISD Museum requires the following material:
1) Application Form
All applicants to the Museum Fellows Program must request the application form on this website. Those eligible will receive a PDF form, which they need to fill out and upload before the deadline with all other required application material listed on this website.
All application material must follow the file naming convention explained on the application form.
2) Cover Letter
Your cover letter should include a short statement of purpose detailing why you are interested in the RISD Museum Fellows Program. It should also state how you imagine the fellowship to contribute to your overall education at RISD and your studies in your THAD concentration. In the order of your preference, list three Museum Departments in which you wish to work and provide a paragraph for each position explaining how it is related to your studio practice and concentration. The cover letter must not exceed two pages. It must be in letter size (8.5 × 11 in.), with a minimum of 1-inch margin from each side, typed in 12pt Times New Roman or any equivalent Serif font, single-spaced, less than or equal to 5 MB in size, and uploaded to the website as a PDF file.
3) Current Transcripts
Applicants are required to provide a copy of their most recent transcripts.
4) Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Applicants are required to provide a copy of their most recent curriculum vitae (CV, Resumé). Your curriculum vitae should not exceed 3 pages and 1 MB in size. Please refrain from including any personal information on your CVs.
5) A Writing Sample
You may choose a paper you have written for a THAD course or any other writing sample to upload with your application. Your writing sample must not exceed 12 pages. It must be in letter size (8.5 × 11 in.), double-spaced, with a minimum of 1-inch margin from each side, typed in 12pt Times New Roman or any equivalent Serif font, less than or equal to 5 MB in size, and uploaded to the application site as a PDF file.
Online Application
In order to apply to the RISD Museum Fellows Program, applicants who are current THAD concentrators in good academic standing (definition below) must submit an online request in order to receive an application form.
Application cycle begins in early February each year and closes on March 1st of the same year for admission to the program in the following academic year.
You will be given the chance to choose three museum departments in order of preference on your online application. Please note that since there is only a limited number of positions available per department, students may be assigned to interview in a department outside of their preference.
Museum Fellowship Credit
All Museum Fellows receive 3-credits that counts toward both their degree and their concentration in THAD. Three credits translates to a minimum of 9 hours commitment to the RISD Museum Department in which you are placed as a fellow.
Eligibility
All THAD concentrators in “good academic standing” are eligible to apply for a RISD Museum fellowship. Fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis and they are not guaranteed to every qualified applicant.
Good Academic Standing
Students who have a GPA of 3.0 and by the end of this academic year have completed Introductory courses, i.e., Introduction to History of Art and Visual Culture (H101 and H102), as well as at least 3 electives (for all of which the grades received must be above C+) are in “good academic standing.”
In special circumstances an applicant who is not in “good academic standing” might be eligible to apply to the Museum Fellowship Program. Such applicants must use the application form request page to present a compelling case for their eligibility to the concentration coordinator prior to the application period (February 1 to March 1) and obtain the coordinator’s permission to apply.