Research Fellow - Blaffer Art Museum

Department: Blaffer Gallery

Salary: $55,000

The Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston is seeking applicants for a non-tenure track Research Fellow. The Blaffer Art Museum is a non-collecting contemporary art museum that serves the University of Houston campus and the broader Houston community. Situated within Houston’s historic Third Ward, the museum has historically offered a dynamic roster of international artists their first U.S.-museum exhibition. Serving a campus community of more than 48,000 students, exhibitions engage with the thematic and research-driven topics relevant to our contemporary world. The museum’s full-time staff includes eight arts professionals and seven student interns.

The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Curatorial Fellowship is intended to support emerging curators as they develop their practice and expand their research. Fellows maintain regular office hours at the Blaffer Art Museum, where they support all curatorial and programming initiatives of the museum, in close collaboration with every member of the museum’s staff and student team. The Fellow supports the development and production of Blaffer exhibitions, remaining within budget and following all university protocols. The Fellow also develops academically rigorous and engaging public programs, aligned with the museum’s mission. The Fellow is part of a Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center Fellowship Cohort and attends related activities and meetings with other Fellows in the Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts.

Duration: 12-month, with the possibility of renewal

Hours: 9 am – 6 pm, M-F with some nights & weekends (40 hours per week), 12-month appointment

Salary & Benefits: The annual salary for the fellowship position is $55,000. The Fellow receives health insurance and benefits through the university system.

Job Duties

1. Assists the Jane Dale Owen Director & Chief Curator with the research, development, and production of exhibitions and accompanying publications for presentation at the Blaffer Art Museum, with an emphasis on contemporary, interdisciplinary artistic practice.
2. Communicates with artists, museum staff, university colleagues, and museum stakeholders to coordinate logistics of exhibition development, making sure all projects meet their intended goals and remain within budget and requested timelines.
3. Communicates with transparency and professionalism in all interactions, as a representative of the museum and the university.
4. Writes exhibition didactic and exploratory materials for a variety of publics and regularly leads exhibition tours for all exhibitions on view. The selected candidate will demonstrate exceptional writing skills.
5. Regularly attends Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center events and collaborates with other CWM fellows; represents the Blaffer Art Museum as a proactive collaborator with other departments within the Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts and the Houston community.
6. Supervises and mentors museum interns on all aspects of museum work and professional practice; supports museum docent training.
7. Develops research and writing that contributes broadly to the curatorial field, and particularly to Houston’s vibrant arts and academic ecosystems.
8. Makes an annual public presentation of ongoing curatorial and/or academic research developed during the fellowship. May propose exhibition programming at the Blaffer and in collaboration with community arts spaces during the Fellowship period and after.
9. Is a collaborative and collegial member of the Blaffer staff and represents the museum at professional conferences and local events.

Job Requirements Education: Requires a thorough understanding of theoretical and practical aspects of curatorial discipline. MA or MFA required, PhD in related field (Art History, Studio Art, Curatorial Studies, Arts Leadership, Arts Administration, Writing) strongly preferred.

Experience: Requires a minimum of three (3) years of directly job-related experience. Curatorial portfolio (3-5 exhibitions) and 3 writing samples (cumulatively no more than 30 pages) required for application.

Certification/Licensing: None.