Job Posting: Lunder Conservation Fellowship at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington, DC)

The Conservation Department at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) is accepting applications for a Lunder Conservation Fellowship in objects conservation. The Lunder Conservation Fellowship provides the opportunity to further refine examination and treatment skills and to pursue collection-based research. The fellow will gain experience working in a collaborative museum environment, which has access to the resources at the Museum Conservation Institute and the larger Smithsonian research community.

The fellow will be encouraged to pursue avenues of research related to technical art history as well as aspects of conservation theory and ethics related to conservation treatments. A primary mission of the Lunder Conservation Center is to serve the professional and public communities through outreach, thus we especially encourage those interested in the communication of conservation practices and research to apply. The Lunder Conservation Fellow will have the opportunity to plan a professional outreach activity and to participate in some of the routine activities of the objects/paintings conservation department lab as part of his or her professional development.

The fellow’s own interests will help dictate the selection of objects to be treated and a research direction, and the incumbent may participate in work generated by the museum’s exhibition and acquisition schedule. There is the opportunity to treat contemporary as well as traditional artworks.

The fellowship is open to US and international citizens who have a Master’s Degree in Conservation from a recognized conservation training program and who have proficient English language skills (written and spoken).

The Lunder Conservation Fellowship includes a stipend of $32,700 and a research allowance of $3,300. The Fellowship is to begin in September or October and run for a term of 12 months.

To apply, please submit a statement of interest, a C.V. and two letters of recommendation to Tiarna Doherty at the address below (by email). The deadline for application materials is February 24, 2017. Interviews will be conducted by phone in early March with a final decision anticipated by March 31. Tiarna Doherty, Chief of Conservation, Lunder Conservation Center MRC 970 P.O. Box 37012, Washington DC 20013-7012email to: Dohertyt@si.edu; telephone: (202) 633-5802