Opportunity: Curatorial Fellowship, Hosted by Ferens Art Gallery, Hull
Posted by Sofia Landström • Monday, April 22. 2013 • Category: Jobs & OpportunitiesCuratorial Fellowship (East Coast), Hosted by the Ferens Art Gallery, Hull
Initiated by the Contemporary Art Society and Whitechapel Gallery
Deadline: 3 May, 2013
Contemporary Art Society and the Whitechapel Gallery
(September 2013–August 2014)
As part of the Whitechapel Gallery’s on-going programme to open up public and private collections, the Gallery presents a curatorial collaboration with the Contemporary Art Society. For a period of 12 months from September 2013 onwards, a series of four displays will draw works from collections held by the Contemporary Art Society’s membership of 65 publicly funded museum and galleries across England. Focusing on the North West, East Coast, Midlands and South the displays will use the founding principles of many of these institutions-philanthropic giving-as a springboard. Each of the four displays will then tour to a regional museum.
The four displays will be researched and conceived by a specially appointed curatorial fellow. From June to September the fellows will undertake substantial research into public collections. Within the broad theme of ‘Philanthropy’ they will each have a particular focus allocated for its specific relation to museums within the defined area. For the Fellow in the East Coast the focus will be to consider: the role of art schools as sites of making and production (recognising their particular relationships to past local industry).
The display should:
• Draw attention to and celebrate the wealth and particularity of regional art collections and their histories
• Open up a range of topics which have a resonance to a broad audience in relation to contemporary art nationally and internationally
• Generate interest in London audiences in the narratives of regional collections
Other outcomes include:
To write an essay for the catalogue
• To document any research so that it can be publicly available on the Contemporary Art Society website and museum collections databases/knowledge capture systems this might include any interviews undertaken with experts, artists, collectors or curators. The Contemporary Art Society will provide some financial support for this documentation.
• To play a key role in devising events for the public programme at the Contemporary Art Society, the Whitechapel Gallery
To participate in programme of evaluation
To contribute to the installation of the exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery as well as to a supporting public programme.
To contribute to the installation at Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art.
An additional fee of £1500 will be provided for this work.
Personal Specifications
Knowledge and experience
• A specialist knowledge and interest in the role of public and private collections in the UK arts ecology
• A specialist knowledge of contemporary art and a firm grounding in 20th century art history
• Experience of engaging audiences in art historical narratives through curatorial or academic work
• An awareness of the challenges, possibilities and opportunities presented when working with public collections in a curatorial capacity
• Four years minimum experience of working as a curator, preferably with a collection
• Awareness of issues relating to audience development
• Experience of generating ideas through substantial multi-disciplinary research
Skills and Abilities
• Ability to work effectively on own initiative and as part of multi-disciplinary team
• Ability to lead on researching, developing and delivering projects to a high level
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills
• Well organised and able to work on several projects simultaneously
• Ability to work to tight deadlines
•Ability to interpret the work of contemporary artists as well as art history and make often complex ideas clear to a wide audience
• ICT skills sufficient to use a word processor and a database package
• Ability to initiate partnerships and develop networks with other related institutions as well as museum professionals and professionals in other fields related to contemporary art Experience, Skills and Abilities that are Desirable
• Applicants must be able to show a sustainable interest in and dynamic sense of enquiry in to public collections of contemporary art
• Existing knowledge of collections in the East Coast of England
Education
•A Postgraduate qualification in a related subject: curatorial studies, museum studies, research, art history or other related subject.
Or
• A substantial period working as a curator working within the specialism of contemporary art.
How to make an application:
We welcome applications from curators who have not had previous experience of working with collections. It is important however to demonstrate an interest in working with collections that could be sustained and developed throughout the Fellowship and beyond.
Please complete the application form provided. This Statement of Application should be structured around the following questions and take full account of the details provided within this pack and the person specifications.
1. How would you apply your recent curatorial research and current interests within the context of this Fellowship?
2. What is your curatorial experience to date and how can you use this experience in your approach to the Fellowship?
3. What interests you most about the possibility of researching these collections and how would you approach the research?
4. Why is this an important opportunity for you and how would you use this experience in the future?
Please also include an up to date C.V. on no more than two sides of A4 and names of two referees.
Applications should be submitted by 5pm on 3 May 2013 by email to:
[email protected]
Interviews will take place on the 14 and 15 May at the Contemporary Art Society. If you would like further information please contact:
Lucy Bayley at the Contemporary Art Society [email protected]
Further information: http://www.contemporaryartsociety.org/news/article/three-curatorial-fellowship-opportunities-generously-supported-by-arts-council-england