Curatorial internships and fellowships provide behind-the-scenes museum experience, access to myriad resources, and mentorship with the Art Institute’s distinguished curators—invaluable experience for pursuing a career within the museum field.
Andrew W. Mellon Summer Academy and Undergraduate Curatorial Fellowship Program
Established in 2013, the Andrew W. Mellon Summer Academy and Undergraduate Curatorial Fellowship Program aims to make a critical impact on American art museums by expanding the diversity of their curatorial staff. The program was originally implemented at five partnering institutions: the Art Institute of Chicago; the High Museum of Art, Atlanta; the Los Angeles County Museum (LACMA); the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH); and the Nelson–Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City. In the fall of 2017, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation generously approved a five-year renewal grant to continue supporting the Andrew W. Mellon Summer Academy and Undergraduate Curatorial Fellowship Program across the consortium of museums, with the addition of the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA). Each partner museum holds a world-class, encyclopedic collection that represents the broad range of artistic production across history and around the globe, and at each site the program is organized around two components: the Summer Academy and the Undergraduate Curatorial Fellowship Program.
Seeking to make a critical impact on American art museums by developing gifted curators who are committed to engaging with the full spectrum of museum audiences, the program provides specialized training for students across the United States from groups historically underrepresented in the curatorial field and those who support the goal of promoting inclusive, pluralistic museums. Students must be currently enrolled at a university, college, or community college, and, if selected, be able to commit to at least two years in the program prior to graduating. Applicants should express an interest in art, art history, or the museum field. In addition to having a strong academic record, a candidate should be able to demonstrate, through areas of study, extracurricular activities, background, or other experiences, how they will contribute to the program.
The Andrew W. Mellon Summer Academy is a weeklong intensive program exposing undergraduate students to museum professions through workshops, behind-the-scenes tours, field trips, and networking events. After completing the Summer Academy, participants have the opportunity to apply for a two-year curatorial fellowship.
The two-year curatorial fellowships provide students with hands-on experience inside a museum setting, working with curators and staff on exhibitions, collections, and programs. Fellows are matched with a museum mentor who works to enrich their academic experience and to increase exposure to the museum context while broadening a fellow’s understanding of art and art history. Fellowships include engagement during the academic school year and two consecutive summer internships.
Summer Academy
The Summer Academy is a weeklong intensive program exposing undergraduate students to museum professions through workshops, behind-the-scenes tours, field trips, and networking events.
When can I apply for this year's Summer Academy? Applications for the 2019 Summer Academy will be available in October 2018.
Who is eligible to apply for the Summer Academy? Undergraduates currently enrolled at a university, college, or community college
Undergraduates who, if selected as a fellow, can commit to two years in the program with graduation planned for May 2020 or a later date (typically a current freshman or sophomore and/or a nontraditional student with two years of undergraduate study remaining)
Individuals historically underrepresented in the curatorial field or those who support the goal of promoting inclusive, pluralistic museums. For more information, please view the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s 2015 “Art Museum Staff Demographic Survey.”
Individuals who are eligible to work in the United States
What other qualifications are preferred for the Summer Academy? Demonstrated interest in art, art history, or the museum field.
Enrollment at a university, college, or community college located near a partner museum: the Art Institute of Chicago; the High Museum of Art, Atlanta; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA); the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH); and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City (NAMA). **Please apply to one of the six museums, whichever is closest to your academic institution.**
Openness to the idea of pursuing a masters or doctorate degree in the arts or museum field
Should students attend a college close to one of the partner museums? Yes, this is preferred. Fellows selected from the Summer Academies for the Fellowship Program will be paired with a mentor at the host museum with whom they will work on projects and with whom they will meet regularly during the academic year and summer.
How many students will be selected for each Summer Academy? Fifteen (15) students will be selected for each Summer Academy at each museum.
Do I apply to the Summer Academy and to the Fellowship Program separately? Yes, but students must first apply and participate in the Summer Academy in order to be eligible to apply to the Curatorial Fellowship Program.
If I applied to a Summer Academy and was not selected to participate, can I reapply when there is a future Summer Academy? Yes, you may apply to the program if you still meet all the eligibility requirements.
How long is the Summer Academy? Summer Academy participants must spend one week at their host museum.
When is the Summer Academy? The Summer Academy usually occurs in June
When will students be notified if they have been selected to participate in a Summer Academy? To be determined for 2019.
Is there financial support available? Yes. Summer Academy participants will receive a $50 daily stipend. If students do not live in the location of the Summer Academy host museum, a modest travel and housing stipend may be provided.
Curatorial Fellowships
The Mellon Undergraduate Curatorial Fellowship Program is a two-year program providing fellows with hands-on experience inside a museum setting, working with curators and staff on exhibitions, collections, and programs.
Who is eligible to apply for the Undergraduate Curatorial Fellowship Program? Participants in a Summer Academy held at one of the partnering museums. After completing the Summer Academy, participants interested in becoming fellows will submit supplemental materials and have in-person interviews for consideration for the Fellowship Program. Learn more about applying to the Summer Academy here.
What other qualifications are preferred for the Undergraduate Curatorial Fellowship Program? Demonstrated interest in art, art history, or the museum field.
Enrollment at a university, college, or community college located near a partner museum: the Art Institute of Chicago; the High Museum of Art, Atlanta; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA); the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH); and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City (NAMA). Please apply to one of the six museums, whichever is closest to your academic institution.
Openness to the idea of pursuing a masters or doctorate degree in the arts or museum field.
How are fellows selected? Students must first participate in a Summer Academy held at one of the partnering museums. After completing the Summer Academy, participants interested in becoming fellows will submit supplemental materials and have in-person interviews for consideration for the Fellowship Program. Do I apply to the Summer Academy and to the Fellowship Program separately? Yes, but students must first apply and participate in the Summer Academy in order to be eligible to apply to the Curatorial Fellowship Program.
If I participated in the Summer Academy and was not selected to be a fellow, can I apply to a future Summer Academy? No. Students who participate in a Summer Academy may not reapply to the program but may be considered for different museum opportunities in the future.
How long is the Fellowship Program? Fellows can expect to spend two years at their host museum. During the academic year, fellows must meet with their mentors and with a local program coordinator on a regular basis. In the summer, fellows will have 10-week intensive summer internships. Fellows will also participate in a yearly national convening at one of the partner museums rotating annually and will engage their fellow participants across the country in an online community platform.
If I am selected, when would the Curatorial Fellowship begin? Curatorial Fellows begin their two-year fellowship the September that directly follows their Summer Academy.
Is there financial support to participate in the fellowship program? Yes. Once selected as a fellow, students will receive $4,000 during the academic school year to alleviate financial pressures that might otherwise require a student to pursue part-time work or work-study arrangements. In addition, fellows will receive $6,000 during the summer internships. A housing and travel stipend may also be provided to fellows during the summer internships.
It is our goal to stay connected to Summer Academy participants and to continue to provide critical auxiliary support in the form of career counseling, professional development, internships, and networking opportunities. We encourage Summer Academy students to consider themselves part of the museum network, as the weeklong intensive is merely the beginning of their relationship to the Art Institute. Cohort events are organized quarterly to keep our 45 alumni connected to the museum and to one another. Additionally, a Facebook group for alumni is regularly populated with arts opportunities, and one-on-one meetings for career and academic guidance are scheduled upon request.
More questions?
Please contact Felicia Mings, academic curator, Academic Engagement and Research, at (312) 443-3581 or fmings@artic.edu.
