The Art Institute of Chicago shares its singular collections with our city and the world. We collect, care for, and interpret works of art across time, cultures, geographies, and identities, centering the vision of artists and makers. We recognize that all art is made in a particular context, demanding continual, dynamic reconsideration in the present. We are a place of gathering; we foster the exchange of ideas and inspire an expansive, inclusive understanding of human creativity.
Position Summary
Under the direction of the Associate Curator in Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium (AAMB), the Fellow assists with research and writing related to Byzantine textiles and objects. This includes research related to future projects such as temporary or online exhibitions as well as the permanent installation, labels, CITI updates, web records, and inquiries from the public. This is a full-time, two-year position.
RESPONSIBILITIES
In consultation with the Associate Curator, the Chair of AAMB, and the Chair of Textiles, undertakes research and writing on examples of Byzantine textiles and objects in the Art Institute’s permanent collections of textiles and ancient Mediterranean and Byzantine art, respectively.
Enters and ensures accuracy of information presented in the galleries, online, and in the museum’s object files and CITI and NetX databases; assists with metadata tagging in CITI; generates and verifies histories of exhibition, publication, and ownership; fields requests for assistance from scholars and the general public pertaining to Byzantine holdings.
Assists in the development of a plan for future rotations of Byzantine textiles within the Mary and Michael Jaharis Galleries of Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Art; compiles a report summarizing the approaches that museums have adopted for integrating and creating connections between textiles and other media in their permanent collection displays.
In collaboration with Textiles and Textiles Conservation, performs an initial assessment of the collection of Byzantine textiles, which will culminate in a “State of the Collection” report; develops a strategy and schedule for research and documentation of the collection.
In collaboration with Interpretation, Experience Design, Learning and Public Engagement, Imaging, and Publishing, develops a proposal for digital labels or other digital content on Byzantine textiles for the museum website.
Compiles list of potential loans from relevant institutional collections including up-to-date research and drafts of loan justifications.
Attends virtual and in-person scholarly symposia, conferences, and lectures related to project research as current global and national health regulations allow.
Supports the department and the museum in the work of creating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable institution.
Performs other duties as required.
While the Fellow’s home base will be the curatorial department of Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium, fellowship activities will be performed in collaboration with many other departments at the museum, including Conservation, Imaging, Publishing, Digital Experience, and Academic Engagement and Research. The fellow will belong to the museum’s larger cohort of predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows at the museum, which provides opportunities for network building, professional development support, and shared programming.
ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT
The Art Institute’s Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium department showcases the origins and early development of Western art from the dawn of the third millennium BCE to the time of the great Byzantine Empire. It includes examples of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman sculpture in stone, clay, and bronze, as well as coins, glass, jewelry, vases, and mosaics of outstanding quality and interest. There are some 2,300 works of ancient Mediterranean art in the department’s holdings: a strong collection of Greek vases, particularly red-figure technique pieces; Greek and Roman coins, stone sculpture, and jewelry.
The Art Institute’s Textiles department holds more than 13,500 objects ranging in date from 300 BCE to the present. It is a collection with a global reach, including printed furnishing and dress fabrics, European tapestries and vestments, Turkish velvets, Greek embroideries, pre-Columbian textiles from many early Andean cultures, a wide range of Asian textiles, notably Japanese kimonos and fukusa from the 18th to 20th centuries, and an array of works from modern and contemporary artists such as Henri Matisse, Anni Albers, Sheila Hicks, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Roberto Burle Marx, and Rahul Jain. We continue to build the collection through carefully selected and considered gifts and purchases.
Qualifications
M.A. in Art History, Ph.D. or ABD strongly preferred; specialization in Byzantine art required, preferably with a knowledge of the production and use of textiles in the ancient Mediterranean and Byzantine worlds.
Candidates from historically underrepresented groups in the curatorial field are especially encouraged to apply.
Reading knowledge of at least one foreign language, German preferred.
Impeccable research skills and a record of object-based inquiry.
Highly detail-oriented and meticulously organized.
Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills and an ability to work with all levels of staff, scholars, and visitors.
Candidates should submit a CV, a cover letter detailing the candidate’s interest in applying for the fellowship and what skill set(s) the candidate would bring to the position, and a document listing the names of at least three professional references. Upon invitation to interview, further supporting materials (such as writing samples) may be requested. Attachments should be collated into a single PDF document and uploaded as one file.
The fellowship will begin in fall 2021. This is a two-year appointment.
OUR VALUES
All staff members are expected to embrace the museum’s commitment to creating an inclusive and equitable institution and to adhere to the museum’s shared values.
Our museum reflects and deepens our collective humanity; the arts are integral to an inspired and just society.
We respect and acknowledge each of our colleagues’ contributions and expertise across all roles within our organization.
We share in the responsibility to create an antiracist culture built on equity, inclusion, and justice for all, acknowledging that these efforts are intersectional and ongoing.
We encourage and advance a culture of hospitality, empathy, and gratitude for each visitor, supporter, and member of our staff.
We embrace innovation and foster change with a progressive understanding of—and obligation to reconsider—our past.
We sustain an open and dynamic civic platform, inviting and advancing the diverse perspectives of our city, staff, visitors, and supporters.
Benefits
We offer a competitive, comprehensive benefits package:
5+ weeks of paid time off
Paid holidays (up to 14 days)
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Generous parental, caregiver, and medical leave benefits
Competitive retirement plan (up to 9% matching contribution)
Tuition remission and Tuition Exchange Program
Great employee discounts
Complimentary general admission to participating cultural institutions
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Closing Statement
The Art Institute of Chicago is an equal opportunity, equal access employer fully committed to achieving a diverse and inclusive workplace. We believe in a staff culture that benefits from a wide range of experience, backgrounds, and career paths, and we encourage nontraditional candidates to apply.
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