Title: Samuel H. Kress Interpretive Fellow

Supervisor:Caroline Goeser, W. T. and Louise J. Moran Chair of the Department of Learning and  Interpretation, MFAH Margaret Sternbergh, Gallery Interpretation Manager, MFAH

Pay Type: Full Time, Temporary, Non-Exempt, 35 hrs/week

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm

Responsibilities:

The Kress Interpretive Fellow will work collaboratively with staff in Learning and Interpretation, Curatorial, and Conservation on five interpretive projects: developing interpretive online resources from collection-specific research; creating content for gallery-specific iPads and the MFAH mobile app for the Google Art Project; researching conservation techniques related to European painting, prints, and drawings; training docents and teens to answer questions and engage Museum visitors; and curating and interpreting an online exhibit of Old Masters prints and drawings.

1) Website development and Google Art Project mobile app content creation for the Samuel H. Kress Collection

  • Collaborate with the Museum’s conservation department to interpret conservation research and technical reports for the Museum’s website audience
  • Make these reports relevant through art historical research and written web content
  • Assist in the creation of content for audio and video segments, to be uploaded to the Google Art Project mobile app

2) Digital interpretation of the Cabinet of Curiosities Gallery

  • Collaborate with curatorial and learning and interpretation
  • Assist in developing content for the iPad on the Cabinet of Curiosities Gallery
  • Assist in framing the collection within the historical context of when cabinets of curiosities were popular
  • Assist in creating a game for young visitors to engage playfully with the objects in the gallery
  • Assist in crafting related interpretive content for the Google Art Project mobile app, offering visitors layered digital interpretation while visiting the gallery
  • Use storytelling as an interpretive mode for the app content

3) Interpretation for What Lies Beneath, an exhibition on conservation techniques

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  • Work under the direction of conservation staff
  • Research conservation challenges specific to European paintings, prints, and drawings in preparation for an exhibition to highlight conservation techniques and the issues specific to European art of the pre-modern era
  • Contribute to the interpretive materials for the exhibition, notably online resources and audio and video segments for the Google Art Project mobile app

4) Docent and Teen training for visitor engagement and interpretation of European art exhibitions and collection

  • Work with curatorial and learning and interpretation staff and with docents and teens on developing new techniques for engaging live, informal dialogue with visitors of all ages
  • Focus training on the traveling exhibitionPleasures and Piety: The Art of Joachim Wtewael (1566–1638), in preparation for training on the MFAH permanent collections of European art
  • Facilitate training sessions on how to engage visitors of all ages using storytelling and conversational techniques

5) Curating and interpreting an online exhibition of Old Master prints and drawing

  • Work with the curatorial team in the prints & drawings department
  • Develop an online exhibition, on a theme and audience of the Fellow’s choosing, to showcase the works in the collection
  • Create supporting interpretive content
  • Synthesize research and interpretation skills taught throughout the fellowship

Job Requirements

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:

  • Broad knowledge of European and Western art history
  • Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
  • Willingness to engage in a broad introduction to the interpretation process at a museum, rather than a focused research experience
  • Knowledge of a European language (German, French, or Italian) desired
  • Basic fluency in the application of digital resources for learning and research a plus
  • Familiarity with some aspect of museum work or learning theory as it relates to museum audiences desired

Education and Experience:

  • B.A. degree in art history, studio art, or museum studies
  • Ideally pursuing graduate study in these or related fields, or recently completed M.A. or Ph.D. degree in one of these fields
  • Expects to develop a career in museum work, either as a museum educator or curator

APPLY FOR THIS JOB

Email Address: jobs@mfah.org