The Conservation Department at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York is accepting applications for The Vladimir Potanin Conservation Fellowship. The Fellowship would provide one outstanding Russian-speaking conservation professional who is interested in modern and contemporary art conservation, with the special opportunity to become deeply involved in the work of the Guggenheim, and to consider—through first-hand experience—the role of conservation in an increasingly global world. The fellowship would last for twelve to eighteen months, during which time the Potanin Fellow would work alongside and learn conservation techniques from the staff at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.
The Fellow would contribute to exhibitions in various stages of development and to collection research, as well as to projects in accordance with each museum’s departmental priorities and the Fellow’s own background and interests. The Fellow would work closely with our conservators to lend support and participate in the preparation and installation of contemporary exhibitions, conduct an in-depth study of paintings by Kandinsky, in collaboration with staff conservators, to elucidate working methods and potentially publish findings, and work together with conservators to prepare traveling exhibitions.
In conjunction with and under the supervision of Guggenheim conservators, the Fellow would have the opportunity to do the following:
- Conduct research and treatment
- Work with scientists and curators to make appropriate decisions regarding treatment and long-term care of the collection
- Interview artists to process new acquisitions and discuss long-term preservation methods and variable parameters
- Design and construct appropriate housing for storage
- Liaise and collaborate with curators, exhibition designers, framers, the art services and preparation departments, and the registrars with regard to loans, exhibition, storage and transport
- Attend exhibition implementation meetings and participate in related activities and treatments to prepare objects/paintings for exhibition
- Participate in discussions regarding preventive conservation, including environmental controls, periodic assessment of collections and emergency preparedness, response and recovery
- Contribute to presentations to patrons and the public to elucidate the study and preservation of material culture and its importance
- Work with young students and interns who are interested in the synergy between art and science.
The successful candidate should speak and write fluently in English and is required to speak Russian. The candidate should: hold an advanced degree in art conservation/or equivalent degree; demonstrate an interest and some knowledge of modern and contemporary art; have excellent hand skills, knowledge of analytical techniques, an interest in conducting in-depth research; and demonstrate critical thought about innovation and the future of the conservation field.
Application Deadline: June 15, 2019
Fellowship start date: January, 2020
Full-time, 40 hours/week
Apply online at www.guggenheim.org/careers
Founded in 1937, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation is dedicated to promoting the understanding and appreciation of art, primarily of the modern and contemporary periods, through exhibitions, education programs, research initiatives, and publications. The Guggenheim network that began in the 1970s when the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, was joined by the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice, has since expanded to include the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (opened 1997) and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi (currently in development). Looking to the future, the Guggenheim Foundation continues to forge international collaborations that take contemporary art, architecture, and design beyond the walls of the museum. More information about the foundation can be found at www.guggenheim.org.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation is an equal opportunity employer.