Luce Curatorial Fellow

New Britain Museum of American Art; New Britain (CT); On-site; USD 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

The New Britain Museum of American Art invites applications for the Luce Curatorial Fellow to contribute to Puerto Rico in Focus: Historical Interventions. You will engage in research, catalogue development, loan coordination, and scholarly convenings with curators in Connecticut and Puerto Rico.

Qualifications include a Master's in Art History or Museum Studies, strong Spanish, and demonstrated archival research and writing skills. Travel to Puerto Rico and domestically is required.

Qualifications

• Fluency in Spanish (reading, writing, speaking).
• Excellent research and writing skills with archival/object-based research experience.
• Strong organizational and project management abilities.

Responsibilities

• Conduct original scholarly research to support exhibition development.
• Research artists, artworks, collections, contexts related to Puerto Rican and American art.
• Assist with exhibition checklist, provenance, exhibition history, bibliography, and object research.

Skills

Spanish language fluency

Research & writing

Project management

Interpersonal communication

Travel domestically

Education

Master's degree in Art History or Museum Studies

Job description

The New Britain Museum of American Art seeks an outstanding emerging scholar to serve as the Luce Curatorial Fellow in support of Puerto Rico in Focus: Historical Interventions, a major exhibition and scholarly initiative exploring the intersections of Puerto Rican and American art. Working closely with the two exhibition co-curators based in Connecticut and Puerto Rico, the Fellow will contribute to all phases of exhibition research, catalogue development, loan coordination, scholarly convenings, and public engagement.

This fellowship offers an exceptional opportunity for a highly organized, intellectually curious, and collaborative scholar who is eager to contribute to new research in the field of American art while gaining experience across every stage of exhibition development. The successful candidate will thrive in a dynamic museum environment, balancing independent research with cross‑departmental collaboration, managing multiple projects simultaneously, and engaging thoughtfully with colleagues, lenders, scholars, and community partners. A demonstrated interest in expanding scholarship on Puerto Rican and American art, together with a commitment to careful research, clear communication, and collaborative problem‑solving, will be essential to success in this role.

The Fellow will become an integral member of the Museum's Curatorial Department while undertaking research in both Connecticut and Puerto Rico. This fellowship is generously funded by the Henry Luce Foundation and forms part of the Museum's multi‑year Puerto Rico in Focus initiative, which seeks to broaden understandings of American art by examining the historical, cultural, and artistic connections between Puerto Rico and the United States.

Reporting Relationship:

Reports to the Director of Collections & Exhibitions and co‑curator of the exhibition, with routine and direct work with co‑curator based at the University of Puerto Rico; works collaboratively with exhibition co‑curators and Museum staff across the Curatorial, Registration, Learning & Engagement, Collections, and Marketing departments.

Key Responsibilities:

Curatorial Research

• Conduct original scholarly research supporting the development of the exhibition.
• Research artists, artworks, collections, historical contexts, and themes relating to Puerto Rican and American art.
• Assist with development and refinement of the exhibition checklist.
• Conduct collection and archival research during research trips in Puerto Rico and the mainland United States.
• Compile and maintain research files, bibliographies, chronologies, and artist dossiers.
• Assist with provenance, exhibition history, bibliography, and object research.

Exhibition Catalogue

• Support research for the exhibition catalogue.
• Compile bibliographies, image permissions, and reference materials.
• Coordinate research requests for contributing authors.
• Assist with preparation of artist biographies and object entries.
• Track catalogue deadlines and editorial workflow.

Loan Coordination

• Assist with identifying and researching prospective loans.
• Assist with the drafting and management of loan requests.
• Coordinate loan communications with lending institutions.
• Work closely with the Registration Department to track loan status and documentation.
• Maintain records related to exhibition loans and lender communications.

Project Coordination

• Provide administrative coordination between the exhibition co‑curators.
• Maintain project timelines and research calendars.
• Assist with meeting preparation, agendas, and documentation.
• Coordinate internal communications among Museum departments participating in the project.

Scholarly Convening

• Assist in planning and implementing a scholarly advisory convening.
• Coordinate travel, logistics, honoraria, scheduling, and meeting materials.
• Prepare background research and briefing materials.
• Document proceedings and follow‑up actions.

Public Engagement

• Collaborate with the Learning & Engagement Department to support the development of exhibition‑related public programs.
• Assist in preparing research and interpretive materials for educational programming.
• Coordinate curatorial content for the Museum's Bloomberg Connects digital guide.
• Support bilingual interpretive initiatives where appropriate.

Budget and Administrative Support

• Assist with tracking project expenditures.
• Process invoices and consultant payments.
• Maintain project files and grant documentation.
• Assist with preparation of reports for grant funders.

Collection Development

• Conduct research supporting potential acquisitions that strengthen the Museum's holdings of Puerto Rican art.
• Identify works that support the long‑term goals of the Puerto Rico in Focus initiative.
• Prepare research reports on prospective acquisitions.

Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Art History, Museum Studies, or a closely related field (Ph.D. candidates encouraged to apply).

• Museum or gallery experience.

• Demonstrated knowledge of Puerto Rican, Caribbean, Latin American, or American art and an interest in art from the 18th to the 20th centuries.

• Excellent research and writing skills, with experience conducting archival or object-based research.

• Fluency in writing, reading and speaking in Spanish.
• Strong organizational and project management abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to travel domestically, including multiple research trips to Puerto Rico.

The New Britain Museum of American Art is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace that reflects the communities we serve and the rich cultural stories we steward. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.