Applications are open for Curatorial Research Fellowship at Block Museum in Northwestern University. The museum presents a rigorous and diverse program that reaches across time, place, culture, and media; acting as a convener for interdisciplinary conversations; being an innovative “third space” for teaching and learning; and collaborating with and supporting faculty and students. The Block seeks a curatorial research fellow for an exhibition focusing on the Indigenous art history of Chicago, which has received a two-year research and development grant from the Terra Foundation for American Art as part of their Art Design Chicago 2024 initiative.

Research Project 

The Terra Foundation Curatorial Research Fellow will work in collaboration with a team of three curators. This project takes a deliberate approach to recounting an underappreciated art history of Chicago from Native American perspectives. Chicago sits on the homelands of the Council of the Three Fires: Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa; as well as the Menominee, Miami, and Ho-Chunk nations. The site has long been a cultural and economic hub for Indigenous peoples and is currently home to a diverse Native community. With this acknowledgment as a critical reference and call to action, The Block’s project will explore the confluences that have shaped and continue to shape Indigenous creative practices in Chicago, putting the past in a conversation with the past. It will develop Indigenous Chicago through a collaborative, decolonizing process that upholds Indigenous curatorial methodologies of inclusivity, reciprocity, and research shaped by community priorities.

This is the first two-year term of what is anticipated to be a four-year project. Renewal for a second term is dependent on grant funding. During the first term the focus will be on research and development. The ideal candidate will have a background in Native American Studies and experience with undertaking multidisciplinary research. Residency in the Chicagoland area is preferred and will be required once on-site work and research resumes as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

Specific Responsibilities

The candidate on this Curative Research Fellowship at Northwestern University will

• Help to plan, coordinate, and implement small group convenings of the project advisors 45.
• Contribute to debriefing and collating information following convenings.
• Coordinate with Northwestern campus programs and partners. Support engagement with local and regional Native American advisors.
• Undertake directed research in Chicago area collections and archives 45. Research objects for the exhibition checklist. Manage object checklist. Contribute to exhibition ideation
• Help plan curatorial research travel.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Applicants must have the following qualifications to be eligible for this Curatorial Research Fellowship at Northwestern University

• A Bachelor’s Degree in art history, history, anthropology, performance studies, visual studies, or a related field and specialization in Native American studies, or equivalent work experience.
• Ability to conduct art historical research.
• Competency in writing about art.
• Ability to write clearly and concisely.
• Strong organization skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to follow directions and to work independently and collaboratively.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Demonstrated excellent writing and verbal communication skills.