Postdoctoral Fellowship in Museum Practices and Scholarly Engagements

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Museum Practices and Scholarly Engagements – Gund Gallery, Kenyon College, Gambier, OH

The Gund is the academic museum of Kenyon College, one of the nation’s leading liberal arts colleges, located in rural Gambier, Ohio. In just over a decade since its founding in 2011, The Gund has established a dynamic exhibition program highlighting artistic excellence of our time, and stewards a rapidly growing collection of over four hundred significant works of late twentieth and twenty-first century art. As a young and thriving institution, The Gund creates new ways to experience and learn from modern and contemporary art in an academic setting, inviting inquiry, connecting students, artists, and lifelong learners, and inspiring collaborative action toward a better future.

The inaugural Postdoctoral Fellowship in Museum Practices and Scholarly Engagements is a one-year (with the possibility of renewal for a second year) program that is integral to this mission. The goal of this fellowship is to provide foundational experience to an emerging scholar interested in a museum career in areas of education and academic affairs, and to allow for this scholar to share their expertise in areas of contemporary art in contributing to The Gund’s vital curricular engagement program, which serves over 1500 students in as many as 28 academic departments and programs each semester.

The fellow will report directly to the Pamela and Christopher Hoehn-Saric Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs and Education, who serves as supervisor and mentor throughout the term of the fellowship. The fellowship will focus on researching understudied areas of the permanent collection to develop resources for faculty to foster the continued development of teaching and learning with art on campus. The fellow will gain experience as an academic curator and museum educator for undergraduate students by providing support in conducting Kenyon College course engagements with the exhibitions and permanent collection. They may be called upon to take part in supporting the advising of a group of Gund Associates (student interns) whose work focuses on visitor engagement with the exhibitions. Additionally, the fellow will organize and conduct research-sharing workshops for Kenyon faculty to expand dialogue and foster a community of intellectual engagement centered on art at The Gund.

The fellow will participate fully in the activities of The Gund throughout the fellowship period; they will have access to the notable resources represented by The Gund’s permanent collection and exhibitions, as well as Kenyon’s Chalmers Library, and other academic resources and services available to Kenyon College staff and faculty.

Qualifications and Selection

Applicants for the Postdoctoral Fellowship in Museum Practices and Scholarly Engagements must have received the PhD degree within the five years preceding the next application deadline. Applicants for the 2025–2027 fellowship must have received the PhD degree between May 2020 and May 2025. The fellowship is awarded without regard to age or nationality of applicants.

The applicant’s background and experience must include:

• A PhD in art history or related field that aligns with the modern and contemporary focus of The Gund’s permanent collection and exhibition program.
• Demonstration of scholarly excellence.
• Strong interest in pursuing a career in art museum pedagogy and curating.

Compensation

The award for the Postdoctoral Fellowship is $55,000 per year. As a Kenyon College employee, the fellow will be eligible to receive Kenyon’s generous benefit options as part of their total compensation package. The fellow may also receive allowances for travel, as available.

Application Procedures

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis for an anticipated start date in August 2025. Please include the following with your application:

• A cover letter outlining your interest in the fellowship
• A copy of a published paper or a writing sample (no more than 10,000 words)
• Curriculum vitae with education, employment, honors, awards, and publications
• Three references with phone and email contact information

Kenyon College is a nationally prominent, private liberal arts college where academic excellence goes hand in hand with a strong sense of community and close relationships among students and professors.

Kenyon College is an equal opportunity employer and applications from members of all underrepresented groups are encouraged. It is the College’s policy to evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, physical and/or mental disability, age, religion, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by institutional policy or state, local, or federal law. Kenyon College has a strong commitment to supporting diversity, equity and inclusion. Please visit our Diversity at Kenyon website.