LACMA is seeking a Fellow with specific expertise in early modern Italian and/or French works on paper, reporting to the Curator and Head of the Prints and Drawings Department. The department’s holdings currently number around 23,000 prints and 2,000 drawings by some 5,000 artists, ranging in date from the 15th century to the present. This will be a three-year appointment with the possibility of renewal, to coincide with the Museum’s curatorial efforts towards the preparation of installations, rotations, and didactic materials for the Geffen Galleries, LACMA’s new permanent collection galleries, scheduled to open in 2024. This is an outstanding opportunity for the Fellow to oversee the presentation of the Museum’s works on paper in a new physical space, and to take a lead role in giving the early modern prints and drawings collection a visible and active presence in the Geffen Galleries.

The ultimate goal for the Fellow is to achieve a deep understanding of the variety of skills needed to succeed as a curator of works on paper; to hone those skills through the mentorship of the department, cross-departmental collaborators, and peers; and finally, to be able confidently to apply those skills to a future career as a curator of works on paper, whether continuing to concentrate exclusively on the early modern period or filling a more generalist prints and drawings role.

Specific projects for the Fellowship term include:

Developing permanent collection installations, rotations, and didactic material for the Geffen Galleries, entailing collaborative work with multiple curatorial departments, including European Painting and Sculpture, Decorative Arts, Costume and Textiles, American Art, Latin American Art, and with Paper Conservation.
Attending to the archival needs of the permanent collection, now located in offsite storage under the oversight of Collections Management, focusing on integrating provenance and object information into object files and database records.
Participating in other ongoing departmental activities, including discussion of loans, acquisitions, conservation, development, and online content.
Assisting with the planning and drafting of interpretive materials for exhibitions involving works on paper during the fellowship period
Participating in LACMA’s Curatorial Forum, Junior Curatorial Forum (which hosts reading groups and colloquia), and other division-wide discussions.

The ideal candidate will have broad intellectual curiosity and a strong interest in connecting time periods, cultures, etc. in an encyclopedic museum context. The successful candidate will have an aptitude for collaboration across Museum departments (curatorial, conservation, and other), will support LACMA’s mission, and will uphold the highest standards of scholarship, connoisseurship, and professional practices. The qualified candidate will hold at least an MA in Art History or a related field and have had at least one year of museum experience. Print room experience is a plus. Language skills should be commensurate with the area of specialization. Exceptional written and oral communication skills are required, including the ability to address academic audiences and the general public with equal skill and passion.