The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Art History Fellowships 2005-2006

More than one-hundred and thirty years after The Metropolitan Museum of Art's founding in 1870, the Museum is as strongly committed as ever to its continuing educational mission of support for scholarly investigation and research into its encyclopedic collections representing 5,000 years of world culture from pre-history to the present, and to contributing to broader academic discourses. The Metropolitan Museum of Art invites applications to its Art History Fellowship Program from qualified graduate students at the pre-doctoral level, as well as from postdoctoral researchers and senior museum curators, in order to continue this scholarly exploration.

The Bothmer Fellowship: awarded to an outstanding graduate student who has been admitted to the doctoral program of a university in the United States, and who has submitted an outline of a thesis dealing with either Greek or Roman art. Preference is given to the applicant who, in the opinion of the Grants Committee, will profit most from utilizing the resources of the Department of Greek and Roman Art: its collections, library, photographic and other archives, and the guidance of its curatorial staff.

Chester Dale Fellowships: intended for individuals whose fields of study are related to the fine arts of the western world and who are preferably American citizens under the age of forty. The grants, which typically cover periods from three months to one year, are for research at the Metropolitan Museum.

The Douglass Foundation Fellowship in American Art: awarded in honor of John K. Howat to a promising young scholar for one year's study or research in the American Wing (in either the Department of American Paintings and Sculpture or the Department of American Decorative Arts) on an aspect of the Museum's collection. Applicants should have been enrolled for at least one year in an advanced degree program in the field of American art or culture.

Annette Kade Fellowship: awarded to French and German pre-doctoral art history students for one year's study or research at the Metropolitan Museum. The award is intended for French and German students who would not otherwise have the opportunity to study in the United States.

Andrew W. Mellon Fellowships: provided by the Andrew W. Mellon Fund for promising young scholars with commendable research projects related to the Museum's collections, as well as for distinguished visiting scholars from this country and abroad who can serve as teachers and advisors and make their expertise available to catalogue and refine the collections. Usually a fellowship is given for a maximum of one year, most of which should be spent at the Metropolitan Museum. Applicants should have received the doctorate or have completed substantial work toward it. Fellowships for senior scholars are also available for as short a term as one month.

J. Clawson Mills Scholarships: awarded for one year's study or research at the Museum or abroad in any branch of the fine arts relating to the Metropolitan Museum's collections. These scholarships are generally reserved for mature scholars of demonstrated ability.

Theodore Rousseau Fellowships: intended to develop the skills of connoisseurship by supporting first-hand examination of paintings in major European collections, rather than by supporting library research. The fellowships are awarded for the training of students whose goal is to enter museums as curators of painting. Applicants should have been enrolled for at least one year in an advanced degree program in the field of art history. Short-term fellowships of at least three months are considered along with twelve-month requests.

Polaire Weissman Fund: provides fellowships to qualified graduate students, who preferably will have completed graduate studies in the fine arts or studies in costume, and who are interested in pursuing costume history in a museum or teaching career, or other career (including conservation) related to the field of costume. These grants are generally awarded for a nine-month term.

Jane and Morgan Whitney Fellowships: awarded for study, work, or research to students of the fine arts whose fields are related to the Museum's collections, with preference to be given to students in the decorative arts who are under forty years of age. The fellowship carries the possibility of renewal for one additional year.

Pre-doctoral fellows, with the exception of Theodore Rousseau Fellows, are generally expected to assist the hosting curatorial departments up to one half of their time during the fellowship period with projects that complement their approved scholarly subject. Please be aware that not all departments request this assistance. Senior fellows are not required to contribute their time to hosting departments, although they may agree to do so. Pre-doctoral fellows are asked to give a gallery talk during their fellowship and are expected to participate in a fellows' colloquium in the second half of their fellowship term, in which they give a 20-minute presentation on their work-in-progress. Senior fellows also are invited to participate in these activities.

Fellowships generally cannot be awarded for projects involving exhibitions to be organized and installed during the fellowship period.

All fellowships must take place between September 1, 2005 and August 31, 2006. Fellowships generally begin September 2005. Application and required letters of recommendation must be made by letter and must be received by the deadline date of November 5, 2004. Electronically submitted applications and letters of recommendation are not accepted.
Applications must be submitted to:

Attn: Marcie Karp
Fellowship Program
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10028-0198

There are no application forms. Applicants need not specify the name of a particular fellowship. Fellowship applications must be submitted in English. Three letters of recommendation are required, none of which may be from current Metropolitan Museum of Art staff. The submission in English of the required letters of recommendation is encouraged. Applicants must submit a typed application including the following:

  • Name, home and present address, and telephone number (in triplicate)
  • Full resume of education and employment (in triplicate)
  • A two-part statement, not to exceed one thousand words, specifying what the applicant wishes to accomplish during the fellowship period and detailing how the Museum's resources can be utilized to accomplish the applicant's goals (in triplicate)
  • Tentative schedule of work to be accomplished during the fellowship period (in triplicate)
  • Tentative schedule of travel required during the fellowship period (in triplicate)
  • Three letters of recommendation (at least one academic and one professional); these should be sent directly to the above address (in triplicate)
  • List of other fellowships or grants for which the applicant has applied in the same period (in triplicate)
  • For pre-doctoral applicants only: official undergraduate and graduate transcripts (original transcript plus two copies of each)

The number of fellowships awarded depends upon the funds available; the stipend amount for one year is $30,000 for senior fellows and $25,000 for pre-doctoral fellows, with up to an additional $3,000 for travel and miscellaneous expenses. Senior fellowships are intended for those who hold a Ph.D. on the date of application and for well established scholars. Announcements of awards for fellowships will be made by March 4, 2005. Separate flyers describing fellowships in conservation are available from the address above.

Theodore Rousseau Fellowships 2005-2006

Annual fellowships made possible by a bequest from the late Curator-in-Chief of the Museum are awarded for the training of students whose goal is to enter museums as curators of painting, by enabling them to undertake related study in Europe. The purpose of these fellowships is to develop the skills of connoisseurship by supporting first-hand examination of paintings in major European collections, rather than to support library research for the completion of degree requirements. Applicants should have been enrolled for at least one year in an advanced degree program in the field of art history.

Short-term fellowships of at least three months are considered along with twelve-month requests. All fellowships must take place between September 1, 2005 and August 31, 2006. Fellowships generally begin September 2005. Application and required letters of recommendation must be made by letter and must be received by the deadline date of November 5, 2004. Electronically submitted applications and letters of recommendation are not accepted.

Applications must be submitted to:

Attn: Marcie Karp
Theodore Rousseau Fellowship Program
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10028-0198

The number of fellowships awarded depends upon the funds available; the stipend amount for twelve months is $25,000 and up to an additional $3,000 for travel and miscellaneous expenses.

There are no application forms. Fellowship applications must be submitted in English. Three letters of recommendation are required, none of which may be from current Metropolitan Museum of Art staff. The submission in English of the required letters of recommendation is encouraged. Applicants must submit a typed application including the following:

  • Name, home and present address, and telephone number (in triplicate)
  • Full resume of education and employment (in triplicate)
  • Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts (original transcripts plus two copies of each)
  • A statement, not to exceed one thousand words, specifying what the applicant wishes to accomplish during the fellowship period (in triplicate)
  • Tentative schedule of work to be accomplished during the fellowship period (in triplicate)
  • Tentative schedule of travel required during the fellowship period (in triplicate)
  • Three letters of recommendation (at least one academic and one professional); these should be sent directly to the address at left (in triplicate)
  • List of other applications for fellowships and grants for same period (in triplicate)
Announcements of the awards for fellowships will be made by March 4, 2005. A separate flyer describing other art history fellowships is available.

Fellowships in Conservation

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation: has made it possible for The Metropolitan Museum of Art to award a limited number of annual conservation fellowships for training in one or more of the following departments of the Museum: Arms and Armor, Asian Art Conservation, The Costume Institute, Musical Instruments, Objects Conservation (including sculpture, metalwork, glass, ceramics, furniture, and archaeological objects), Paintings Conservation, Paper Conservation, Photograph Conservation, Scientific Research, or Textile Conservation. Fellowships are not granted every year in each department. Each Andrew W. Mellon Conservation Fellowship will typically be one year in duration. Shorter term fellowships for senior scholars are also available. It is desirable that applicants to this program
should have reached an advanced level of experience or training.

The Sherman Fairchild Foundation: enables The Metropolitan Museum of Art to provide annual conservation fellowships to qualified candidates from the United States and abroad who have already reached an advanced level of training or experience. The Sherman Fairchild Foundation makes possible study and training in the following Museum conservation departments: Arms and Armor, Asian Art Conservation, The Costume Institute, Musical Instruments, Objects Conservation (including sculpture, metalwork, glass, ceramics, furniture, and archaeological objects), Paintings Conservation, Paper Conservation, Photograph Conservation, Scientific Research, or Textile Conservation. The term for the fellowship award is typically one year, but shorter term fellowships are also available for senior scholars.

Polaire Weissman Fund: provides fellowships to qualified graduate students, who preferably will have completed graduate studies in the fine arts or studies in costume, and who are interested in pursuing costume history in a museum or teaching career, or other career (including conservation) related to the field of costume. These grants are generally awarded for a nine-month term and are for conservation work in The Costume Institute only.

All fellowship recipients are required to spend the fellowship in residence in the department with which they are affiliated. Applicants applying for a fellowship in the Department of Paper Conservation, Objects Conservation, Scientific Research, or Textile Conservation are strongly encouraged to contact those departments directly, prior to submitting an application to the Fellowship Office.

The stipend amount for one year is $25,000 with up to an additional $3,000 for travel and miscellaneous expenses.

All fellowships must take place between September 1, 2005 and August 31, 2006. Fellowships generally begin September 2005. Application and required letters of recommendation must be made by letter and must be received by the deadline date in January. Electronically submitted applications and letters of recommendation are not accepted. Applications must be submitted to:

Attn: Marcie Karp
Fellowship in Conservation Program
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10028-0198

There are no application forms. Fellowship applications must be submitted in English. Three letters of recommendation are required, none of which may be from current Metropolitan Museum of Art staff. The submission in English of the required letters of recommendation is encouraged. Applicants must submit a typed application including the following:

  • Name, home and present address, and telephone number (in triplicate)
  • Full resume of education and professional experience (in triplicate)
  • A statement, not to exceed one thousand words, describing what the applicant expects to accomplish in the fellowship period and how the Museum's facilities can be utilized to achieve the applicant's objectives (in triplicate)
  • Tentative schedule of work to be accomplished during the fellowship period and proposed starting and ending dates (in triplicate)
  • Three letters of recommendation, at least one professional and one academic; these should be sent directly to the above address (in triplicate)
  • For master's degree and pre-doctoral applicants only: official undergraduate and graduate transcripts (original transcript plus two copies of each)