Kress Fellowship in Textile Conservation at the George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum, 2017-2018.
The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum are accepting applications for a 9 month Kress Fellowship in Textile Conservation. The fellowship will focus on exhibition and textile collections care. The Textile Museum’s collections include over 20,000 rare and historic textiles spanning 5,000 years, and include representation from Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia. The Textile Museum’s recent $5 million gift from the Avenir Foundation has allowed the conservation department to equip two new lab facilities as well as increase the conservation department’s staffing. The fellow will be supervised by the Chief Conservator and two Associate Conservators.
The fellow will undertake a combination of exhibition and collection care tasks in order to advance their development in all practical areas required for institutional staff work. Under supervision, the fellow will take on primary duties for a small collection rotation during their term to include treatment and mount preparation of textiles. This project will allow for the development of high-level skills in coordinating preparation aspects and in project management. They will also work as a part of the larger department to complete other exhibition tasks such as installation and de-installation, as well as preparation of textiles for later exhibitions. Exhibitions being prepared during the fellow’s term will include Chinese minority group costume and jewelry, Anatolian kilims, and Byzantine and Medieval Islamic archaeological textiles.
Collections care tasks will include re-housing of incoming textile accessions and undertaking other collection based re-housing projects. The fellow will also assist associate conservators in monthly environmental monitoring and Integrated Pest Management duties. The fellow will be encouraged to pursue research studies as their interest and time allows. The museum’s affiliation with the George Washington University allows for access to the university’s chemistry and forensic science departments, and collaborations with these and other departments will be encouraged.
Qualified candidates must have a master’s degree from a recognized conservation program, and training should be completed prior to the commencement of the fellowship. Per Kress guidelines, candidates must be a resident or citizen of the United States or Canada, or a recent graduate from a U.S. or Canadian conservation program; the candidate must also be authorized to work in the United States. The term of the fellowship is anticipated to begin in October 2017 and be completed in June 2018, with 4-day weeks to facilitate visits to peer institutions. A $30,000 stipend will be provided for the fellow. The fellowship will also include $2,500 for travel expenses to attend conferences and/or to support travel to visit peer institutions and establish contacts within the conservation community. Work will take place at both the Foggy Bottom facility in downtown Washington, DC and at the Avenir Foundation Conservation and Collections Resource Center in Ashburn, Virginia.
To apply, please submit a CV, three letters of professional reference and a letter of intent outlining interest in the position. Applications should be submitted by email to [log in to unmask] using the subject heading: ‘Kress Fellowship in Textile Conservation’. The deadline for applying is May 31, 2017 though applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
