SI-TBMA Fellowship Announcement
The Smithsonian Institution’s Time-based Media and Digital Art Working Group (SI-TBMA) is proud to announce an exciting two-year conservation fellowship opportunity that will begin October 2023. The successful candidate will be able to pursue independent research in the conservation of time-based media and digital art, with access to the collections of multiple museums within the Smithsonian Institution. The selection committee encourages applicants to be creative in how they approach their research proposals to make use of the multi-institutional nature of the fellowship. Some suggested areas of research that are currently being pursued by relevant staff include software dependencies, shared stewardship, and issues surrounding collecting emergent technologies. However, we encourage applicants to completely disregard these topics in favor of their own interests in time-based and digital media conservation should they wish. Applications will not be penalized for omitting them.
Smithsonian Institution Sites
The following is a list of the potential Smithsonian Institution sites and points of contact for each. Applicants are encouraged to reach out to the points of contact for any questions regarding their proposal:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (CHSDM)
https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/
Jessica Walthew, Conservator
WalthewJ@si.edu
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (HMSG)
https://hirshhorn.si.edu/art-artists/
Briana Feston-Brunet, Variable and Time-based Media Conservator
FestonBrunetB@si.edu
National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC)
https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/collection
Blake McDowell, Media Archivist
McDowellH@si.edu
National Portrait Gallery (NPG)
https://npg.si.edu/portraits
Luke Moses, Conservator
MosesL@si.edu
Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM)
https://americanart.si.edu/art/highlights
Dan Finn, Media Conservator
FinnD@si.edu
For additional information on these units and the research interests of their staff, see our fellowships resources section for SI research.
Stipend
The position will come with an annual stipend of $62,000.00 and an annual health allowance of $5,000.00. We will also provide an annual research allowance of up to $3,000.00. A budget detailing the use of that allowance must be included in the research proposal. Please note that Cooper Hewitt is located in New York City, while the other units are based in Washington, DC. Research proposal budgets should include travel considerations for research that would include both locations.
Eligibility Requirements
Candidates should possess an advanced degree in the preservation or conservation of time-based and digital media, or related fields such as computer science, film/media studies, or information science; or possess equivalent levels of training and experience.
Application
Applications are due by July 10, 2023.
Interested candidates can apply through SOLAA here. The program name for this fellowship is the SI-TBMA Conservation Fellowship.
Applicants will be required to submit a research proposal, a budget for the research allowance, a current CV or resume, transcripts from relevant educational institutions, and two references.
For any general inquiries related to the application process please contact Dan Finn at FinnD@si.edu.