The Louise Bourgeois Fellowship (Drawings and Prints)

Fellowship Overview:

The Louise Bourgeois Fellowship honors the legacy of the artist, whose profound impact is deeply woven into the fabric of The Museum of Modern Art. Bourgeois gifted her complete print archive to MoMA in 1990, providing the definitive home for this vital aspect of her creative legacy. Established by The Easton Foundation, this fellowship aims to cultivate emerging curatorial voices, expanding the range of experiences and perspectives shaping future scholarship in modern and contemporary drawings and prints.

Position Summary:

The Louise Bourgeois Fellow will engage with MoMA’s unparalleled collection of over 70,000 modern and contemporary drawings and prints, gaining hands-on experience and object-based expertise crucial for a career in curatorial practice. Fellows will actively contribute to departmental initiatives, research, and curatorial functions, including the preparation of exhibitions, publications, and public programs.

Throughout their two-year tenure, the Fellow will allocate approximately 15% of their individual fellowship time to collaboratively manage and support daily Study Center operations. Working in tandem with a partner fellow, they will closely coordinate with Collection Specialists to ensure efficient and professional service for MoMA staff, students, external researchers, and visiting classes.

Fellows will participate in structured research activities and professional development opportunities organized by the Museum’s Research Programs initiative. These include enrichment sessions designed for fellows across all Museum departments, periodic professional skills training, and conversations with senior Museum staff. Together, these sessions provide fellows with a comprehensive understanding of Museum operations and foster interdisciplinary scholarly collaboration.

The fellow will undertake structured one-year rotations, alternating annually between Acquisitions and Collection Care responsibilities and Internal and External Loans. To ensure thorough and consistent skills development, the fellow will receive comprehensive cataloging training by shadowing Department Catalogers, which they will then apply practically within their core responsibilities as outlined below.

Responsibilities:

Exhibition Support

• Conduct focused research on exhibition objects, artists, and historical contexts.
• Draft interpretive exhibition texts, labels, and didactics.
• Assist with creating, updating, and finalizing exhibition checklists.
• Manage accurate object information within TMS.
• Secure and track image rights and reproduction permissions.
• Compile and submit rights clearance documentation for publication and display.
• Coordinate logistics related to object handling, installation planning, and condition checking.
• Support correspondence, scheduling, and record-keeping related to exhibitions.
• Assist in developing and organizing related public programs.
• Participate in tours, walkthroughs, and presentations.

Acquisitions and Loans Support

• Attend acquisition-related meetings and assist with documentation and presentations.
• Manage acquisition folders and update TMS records.
• Write artist biographies and addenda.
• Support imaging projects, artist letters, and art shuttle logistics.
• Perform the majority of cataloging for one acquisition meeting.
• Assist OGL viewings, cataloging, and insurance valuation.
• Update loan documentation and installation instructions.
• Support research and documentation for gallery installations.
• Coordinate loans, track documentation, and liaise internally.

Study Center Management

• Scheduling and Communications
• Jointly manage the Study Center email inbox, promptly and professionally scheduling appointments for classes, students, and individual researchers.
• Viewings and Appointments
• Collaboratively coordinate and assist with internal and external viewings as needed.
• Conduct light object retrieval, setup, and careful handling of works on paper before, during, and after each viewing.
• Research and Follow-up
• Work together to efficiently address follow-up research inquiries, such as providing additional information, images, or clarifications requested by visitors or researchers.

Requirements:

B.A. degree required, preferably in art history or another relevant field. Candidates should have an interest in drawings and prints, as well as excellent writing, research, and organizational skills. Attention to detail and a high level of enthusiasm to work with a curatorial team is required. The ability to manage more than one project at a time and to consistently meet deadlines is