Application is open until filled.
The Art Institute of Chicago is accepting applications for a twelve-month, full- time Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation Samuel H. Kress Conservation Fellowship in the Conservation of Textiles, starting in the autumn 2023. The focus of the Kress Fellowship will be the conservation, examination, and research of textiles in preparation for the exhibition On Loss & Absence: Lives and Legacies of Textiles. This exhibition considers physical, psychic, spiritual, aesthetic, and cultural responses to various kinds of loss and absence, giving a rich context to explore ethics and treatments.
Loss and Absence will encompass approximately 90 objects from the Art Institute’s Textiles collection, such as burial shrouds and cloths for wrapping, carrying, and memorializing; masks and garments; ceremonial and funeral hangings; mourning and mending samplers; talismanic textiles; and approximately 20-30 textile fragments.
The Fellowship will afford the successful candidate a unique opportunity to participate in the development and execution of a conservation-driven exhibition with an interdisciplinary curatorial, conservation, and scientific research team. The Fellow will propose and carry out conservation treatments and mounting solutions, as well as participate in the analysis and research of a selection of the textiles with the staff of the Department of Textiles Conservation. Instrumental analysis will be available through the Art Institute of Chicago and the University of Notre Dame. In addition, the Fellow will participate in the day-to-day operations of the Department of Textiles Conservation in close collaboration with the Department of Textiles. This will include reviewing and/or processing textiles for loans, rotations, and scholarly research visits. Opportunities and support will be available for networking, outreach, and professional development as part of gaining broad experience working in a large museum with an encyclopedic collection.
The successful candidate will have a completed MA degree from a conservation program. Candidates must demonstrate relevant training and experience in the conservation of textiles.
Applications can be made through the museum’s website. The application package should consist of the following documents: a CV including references, a cover letter/statement of interest, examples of two notable projects/treatments, and one research/publication/outreach sample. Interviews will be conducted in July and August toward a fall 2023 start date.
