Curatorial Residency at the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution

The National Museum of the American Indian seeks applications for six-to-nine month paid residencies, with opportunities for extensions of up to twelve months, for entry-level Native American museum professionals interested in pursuing museum careers or those early in established careers who feel they would benefit from a residency at NMAI.  A successful candidate will demonstrate commitment to the museum profession through academic preparation, experience with paid or volunteer work at museums or community cultural centers, experience with exhibitions and/or collections research, and/or a track record of community-based scholarship.  The Curatorial Resident will join the staff of NMAI's Museum Scholarship group or Collections Management and will be assigned projects under the supervision of NMAI staff.  Residents will enjoy all the privileges and responsibilities of NMAI professional staff and work assignments will be created to assist with the development of professional skills necessary to the curatorial or collections management professions.

Applications should include: 1) complete curriculum vitae or professional resume; 2) a letter of support from an academic or community-based sponsor or mentor. 3) an essay of no more than 1200 words describing: a) the candidates career goals for museum work; b) what the candidate hopes to gain from the residency experience; and c) why the NMAI in particular can play an important role in the candidates career development. Consideration will be given to candidates who can demonstrate how their experience will benefit their communities.

Compensation for the Residency will be competitive with entry-level museum appointments in the Washington, D.C. area, accompanied by a benefits package including health insurance.  The Residency includes travel funds for professional development and participation in professional conferences, to be determined in consultation with supervision.  Candidates must be American citizens.

Send applications to: Patricia Scott, Cultural Resources Center, 4220 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, MD 20746-2863