The Department of Art History and Archaeology at Washington University in St. Louis (https://arthistory.wustl.edu/), and the Saint Louis Art Museum (www.slam.org) seek a specialist in late medieval European art for a joint teaching-curatorial two-year position beginning on or slightly after July 1, 2021 and ending not later than June 30, 2023. It is expected that within the two-year period, the fellow will spend two semesters at Washington University, teaching two courses in each of those semesters. The fellow will spend the remaining twelve-months working full-time at the Saint Louis Art Museum as an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellow, based in the department of European Art to 1800. At the museum, the fellow will carry out research and other curatorial duties including docent training and gallery talks. It is thus envisioned that the candidate will spend a year in total at each institution over the two-year period.
Courses at Washington University in St. Louis, a leading research institution, will be offered to a combination of beginning and advanced undergraduates, and perhaps graduate students, in art history and related fields. Courses are welcome in any area of late medieval European art, with concentrations on Italy, France, Germany, or Spain especially welcome. An interest in addressing global considerations of trade, exploration, transnational travel and pilgrimages, and other forms of cross-cultural contact and exchange are very welcome. Please include a few topics for proposed courses in the letter of application. Some teaching experience as either Instructor of Record or as a teaching assistant is highly desirable, but not required.
At the Saint Louis Art Museum, among other duties, the fellow will catalogue and interpret a collection of approximately sixty objects, primarily from Italy, France, and Germany and one Spanish panel. Objects range from polychrome stone or wood sculpture to panel paintings, manuscripts, and metalwork. The fellow will work with the curator of European art to 1800 to evaluate the existing display of medieval art in the museum, and then research and evaluate potential replacements or additions to the pieces that are currently on view. The goal is to place the medieval collection in dialogue with other contemporary cultures represented in the museum’s encyclopedic collection through new exhibition and/or interpretation strategies in order to situate the pieces more fully within a global context.
Partial funding for the fellow comes from an endowment granted by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
The candidate must have reading facility in at least 2 of the following languages: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Latin.
The candidate should have no more than three years of postdoctoral teaching or curatorial experience in the field at the start of the appointment.
Annual salary will be $53,000 in the first year; also included are moving expenses, benefits, and research and travel funds.
Initial interviews will be conducted by Zoom or similar virtual platform. Finalists may be brought to St. Louis and/or might have more extensive virtual interviews. Review of applications begins on February 15, 2021 and will continue until the search is closed.
To apply, please go to https://dossier.interfolio.com/apply/82213 and create a profile on Interfolio. Required materials that may be uploaded to Interfolio include a letter of interest, current CV, and a writing sample. The required three confidential letters of recommendation and any writing
samples too large to be uploaded should be sent by mail to:
Prof. Elizabeth Childs
Chair, Department of Art History and Archaeology
Washington University, Kemper 210, Campus Box 1189
One Brookings Drive
St. Louis, MO 63130-4899
or e-mailed to artarch@wustl.edu (Please do not email Prof. Childs directly).
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