The Frist Art Museum (FAM) is committed to equity and inclusion at all levels. One of the primary goals of FAM’s board-approved 2017–2021 strategic plan is ensuring that the museum is stable, sustainable, equitable, and a great place to work. This includes recruiting, developing, and retaining museum professionals, with a focus on encouraging mentorships and providing supervised internships and fellowships to build a pipeline for emerging professionals and future museum leadership that reflect the demographics of the Nashville-area community.
Recognizing that financial need often prevents qualified individuals from pursuing unpaid internship or fellowship opportunities, the Frist Art Museum is offering a paid fellowship program designed to offer students a dynamic and specialized learning experience during the academic year.
Information about the FAM fellowship for the fall 2024–spring 2025 academic year will be posted in spring 2024.
Description of the FAM Fellowship
The purpose of the FAM Fellowship is to introduce a student or emerging professional to the process of researching, planning, and implementing an exhibition. The fellow will be exposed to the variety of careers within an art museum during this two-semester fellowship through interactions with various departments and teams.
Selected based on professional interest and/or specialization, demonstrated writing and research skills, and an appreciation of diverse perspectives, the successful candidate will be supervised by a member of the Curatorial team or Education Department. The fellow will work with curators, educators, and designers on all aspects of exhibition planning, including development of interpretive materials (exhibition texts, descriptions, and articles); exhibition design and graphic design; and educational programs, activities, and events for community engagement and outreach.
In addition to working with the Curatorial and Education departments, the fellow will interact with departments and teams throughout the museum, including Administration, Communications, Design, Development, and Finance, to learn how each contributes to the development of exhibitions and be introduced to a wide range of museum careers.
What: A paid academic year fellowship intended to introduce a student or emerging professional to the process of researching, planning, and implementing an exhibition.
Who: Open to college seniors, recent graduates who intend to continue to graduate school, or graduate students. Preferred areas of concentration include art education, art history, education, fine arts, museum studies, and/or related areas.
Where: Frist Art Museum
When: August 2024, through May 2025 (16 weeks per semester, 16 hours per week, 256 maximum total hours per semester. Exact dates to be determined)
Fellows will be paid $15 per hour for a total of $7,680 ($3,840 per semester).
Essential Skills:
Strong writing
Good communication
Ability to research and work independently
Ability to work with others in a collaborative environment
Successful candidates must have completed a background check and submitted all application materials.
