Hakuta Family Nam Paik Curatorial Fellow

Summary

At the intersection of public access and higher education, the Harvard Art Museums invite everyone to embrace inquiry, dialogue, and new perspectives on art and ideas. The museums’ global collections encompass a broad range of time periods and geographies.

The Fellowship program at the Harvard Art Museums is designed to broaden the experience of those embarking on professional museum careers in art history and related fields, conservation and conservation science, and/or museum education. Fellows are integral members of the museums’ staff, take part in departmental and museum-wide meetings, and collaborate with colleagues across the museums. Fellows are active members of the program cohort, participating in regular Fellows meetings, workshops, specialized training, and organized activities throughout the year, including presenting their work at an annual Fellows Symposium.

The Paik Curatorial Fellow reports to and will work closely with the Houghton Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art as well as working in close collaboration with the members of the Time-Based Media Working Group which includes curators, conservators, registrars, collections management staff, and media technicians. A focus of this Fellowship will be working across these departments to establish processes for stewardship of the time‑based media works in our collection by researching practices and latest developments in scholarship across peer institutions.

The Paik Fellow will be responsible for conducting original research on the Harvard Art Museums’ collection works by Nam June Paik as well as artists within his network and those working in his legacy of time‑based media, performance objects, and experimental practices, with an eye towards producing original scholarship. Outcomes of the Fellow’s work will deepen the museums’ knowledge of Nam June Paik, both his individual practice and his influence, and related artists, with the intention of developing a multi‑year plan for the installation of Paik’s work in the museums’ galleries or other potential sites for exhibition, integration into curriculum and teaching, and programming.

Particular attention to Paik’s groundbreaking role in the development of time‑based media, and the conservation and installation of his works, will be a focus. Fellows may assist in researching and preparing interpretive materials for permanent collection installations, special exhibitions, and museum publications. Tasks may include drafting and producing correspondence, wall labels, and related materials. The Fellow’s time is divided between their assigned projects and work that supports a broad range of curatorial activities, which may involve correspondence related to loan requests and collection inquiries, provenance research, cataloging the permanent collection in the museums’ database, assisting with new acquisitions, donor cultivation, and administrative tasks.

Foregrounding the museums’ teaching and research mission, the Fellow also participates in interdisciplinary teaching and contributes to a rich offering of public and academic interpretive programs across various platforms. The Fellow may supervise students and temporary employees. The above covers the most significant responsibilities of the position. It does not, however, exclude other duties, the inclusion of which would be in conformity with the position.

This position works on site at both the museum in Cambridge, MA, and periodically at a second facility in Somerville, MA.

MA in Art History or related field.

• PhD plus.
• Proficiency in a second language helpful; reading knowledge of Korean or Japanese especially useful.
• Experience in and ongoing commitment to object‑based research essential.
• Museum or related experience preferred; interest in expanding canonical narratives strongly encouraged.
• Commitment to fostering engagement with original works of art in a university museum context, for all visitors.
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills; ability to work independently as well as collaboratively as part of a team.

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