Overview
Meadows Museum curatorial fellowships, graciously supported by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Center for Spain in America (CSA), provide pre- and postdoctoral scholars interested in a museum career with professional and international experience through the Meadows Museum’s curatorial department. These fellowships offer scholars unique opportunities to research art of the Hispanic world, both here with our world-renowned collection of Spanish art and with partner institutions around the globe.
For information on Custard Institute postdoctoral fellowships, please visit the institute’s Awards page.
A Global Vision with a Spanish Collection
The fellowships support research into all periods of Spanish art in the broadest sense. Our collection ranges from the 10th to the 21st centuries and we are actively collecting in all periods thanks to robust funding from The Meadows Foundation and the financial support of numerous patrons who share our vision to be the leading center in the United States for the exhibition, research and education in the arts and culture of Spain. We present exhibitions on a variety of time periods; forthcoming subjects include connections between Dalí and Vermeer; abstract Spanish art from the mid-20h century; medieval pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago; and 19th-century painter Joaquín Sorolla. Our exhibition partners have included the world’s most important institutions, including the Museo del Prado, the Musée du Louvre, The National Gallery of Art (Washington), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Rijksmuseum, and many more.
Professional Development
As a small institution committed to professional development, the Meadows Museum ensures that fellows will build a broad skill set that will transfer to the next step in their museum career:
- Grant management
- Public speaking
- Education program development for varied audiences
- Publishing
- Marketing
- Donor relations
Current and Former Fellows
Curious about where a fellowship at the Meadows Museum could lead? This fall, the museum’s Further Afield: Virtual Talks focus on the current scholarship of three former curatorial fellows: Edward Payne, assistant professor in art history at Aarhus University, Denmark; Iraida Rodríguez-Negrón, Curator, Museo de Arte de Ponce, Puerto Rico; and Alexandra Letvin, Duane Wilder, Class of 1951, Associate Curator of European Art at the Princeton University Art Museum. Learn more and register to attend these talks here.
To learn more about the fellows, view our Handbook of Graduate Fellowships 2011-2020 here.
Fellowships
Mellon Curatorial Fellowship
The application for the 2025–2027 fellowship is currently open. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and the position is open until filled.
The Mellon Curatorial Fellow is appointed by and reports to the director and curatorial staff of the Meadows Museum. They serve a full-time appointment of one and a half years (18 months). Postdoctoral fellowships enjoy the gracious support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, which seeks to strengthen, promote, and defend the centrality of the humanities and the arts to human flourishing and to the well-being of diverse, fair, and democratic societies. To this end, its core programs support exemplary and inspiring institutions of higher education and culture.
Required Qualifications
- Postdoctoral students who have earned their Ph.D. within the last five years.
- Demonstrated knowledge in the field of Spanish art.
Preferred Qualifications
- Proficient in Spanish (reading, writing, and speaking).
- At least one year of museum or relevant experience.
Opportunities & Responsibilities
- Conduct original research.
- Actively participate in the organization of special exhibitions.
- Author at least one scholarly article for publication.
- Participate in a minimum of two public programs.
- Utilize dedicated funds to culminate the fellowship with the organization of a capstone project. This includes but is not limited to an international colloquium, study day, and/or public lecture series (in-person, online, or hybrid).
- Work closely with curatorial staff on projects as assigned, including acquisitions, permanent collection reinstallations, publications, provenance research, educational programming, etc.
- Manage your own travel/research budget.
Mellon Curatorial Fellows receive:
- An annual stipend of $50,000 to defray living expenses.
- Substantial stipend for research, travel, and professional development.
- Relocation assistance.
- SMU benefit package to include:
- Medical
- Dental
- Vision
- Sick Leave
- Life Insurance
- Accidental Death and Dismemberment
- Social Security
- Federal Withholding (depending on tax treaty)
- Workers Compensation
- Unemployment Insurance
- Family Medical Leave Act
- International Travel insurance with full coverage of above benefits; no deductibles or co-pays apply abroad.
- Paid university holidays
Applicants must submit:
- A curriculum vitae
- A statement (not to exceed 1500 words) specifying:
- the applicant’s research goals;
- how these goals relate to or will benefit the Meadows Museum; and
- how resources at the Meadows Museum, SMU, or those provided by Mellon for travel, research, and professional development might be used to accomplish those goals.
- Three letters of recommendation.
Center for Spain in America (CSA) Curatorial Fellowship
Applications for the 2025–2026 fellowship open on October 1, 2024 and the deadline to apply is January 20, 2025.
The CSA Curatorial Fellow is appointed by and reports to the director and curatorial staff of the Meadows Museum. They serve a full-time appointment of one year (12 months). Pre-doctoral fellowships enjoy the gracious support of the Center for Spain in America (CSA). The Centro de Estudios Europa Hispánica (CEEH) and the Center for Spain in America (CSA) encourage studies on Spanish history, art and literature by establishing scholarships at European and American universities, as well as at research centers whose holdings are particularly relevant to the knowledge of Spanish culture. They likewise establish assistantships for curatorial work at museums with significant holdings of Spanish painting.
Required Qualifications
- Enrollment in a doctoral program and having completed coursework/advanced to the writing phase of the PhD.
- Demonstrated knowledge in a field of Spanish art.
Preferred Qualifications
- Proficient in Spanish (reading, writing, and speaking).
- At least one year of museum or relevant experience.
Opportunities & Responsibilities
- Conduct original research including toward the completion of the dissertation.
- Actively participate in the organization of special exhibitions.
- Participate in a minimum of two public programs.
- Work closely with curatorial staff on projects as assigned, including acquisitions, permanent collection reinstallations, publications, provenance research, educational programming, etc.
- Manage your own travel/research budget.
Fellows receive:
- An annual stipend of $40,000 to defray living expenses.
- Additional funds available for research, travel, and other expenses.
- SMU benefit package to include:
- Medical
- Dental
- Vision
- Sick Leave
- Life Insurance
- Accidental Death and Dismemberment
- Social Security
- Federal Withholding (depending on tax treaty)
- Workers Compensation
- Unemployment Insurance
- Family Medical Leave Act
- International Travel insurance with full coverage of above benefits; no deductibles or co-pays apply abroad.
- Paid university holidays
Applicants must submit:
- A curriculum vitae
- A statement (not to exceed 1500 words) specifying:
- the applicant’s research goals;
- how these goals relate to or will benefit the Meadows Museum; and
- how resources at the Meadows Museum, SMU, or those provided by Mellon for travel, research, and professional development might be used to accomplish those goals.
- Three letters of recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Meadows Museum fellowships are open to international scholars. Due to the unpredictable changes in travel and visa restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, along with changes in travel and visa restrictions, the Meadows Museum cannot guarantee that international scholars will be able to travel to Dallas for the fellowship period. Please consult the U.S. Department of State and State of Texas Health & Human Services websites for updates on the current status of international and interstate travel.
While fellows are encouraged to fully engage with the SMU faculty and scholarly community by teaching in the galleries and serving as guest lecturers, the focus of the fellowships is on their work at the museum.
Working at the Meadows Museum gives you access to all the intellectual benefits of life at a top-tier university:
- Six on-campus libraries including the Hamon Arts Library in the Meadows School of the Arts; Bridwell Library (one of the best rare book collections in the country), and DeGolyer Library (the principal repository at SMU for special collections in the humanities, the history of business, and the history of science and technology).
- Robust seasons of theater, music and dance performances by students and faculty of the Meadows School of the Arts.
- Internationally known lecturers visiting campus through programs such as the Willis M. Tate Distinguished Lecture Series, the John Goodwin Tower Center for Public Policy and International Affairs, and the George W. Bush Institute.
Mild weather, plenty of sunshine, the world’s largest contiguous arts district, and a thriving economy…that’s just a start! Learn more.
- World-class art museums: Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Crow Museum of Asian Art, Dallas Museum of Art, Kimbell Art Museum, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and the Nasher Sculpture Center.
- The Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History at UT Dallas acts as a center for the growing community of art historians, curators, and practicing artists in Dallas and Fort Worth, dedicated to intellectual creativity, exchange, and collaboration in the form of lectures and symposia, exhibitions, publications, and collaborations with area institutions.
- An active community of private art collectors and thriving galleries.
- The graduate Art Education program at the University of North Texas which produces nearly half of the state’s university-certified art educators and offers the state’s only doctoral degree in Art Education.
- D/FW Airport, one of the world’s largest hubs, with service to more than 200 destinations and a number of daily nonstops to both domestic and international cities.
- Dallas Love Field Airport, a convenient city airport minutes from campus and home to the world’s biggest low-cost carrier, Southwest Airlines.
The Meadows Museum recognizes that all situations are unique. If you believe you are a strong candidate for this fellowship but earned your PhD more than five years ago, please contact us to discuss further.
