Philadelphia Museum of Art - Collections : Curatorial Departments : American Art : Center for American Art

The Center for American Art was established in 2002 to encourage and facilitate the study of the nation’s artistic heritage from its beginnings to the present day at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In partnership with universities, museums, and libraries in the greater Philadelphia area, the Center for American Art has initiated a series of public programs, fellowships, publications, and focus exhibitions intended to enhance the national discourse on American art, with a special emphasis on the Philadelphia region. As the Museum advances toward the completion of its new American galleries in the coming years, the Center for American Art will play a leading role in interpreting its permanent collection for the new space.

The Center for American Art and the Barra Foundation offer three graduate fellowships each year in the Department of American Art. The deadline for applications for 2011–2012 fellowships was February 15, 2011. Full information on next year’s fellowships and application guidelines can be found in the Museum’s Employment Opportunities area.

Barra Foundation Fellowship

Fellowship stipend: $18,000 and additional research and travel funds

In honor of Robert L. McNeil, Jr., the Barra Foundation sponsors one graduate fellowship in the Department of American Art each academic year (September–May). Fellows work half-time, assisting with ongoing department research and exhibition preparation while conducting a personal research project. Priority is given to applicants with projects relating to the Museum’s collection and to students from the Philadelphia region. At the conclusion of the term, the Barra Fellow is expected to submit a paper reflecting work done during the residency. Fellows receive a competitive stipend as well as additional research and travel funds.

Summer Fellowships

Fellowship stipend: $4,000

The Center for American Art sponsors two graduate summer fellowships each year that enable students to develop curatorial experience while contributing to Department of American Art’s collection research and exhibition preparation. Fellows work ten weeks during the summer and receive a competitive stipend.

Center for American Art Fellows

2010-2011
- Barra Fellow
  Nenette Luarca-Shoaf, University of Delaware
- Summer Fellows
  Emily Arensman, Williams College
  Jordan Robbins, University of Pennsylvania
2009–2010
- Barra Fellow
  Layla Bermeo, Williams College
  "Railways of Hope and Fear: Selections from the Fernberger Gift of Currier & Ives Prints"
- Summer Fellows
  Katie Wood, University of Delaware
  Julie McGinnis, University of Delaware
2008–2009
- Barra Fellow
  Edward Puchner, Indiana University
  “At Home and Abroad: Horace Pippin, Mr. Prejudice and the Double V”
- Summer Fellows
  James Pearson, State University of New York, Stony Brook
  Laura Turner, Temple University
2007–2008
- Barra Fellow
  Katie Rieder, Harvard University
  “Revolutionary Objects: Philadelphia Loyalists, Patriots, and the Story of the War”
- Summer Fellows
  Lillian Fish, University of Virginia
  Rachel Wadsworth, University of Maryland, College Park
2006–2007
- Barra Fellow
  Nikki Green, University of Delaware
  “Cooling Black Skin: Selected Portraits in the African-American Collections at the Philadelphia Museum of Art”
- Summer Fellows
  Ellery Foutch, University of Pennsylvania
  Catherine Holochwost, University of Delaware
2005–2006
- Barra Fellow
  Amanda Burdan, Brown University
  “Rediscovering the Alex Simpson Jr. Collection”
- Summer Fellow
  Edward Puchner, Indiana University
2004–2005
- Summer Fellow
  Edwin Harvey, University of California, Berkeley

For more information, please contact Center for American Art by e-mail at .