What is the Summer Academy?
Summer Academies are one-week immersion programs designed to provide a rich experience in the museum environment and expose the participants to career options related to art and art history. Each Summer Academy includes workshops, tours, field trips, and networking events with museum professionals.
How long is the Summer Academy?
Summer Academy participants spend one week at their host museum.
When will the 2020 Summer Academy take place?
The PMA’s 2020 Summer Academy will be held during the week of June 14–21.
Is there financial support to participate?
Yes. Summer Academy participants receive a modest per diem for the week. If students do not live in the host museum area, a modest travel stipend may be provided. Housing arrangements are also made for participants.
How many students will be selected?
Fifteen.
When will students be notified if they have been selected to participate?
Students will be notified in April for the PMA’s 2020 Summer Academy. Notification dates may vary at partner museums.
Should students attend a college close to one of the partner museums?
Yes, this is preferred. Preference will be given to students enrolled at a university, college, or community college located near a partner museum. Partner museums are: the Art Institute of Chicago; the High Museum of Art, Atlanta; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City; and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Please apply to the partner museum that is located closest to your academic institution. Participants in the Summer Academy who are selected for the Fellowship Program will be paired with a curatorial mentor at the host museum with whom they will work on projects and meet regularly during the academic year and summer.
What is the Fellowship Program?
The Mellon Undergraduate Curatorial Fellowship Program is a multiyear program providing fellows with hands-on experience inside a museum setting, working with curators and staff on exhibitions, collections, and programs.
How long is the Fellowship Program?
Fellows can expect to spend two years at their host museum. During the academic year, fellows must meet with their mentors and with a local program coordinator on a regular basis. In the summer, fellows will have ten-week, full-time fellowships. Fellows will also participate in a yearly national convening at one of the partner museums rotating annually and will engage their counterparts across the country in an online community platform.
Is there financial support to participate?
Yes. Once selected as a fellow, students will receive a yearly stipend of $10,000. A housing and travel stipend may also be provided to fellows during the summer.
How are fellows selected?
Students must first participate in the Summer Academy. After completing the Summer Academy, participants interested in becoming fellows will submit supplemental materials and may have an interview for consideration for the Fellowship Program.
How many students will be selected to be fellows?
Two fellows will be selected following each Summer Academy.
Do I apply to the Summer Academy and to the Fellowship Program separately?
No. Students must first apply and participate in the Summer Academy in order to be considered for the Fellowship Program.
If I applied to a Summer Academy and was not selected to participate, can I reapply when there is a future Summer Academy?
Yes, you may reapply to the program if you still meet all the eligibility requirements.
If I applied to a Summer Academy and participated but was not selected to be a fellow, can I apply to a future Summer Academy?
No. Students who participate in a Summer Academy may not reapply to the program, but they may be considered for different opportunities at the partnering museums in the future.