Interpretive Fellowships at Art Museums

The Kress Interpretive Fellowships at Art Museums program is designed to offer a novel form of mentored professional development within American art museums. Its aims are multifold: to encourage students to explore interpretive careers in museums, particularly as educators or curators; to enhance the profession of museum education within the museum community; to foster closer collaborations between museum educators and curators in interpretive programming; and to broaden the career prospects for art history and related field students. These fellowships are oriented towards developing critical skills and understanding in formal art history education, learning theory, and the diverse learning needs and styles of audiences. Through mentoring, participants are expected to gain the experience, expertise, and confidence needed for interpretive careers in art museums, either in curatorial or educational branches. The program awards competitive grants to American art museums to host supervised internships in museum education, lasting from 9 to 12 months, generally starting in late summer or early fall.