Museum Education Fellowship FAQ

My professor wants to send their letter of recommendation confidentially. To whom should they address their letter?
Letters of recommendation should be submitted with the rest of your application. Using any other method means that there’s a risk that your application will appear incomplete, as our staff will manually pair your letters with your application. If absolutely required, recommenders are welcome to email their letters in PDF format to bkm.fellowship@brooklynmuseum.org.

I sent a letter of recommendation on behalf of my student/employee/etc. by email. Have you received it?
If you received an automatic reply, your letter was received. Because applicants are required to submit letters with their applications, your letter will have to be manually paired with the application after the fact. We'll do our best to ensure your letter is properly directed.

I don’t have an art history or art education background. Am I qualified for the Fellowship?
Yes. Although the job description emphasizes art history and art education, we welcome applicants from all academic backgrounds. The application process emphasizes art-making experience because all positions teach art-making in various ways. 

I recently graduated from an advanced degree program, have been out of school for several years, or have recently changed careers. Am I eligible for the Fellowship?
Yes. The goal of the Fellowship is to provide opportunity and training to those who are relatively new to the field of museum education. “Recent college graduate” can be interpreted fairly broadly—even 4–5 years after graduating is fine. This qualification can be best addressed in your cover letter.

I'm not a U.S. citizen. Am I eligible for the Fellowship?
Anyone is welcome to apply, so long as you're able to work legally in the United States (through a visa, green card, etc.). However, the Museum doesn't currently sponsor visas, so we can't assist in securing work authorization.

Is housing provided by the program?
No. The Museum can't provide housing. Fellows are expected to pay for housing using their own resources, including the Fellowship salary and, if needed, secondary income or other support.

How many hours per week are participants expected to dedicate to this program?
The Fellowship is a full-time, 35-hour-per-week job that is highly demanding and involved. Fellows report to multiple supervisors and support several programs, are very actively engaged in the Museum’s daily activity, and leave the program with a great deal of hands-on experience. Therefore, candidates who are selected wouldn't be able to hold any other full-time positions, and there isn't any flexibility in the program start or end dates. Fellows should expect a challenging, high-impact experience that provides excellent preparation for a career in arts education and management.

The salary is low. Is it negotiable? What are the benefits?
Our budget has already been finalized, and we're unable to negotiate Fellowship salaries. The $27 hourly rate amounts to approximately $39,690 over the course of ten months. Fellows also receive full-time employment benefits, including roughly $9,275 in healthcare coverage; ten paid vacation days; ten paid sick days; and approximately ten paid Museum-wide holidays. 

What are the start and end dates of the Fellowship program?
The Fellowship typically starts on the Tuesday after Labor Day and ends the third week of June.