Full-Time Fellowship (Filled)
With the support of the Mellon Foundation, civic exhibition Counterpublic is piloting a full-time fellowship at The Griot Museum of Black History in St. Louis, MO in partnership with the Saint Louis Art Museum.
The fellowship endows a position for two years to develop new, and nurture existing, programmatic engagements, educational outreach, and community partnerships, and oversee conservation efforts. The fellowship is being initiated in relation to the creation of Sir David Adjaye’s Asaase III - a major rammed earth sculpture that is the acclaimed architect’s first permanent public artwork, curated by Allison Glenn for Counterpublic 2023.
Conservation
The Fellow will be trained by Adjaye Associates and fabricators to maintain, contextualize, and conserve Asaase III throughout its installation. Additional mentorship from the Saint Louis Art Museum’s conservation staff will be provided. More generally, the Fellow will be exposed to conservation as a professional field, as well as learn how to initiate and enhance knowledge about museum conservation, creating a pipeline for community-based conservation efforts. This unique partnership between Saint Louis Art Museum, Counterpublic, and The Griot is designed to support the long-term capacity building goals of The Griot with aims to provide advice, expertise, skills, and specialized knowledge.
Programming
In support of the The Griot Museum’s programming and community engagement activities, the Fellow will work closely with the museum’s Executive Director as an integral member of The Griot’s team. This will include public programming of David Adjaye’s Asaase III and other outdoor works, as well as new and ongoing educational and community programming. The Fellow will help facilitate optimal visitor experiences that coordinate core interpretive programming with that of exterior spaces during the life of Counterpublic 2023, and beyond.
Open date: November 1, 2022
Close date: September 30, 2024
Compensation: $40,000/yr with monthly healthcare and technology stipend
Hours: Full-time, 40 hours per week
Job Description
Reporting to the Founder and President of The Griot and working closely with the Executive Director of Counterpublic and staff at the Saint Louis Art Museum, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Growing Griot Fellow will lead public engagement activities of The Griot’s exterior spaces, assist with the conservation and contextualization of Sir David Adjaye’s Asaase III sculpture, and create programmatic collaborations with numerous community and cultural partners, while supporting The Griot’s mission to be a pre-eminent Black historic and cultural space in the Midwest. This two-year, full-time fellow will be a key member of The Griot’s staff and will be supported through mentorship and training by the Saint Louis Art Museum, with regular coordination with Counterpublic’s staff.
This role will involve the following:
Connecting with residents, businesses and stakeholders and cultivating strategies for continued community engagement at The Griot and the St. Louis Place Neighborhood.
Initiating and managing a regular roster of programs activating the public spaces of The Griot and David Adjaye’s Asaase III.
Establishing conservation plans and assisting with the maintenance of Asaase III, in dialogue with conservators at the Saint Louis Art Museum and David Adjaye’s studio and fabricators.
Developing a conservation/preservation guidebook for The Griot for outdoor works and other works in the collection.
Managing relationships with the museum, community partners, and Counterpublic to increase The Griot’s presence in the community.
Generating new, focused educational outreach initiatives between The Griot, Saint Louis Art Museum, and the community, including students and young adults as well as intergenerational audiences, as well as stewarding and expanding the existing community relationships.
Assisting with visitor experience, working with The Griot’s team to maintain open hours, public communication, and public-facing initiatives.
Maintaining all open hours throughout Counterpublic 2023 and serving as a liaison between Counterpublic, The Griot, and visitors.
Generally supporting The Griot’s mission to be the premier resource for Black history and culture in the Midwest as a program lead and integral team member.
Qualifications & Competencies:
An ideal applicant will be detail-oriented and able to assist with the diverse needs of the organization.
Have experience or an interest in the preservation of material culture.
Working within a small nonprofit and in dialogue with numerous partners, the candidate must be able to manage multiple projects at a time and adapt quickly to new tasks.
Proficient in Microsoft Office and Google Apps, particularly in creating and updating basic administrative systems.
Communicates well with staff and the public and has the ability to manage communications systems, such as the organization’s website, social media, and email and events calendars.
Experienced at organizing public programs and events for a wide variety of participants.
Basic fabrication and installation skills and a willingness to learn about conservation best practices.
Ability to be self-organized, supportive, collaborative, and able to work with a small, active staff team.
Knowledge of Adobe Creative Cloud or its predecessors and basic photography is helpful, but not required.
Bachelor’s degree required.
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Growing Griot Fellow position has been filled. Thank you to all who submitted applications!
