Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Avenue of the Arts
465 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
March 7, 2014
Dear Graduate Student,
Each year the Museum of Fine Arts provides the opportunity for graduate students at
Boston-area universities to be lecturers in the Museum's program of gallery talks for
adult visitors. Gallery talks focus on aspects of the permanent collection or special
exhibitions and are given on a regular schedule by curatorial and education staff, guest
speakers, artists and graduate students.
The Graduate Student Gallery Talk Program has proved very rewarding for the Museum,
its audiences, and the graduate student lecturers. It allows us to increase the number
and variety of talks available to adult visitors, and it gives students a unique opportunity
to explore the pleasures and challenges of teaching from original objects. The program
includes discussion of teaching methods and observation and evaluation of talks by
Museum education staff. Students who may become professors, critics, curators, or
museum educators gain important insight into the workings of a major museum and the
interests and needs of the general public. Past graduate students have commented on
how valuable the program has been in learning more about the objects within an
encyclopedic collection, building public speaking confidence and teaching skills.
Students participating in 2014-2015 will be paid a stipend of $2000 for the academic
year, during which time they will give two talks per month (one topic each month,
repeated).
If you are interested in learning more about this program, I invite you to attend an
informal meeting at the Museum on Thursday, March 27, at 4 pm in the Druker Family
Pavilion, classroom 159, 1st floor. Please let me know if you are planning to attend. If
you are unable to attend the meeting, feel free to email me with any questions you may
have.
I am attaching an application form with more detailed information. I look forward to
meeting you and discussing the program further on March 27th.
Best regards,
Brooke DiGiovanni Evans
Head of Gallery Learning
Education Department
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
phone:
fax:
e-mail:
(617) 369-3309
(617) 267-9328
bdigiovannievans@mfa.org
GRADUATE STUDENT GALLERY TALK PROGRAM, 2014-2015
The Education Department at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is currently accepting
applications for its program of gallery talks given by graduate students. These talks are an
integral part of the Museum's extensive program of free, regularly scheduled talks for
visitors. Gallery talks focus on aspects of both the permanent collection and special
exhibitions and are given by members of the curatorial and education departments, as well
as by graduate students in the program.
For the 2014-2015 academic year, we invite applications from graduate students in art
history, studio art, museum studies, Asian studies, European studies and American studies
able to speak on any of the following collection areas: Asian art; ancient Greek and Roman
art; Nubian, ancient Near Eastern, and Egyptian art; European and American paintings and
sculpture; European and American decorative arts and textiles; and contemporary art.
All applications must be received by Friday, April 11, 2014.
Graduate student lecturers will be selected on the basis of teaching ability, academic
excellence, and interest in working with a diverse group of museum visitors. Applicants
must have completed at least one year of graduate school or graduate level coursework
(please see attached application form).
In addition to the preparation and presentation of gallery talks, the program includes
discussion of teaching methods involving original works of art and observation and critique
of talks by Museum staff.
Responsibilities
 16 gallery talks, i.e. 2 per month, October 2014-May 2015
(Each topic will be repeated, thus 8 topics in all.)
 Gallery talks are given Wednesdays 6-7 pm, Saturdays 12-1pm, Sundays 2-3 pm
 4 two hour meetings for orientation and trial presentation of talks beginning
early in September 2014
SELECTION REQUIREMENTS
Please complete the form below and submit the following materials:
 Cover letter
 Curriculum vitae
 List of relevant undergraduate and graduate courses
 Graduate school transcript (a photocopy is fine)
 A letter of recommendation from one of your professors
 Titles of 3 possible one-hour gallery talks based on the MFA collections
 One page outline of one of these three topics. (To assist you in preparing your outline,
it would be helpful to attend a gallery talk at the Museum.)
Please submit all application materials to: Brooke DiGiovanni Evans, Head of Gallery
Learning, Education Department, Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston,
Massachusetts 02115. Materials can be e-mailed to Brooke, but please try to condense
attachments wherever possible.
Selected applicants will be interviewed in late-April. At that time, students will
present part of a gallery talk based on the one page outline you submitted. Students will be
notified in early May regarding participation in the program.
2014-2015 APPLICATION
PLEASE COMPLETE THIS FORM AND SEND IT WITH YOUR APPLICATION.
Name___________________________________________________________________________
Address___________________________________________________________________________
Telephone
(primary)________________________________
(secondary)____________________
E-mail
address_______________________________________________________________________
University
affiliation______________________________________________________________________
Graduation date __________________________________
Department________________________________________________________________________
Primary area of
specialization______________________________________________________________________
Secondary
area_____________________________________________________________________________
_
Names and contact information of two professors whom we may call as references: (one may be the
same as the person who wrote your letter of recommendation)
Name________________________
Telephone and E-mail _______________________________
Name________________________
Telephone and E-mail _______________________________