Website The Phillips Collection
Summary
The Makeba Clay Fellowship is a paid nine-month long, part‐time fellowship which combines museum priorities with each fellow’s interests to gain hands-on experience in all facets of the museum. The fellowship is a hybrid position, and fellows must reside in the Washington DC area.
OVERVIEW: In 2021, The Phillips Collection celebrated its centennial. This historic moment ushered in a period of reflection and encouraged thoughtful considerations on how we move into the future. To that end, in 2021 we launched the Phillips Collection Institutional History Project (IHP). As this project has evolved, we’ve recognized the need to understand and uncover more about artists in the permanent collection surrounding diversity and accessibility (i.e., ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, etc.).
We are seeking a fellow to support the continued advancement of this project over the next year. The 2026-27 fellow will build on and add to the research and critical thinking about the museum’s history, including the philosophical underpinnings and aesthetic vision of Duncan Phillips and his wife, Marjorie Phillips. As well as assisting in other areas of the museum’s operation, other activities may include working on possible upcoming exhibitions and across other departments. The fellow will have the opportunity to develop and present a DIDS (Diversity Intergroup Dialogue Series) session on a diversity topic of their choice. The fellow will also compile data on artist demographics to inform an institution-wide ongoing project leading to a final presentation before the Board of Trustees. Since these projects are research-based, the fellow will work closely with archival information collected through the museum library.
The fellow will work closely with the ICCR department but also receive mentoring by other departments such as curatorial and library. Other responsibilities might include attending ICCR meetings, assisting with community programs (after hours), etc.
Key Details
Compensation: $19/hour
Term: September 7, 2026 – July 30, 2027
Schedule: PT (3 days/week)
Format: The fellowship is a hybrid position, and fellows must reside in the Washington DC area.
Deadline: July 20, 2026
Eligibility
ELIGIBILITY: Successful applicants will demonstrate how they will contribute to inclusive practices that could include overcoming a disadvantage or other impediment to succeed in the museum field.
Ideal candidates include students currently enrolled in graduate studies or higher at a university or recent graduates. We will consider undergraduate juniors and seniors with strong research, methodology, and writing skills.
QUALIFICATIONS: The position requires advanced research skills, strong communication skills, an interest in interdisciplinary approaches, and an interest in both local DC history and art history. We encourage applicants with backgrounds in history, cultural history, art history and related disciplines to apply. We also encourage interdisciplinary scholars to apply. Candidates must also have a demonstrated interest and commitment to pursue a career in the museum field, whether through coursework or professional experience.
Candidates must display the following:
- Academic promise (minimum of a 2.5 GPA)
- Availability for, and commitment to, engaged participation in all aspects of the Fellowship program
- Eligibility to work in the U.S.
- Be on site for at least 3 days a week
About
Founded by art collector and philanthropist Duncan Phillips in 1921, The Phillips Collection has been collecting modern and contemporary art for over one hundred years. Duncan Phillips’s former home—and additions to it—in Washington’s historic Dupont Circle neighborhood provides a unique setting for the growing collection of nearly 6,000 works. Following Phillips’s unconventional approach to exhibitions, The Phillips Collection galleries are frequently rearranged to facilitate new conversations between artworks and fresh experiences for visitors.