National Gallery Curatorial Traineeships

The National Gallery and the Art Fund announce curatorial traineeships

The National Gallery’s curatorial traineeships, launched in September 2011 and supported by the Art Fund, enable regional museums to nurture the next generation of curators.

We are pleased to announce two further fully funded National Gallery traineeships, supported by the Art Fund with the assistance of the Vivmar Foundation. We are looking for two new regional museum partners for these trainees, which will run for 22 months from September 2013 to July 2015.

How to apply

Please download the application form below and email your completed form to Mary Hersov, National Programmes Manager at the National Gallery: mary.hersov@ng-london.org.uk

 Download an application form
[Microsoft Word 160 kb – opens in a new window]

The deadline for applications is 15 April 2013

See further details of the traineeships on the Art Fund website [external link]

Current regional partners

Manchester Art Gallery and Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums have been successful in their applications to partner with the National Gallery to benefit from curatorial training.

The National Gallery provided mentoring and support for two trainees to work with collections – both at the National Gallery, and in Manchester and the North East – with a focus on European paintings pre-1900.

Dr Nicholas Penny, Director of the National Gallery, said:

“We know that curatorial expertise in regional museums has been greatly reduced in recent years. We have joined forces with the Art Fund to do something to halt this decline and ensure that discerning and judicious collecting for regional collections and a deep understanding of what those collections already include continues in the future. We are looking forward to working with Manchester Art Gallery and Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums on this important project.”

The curatorial traineeship at Manchester Art Gallery

Since reopening in 2002 after major refurbishment, Manchester Art Gallery has established an international reputation for the quality of its exhibitions, and its interpretation of contemporary and historic art, craft and design. Its collection has been designated to be of national significance and is probably best known for its outstanding Pre-Raphaelite paintings.

The focus of the traineeship is a small but important group of over 100 Dutch and Flemish paintings dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. As this group has not been the subject of serious academic study for several decades, the trainee will begin by updating the documentation for each work, drawing on the National Gallery’s resources to access the most recent research. The trainee will then work with Manchester Art Gallery’s curatorial and learning staff to re-present the Dutch and Flemish collections in a major new permanent display with a contemporary angle.

Find out more about Manchester Art Gallery (Manchester City Galleries)
[external link]

Read current Curatorial Trainee Hettie Ward's blog about her research in Manchester

• Manchester's Dutch & Flemish Collection [external link]

The curatorial traineeship at Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums 

At Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, three collections of Old Master paintings are based at the Laing Art Gallery and the Hatton Gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne, and the Shipley Art Gallery in Gateshead. Together, the collections contain important North European paintings from the 14th to the early 18th centuries, and some significant Italian paintings from a similar period.

The project for the trainee is to provide new knowledge and interpretation around these rarely seen paintings. The research will form the basis of an exhibition to be shown at the Laing Art Gallery, which will unlock these collections for 21st-century audiences.

Find out more about Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums [external link]

Read current Curatorial Trainee Philippa Stephenson's blog about her research in Newcastle

• Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums [external link]