In 2017 the American Friends of Capodimonte (AFC) created the first-ever curatorial position for an American inside an Italian museum: the AFC Fellowship. This unique experience offers an unprecedented opportunity to learn the workings of contemporary European museology in an Italian state museum and to become intimately familiar with Capodimonte's world-class collection by working alongside the curatorial and administrative teams of the Museum. The fellowship is at the heart of the AFC mission and makes us unique among the many foreign patrons of European museums.

Applications for the 2024−2025 AFC Fellowship program have closed. Stay tuned for more information about the next application cycle,  which will open in Fall 2024. Decisions will be announced by March 2025. Check below for requirements and eligibility.

Description

The American Friends of Capodimonte Postdoctoral Curatorial Fellow is fully integrated into the Museum's curatorial department and assists Director Eike Schmidt and his colleagues in a wide range of projects across the life of the Museum, including exhibitions, publications, interpretation, and translations. The Fellow is expected to focus on making the Capodimonte’s innumerable treasures more widely accessible to an international audience during this exciting period in the museum’s illustrious history.

The mission of the AFC is to promote and raise awareness in an English-speaking audience of the Museum and Royal Park of Capodimonte, one of Europe's greatest museums. The AFC is proud to be the only 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that funds and places promising young American curators directly into an Italian museum. In addition to curatorial responsibilities, the Fellow will also serve as an English-speaking ambassador from the Museum to visiting members of the AFC, international guests of honor, and members of the international press.

The demands and requirements of the job are, like Naples, not always straightforward and therefore a successful applicant will also need to demonstrate initiative, entrepreneurial skills, and the ability to adapt to a variety of situations. Previous Fellows have worked on creating text for English and Italian wall labels for the permanent collection and temporary exhibitions, taken responsibility for the curation of the Farnese collection of paintings and drawings, and written a catalogue for an exhibition of Capodimonte's masterpieces that travelled to Seattle and Dallas in 2019−2020. 

The Fellow will have access to the rich cultural resources of Naples, including museums, opera and music at the Teatro di San Carlo, historic landmarks, and the Biblioteca Nazionale di Napoli, which is the largest Italian library after those of Florence and Rome. The Fellow will be encouraged to pursue areas of their own expertise within the Museum and may be able to define projects that will further their own research. Previous Fellows have gone on to be offered and to accept curatorial positions in major American museums. The unique access to the Museum and to Naples given to the Fellow during his or her tenure has been an important factor in securing these jobs.

Fellowship Period and Residency

The Fellowship period is from September 1 to June 30, during which the Fellow will be expected to reside in Naples and work full-time at the Museo di Capodimonte. The possibility of an extension for a second academic year may be reviewed by the AFC during the initial Fellowship.

The AFC Postdoctoral Curatorial Fellow will be provided with funding in addition to housing or a stipend towards housing for one person only in Naples.

Eligibility

Applicants for the 2025−2026 fellowship must hold a PhD degree in Art History received after May 30, 2022. Pre-doctoral candidates may apply if the PhD degree will be awarded before commencement of the Fellowship. Applicants must be United States Citizens. Applications will be reviewed by the AFC Board and Director of Capodimonte. The applicant may not hold concurrent fellowships or awards during the fellowship period.

The applicant must also specialize in Early Modern European Art, preferably Italian Renaissance and/or Baroque art. A working knowledge of spoken and written Italian is essential.

Application Requirements and Deadline

Candidates for the American Friends of Capodimonte Postdoctoral Curatorial Fellowship must submit the enumerated materials below via email to americanfriendsofcapodimonte@gmail.com. All materials must be submitted in PDF file format and in English.

  1. Cover letter addressing your interest in the Fellowship position and how you think you could contribute to the Museum and the AFC mission.

  2. CV

  3. One (1) writing sample: PDF of published paper or recent writing sample (article, book chapter, dissertation chapter, etc.)

  4. Three (3) references from professional art historians or museum professionals within the field.

For each reference (3) please indicate:

  • name

  • title

  • institution (with address)

  • email address

  • phone number 

Applications must be received on or before the deadline. Late applications will not be considered.