Postdoctoral Research Fellow in African Art

Salary: $65,000/year | Full-time | Two-year term beginning October 1, 2026

About

The mission of the Barnes is to promote the advancement of education and the appreciation of the fine arts and horticulture. Our founder, Dr. Albert C. Barnes, believed that art had the power to improve minds and transform lives. Our diverse educational programs are based on his teachings and one-of-a-kind collections.

Responsibilities

• Conduct in-depth research on the 135 African objects in the Barnes collection.
• Reconnect this group of objects to knowledge from their source communities and place them in their cultural and historical context.
• Trace the provenance of the objects and integrate new technical/conservation study into the understanding of their life.
• Deliver new research in the form of both internal and public-facing materials.
• Disseminate knowledge to academic, community-based, and general audiences by:
  • Organizing scholars’ days.
  • Presenting lectures to the public, Barnes staff, and volunteers.
  • Teaching Barnes classes.
  • Developing tours.
  • Producing text and other materials for the website.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Art History with a specialization in African art; or comparable experience.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience using archival collections and working with objects.
• Experience with collections management databases preferred, especially TMS.
• Must be able to pass a criminal background check.

Physical Activities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.