2009 Latino Museum Studies Program (LMSP)

ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Organized by the Smithsonian Latino Center (SLC), the Latino Museum
Studies Program (LMSP) was established to enhance leadership and
professional excellence in the representation and interpretation of
Latino history, art, and culture.
The first two weeks of the program will include panel sessions,
lectures, workshops, and behind the scenes access to Smithsonian
collections. Topics of discussion include diverse areas of museum work
such as curatorial practice, education, exhibition design, collections
management, public programming, and audience development. The format
provides an ideal platform to promote dialogue amongst the faculty and
participants on a wide range of topics in the museum field in a variety
of contexts. The faculty includes Smithsonian staff as well as
distinguished curators, scholars, educators, and collectors from across
the country.
During the second half of the program, fellows will participate in a
designated project. The goal of the projects is to encourage the fellows
to work with Smithsonian staff to develop new concepts and theories,
complete research, as well as contribute to current exhibitions,
programs, and research projects in progress at the institution. At the
conclusion of the program, all fellows will be required to deliver a
final presentation on their project and complete an assessment of their
methodology.

PROGRAM DATES
Participants are required to complete all four weeks of the program,
July 12 - August 7, 2009.

FEES AND EXPENSES
Participation is free and includes accommodations for the duration of
the program, as well as the cost of round-trip travel to Washington,
D.C. Fellows are responsible for all other expenses during the
four-weeks, including transportation within the city and meals. A
stipend is not provided.

ELIGIBILITY
Admission is competitive. The program is open to graduate students and
mid-career museum professionals enrolled or engaged in the fields of
Latino and Latin American art, culture and history, these include but
are not limited to visual arts, sociology, performing arts, literature,
cultural anthropology and related studies.

SELECTION
Up to fifteen fellows are selected through a competitive process, guided
by a selection committee comprised of museum and academic professionals.
Successful candidates should:

1.
Have considerable research and/or professional experience within their
field.
2.
Have considerable leadership experience.
3.
Hold an active interest in theoretical and practical issues related to
museums or other cultural centers
4.
Speak, read, and write English fluently.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
1.
Request a letter of recommendation from two distinct sources. Each
recommendation should specifically address how the candidate is an
appropriate fit for the program and must be mailed directly to the
Smithsonian Latino Center by the April 17 deadline.
2.
Complete and submit the online application form. All information must be
submitted in English. The link will be available from
http://latino.si.edu/programs/programs_LMSP.htm
Please note: the application does not recognize special characters or
accent marks. Please do not use when filling out the application.

DEADLINE
All application materials are due in the Smithsonian Latino Center
office no later than 5 p.m. April 17, 2009.

For more information, please visit the Smithsonian Latino Center online
at http://latino.si.edu