Terra Foundation for American Art Postdoctoral Teaching Fellowship at the Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art (a partnership between the Ecole Normale Supérieure (Paris), the Université de Paris-Ouest Nanterre-La Défense and the Université François Rabelais de Tours)

September 1, 2010 to August 31, 2013

Annual stipend : Euro equivalent of US $51,000 (stipend of $44,000 and travel funds up to $7,000)

Aims of the fellowship

With sponsorship from the Terra Foundation for American Art, the Ecole Normale Supérieure, the université de Paris-Ouest Nanterre La Défense and the université François Rabelais de Tours are pleased to announce a new two-year fellowship for the teaching and study of historical American art (pre-1980). The award will enable a recent postdoctoral scholar to teach in these institutions, and to participate in research related to their fields of study. These activities will enhance the appointee’s curriculum vitae and advance his/her prospects of obtaining other research awards and positions within the academic community.

Applicants are expected to be at an early stage of their career, not currently holding, or having held a permanent university position and having received a Ph.D. within few years of taking up the award.

Background

The Ecole Normale Supérieure is a prestigious “Grande école” and an internationally renowned center for the study of the sciences and humanities, founded in 1789. The université de Paris-Ouest Nanterre La Défense is situated in the western portion of the capital and is one of the three Parisian universities where art history is taught.

The université François Rabelais de Tours is one of the best known universities in the field of art history in France. The fellow will work together with the art history departments of these universities, and will participate in their research projects. He/she will have the opportunity to meet experts in the field of nineteenth and twentieth- century European and American art history.

Courses will take place at the Ecole Normale Supérieure, in the historical and intellectual center of Paris (“Quartier latin”), during the first year, and at the Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art ( INHA), also in the historical center (not far from the Georges Pompidou Center and the Louvre) during the second year of the fellowship. The Fellow will also be invited to give speeches at Université François Rabelais de Tours.

All courses will be taught in English, and will address students from the third year of university to the doctorate level ; they will be either students in art history, or students in American or Anglo-Saxon studies.

During the two years of the fellowship, the fellow will have the benefit of a private office at the Ecole Normale Supérieure. The fellow will also be provided with a “multi- function” identity card from this institution, - which gives access to an extensive library for the humanities – and to the restaurant of the Ecole Normale Supérieure.

The fellow will furthermore have access to the INHA art history library, where the Université Paris-Ouest has its offices.

The fellow will pursue his/her research project while in France. The fellow’s scholarly interests will be posted on the websites of the three institutions. He/she will be given opportunities to share the results of this research through seminars, conferences, or otherscholarly convenings.

Responsibilities of the Fellow

The Fellow is expected to teach two semester-long courses, one during semester 1 (October 2011 – January 2012) at the Ecole Normale Supérieure, the other during semester 3 (October 2012– January 2013) at the INHA. The Fellow will also be invited to give speeches at Université François Rabelais de Tours.

During the semester 1, the post-doctoral fellow will offer a course dealing with American art prior to 1940, and during the semester 3, on the New York scene in the 1950s and 1960s or on contemporary American art.

The subjects of the two courses will focus on American art topics (nineteenth century, twentieth century, either pre- or post-WWII), but courses related to American art methodologies and topics (history of art and cultural studies) will also be considered. A course proposal based on international artistic relationships (transatlantic or transpacific) would also be welcome.

The Fellow will also be invited to give speeches at université François Rabelais de Tours.

The Fellow will act as main interlocutor in Paris for the two Terra visiting professors participating in the program.

During semesters 2 (February – June 2012) and 4 (February – June 2013), the fellow will be relieved of teaching duties and will be responsible for the organization of a three-day conference in Paris or its vicinity. He/she will be mentored in this task by French professors from the three institutions. This conference will deal with American art history, methodological questions (history of art and the question of cultural studies) and/or cultural exchanges. The model for this conference will be the event called “La semaine internationale de printemps en histoire de l’art” of the Réseau international en histoire de l’art (http://www.proartibus.net/) : a meeting of senior scholars (either American or European, including French) and graduate students who present papers to the assembled group.

The fellow will submit three reports on the progress of the fellowship to the board of the program and the head of the INHA in June 2012, December 2012, and finally in June 2013 –reports which will be forwarded to the Terra Foundation for American Art.

The selection process and closing date

Completed applications are due on January 15, 2011, for preliminary overview at the Selection Committee’s February meeting.

Applicants are asked to submit :
- a cover letter explaining the candidate’s specific interest in the fellowship, and his/her scholarly expertise regarding American art (eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth century art (either pre- or post-World War II)), or the study of methodology and subjects in recent American art history and cultural studies, or the history of international artistic relationships and cultural exchanges to or from America
- a completed application form, with two letters of recommendation. One of these letters may be from the candidate’s supervisor, but this is not required.
Please return the completed application file to :
Dr. Béatrice Joyeux-Prunel,
Département d’Histoire et Théorie des Arts,
Ecole Normale Supérieure,
45 rue d’Ulm, 75230, Paris cedex 05, France
(clearly marked “Terra Postdoctoral Fellowship” on the envelope),
AND in addition, send a copy by email to terrafellowshipgmail.com.

Links :
Further information and background (Terra invited Professorship) : http://www.dhta.ens.fr/spip.php?art...
Download Application Form : http://www.dhta.ens.fr/IMG/pdf/Terr... ;

Closing date : January 15, 2011.

Several members of the Committee will proceed to interview a few selected applicants, either in New York during the second week of February (for candidates living in the United States) or in Paris during the first week of March (for candidates living in Europe). Applicants selected for these interviews will be notified between January 15 and February 1, 2011.

If you would like us to acknowledge receipt of your application, please enclose a selfaddressed, stamped envelope with your application file.

Notification of final selection will occur in mid-March, 2011.

For further details, please email beatrice.joyeux-prunelens.fr (Subject: Terra postdoctoral fellowship).

The Terra Foundation for American Art supports worldwide study and presentation of historical American art through its grants, initiatives, partnerships, art collection, and other resources. For additional information on Terra Foundation activities and opportunities for support, please visit www.terraamericanart.org.