Alfred Appel Jr. Curatorial Fellowship

The Delaware Art Museum is pleased to offer an annual Curatorial Fellowship. This two-month Fellowship is intended for graduate students working towards a museum career. This Fellowship honors Alfred Appel, Jr., a leading scholar of American Studies and a collector of modern prints and photographs. 

The focus of the Fellowship changes each year based on institutional need. The Fellowship requires two months of full-time work, or the equivalent in part-time hours. The timing of the Fellowship is flexible and can be carried out full-time or part-time, based on applicant and institutional commitments, and must be served between May and September 2025.

The 2025 Appel Curatorial Fellow will work collaboratively with DelArt’s Manager of Learning and Interpretation Zoe Akoto and Curator of American Art Heather Campbell Coyle on interpretation and programming for the museum’s presentation of Imprinted: Illustrating Race from the Norman Rockwell Museum. Illustration has been at the forefront of defining events in the United States, from the American Civil War and Reconstruction Era to the Harlem Renaissance and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, moving forward to today. Imprinted examines widely circulated imagery, conceived and published over the course of more than three centuries, which has reflected and shaped perceptions of race across time.  

Featuring over 100 artworks commissioned by publishers and advertisers, the exhibition traces harmful and prolific stereotypical representations of race that were historically sanctioned and prominently featured in newspapers, magazines, and books, on trade cards, posters, and advertisements, and on packaging and products. Imprinted also celebrates the concerted efforts of 20th and 21st century artists and editors to shift the cultural narrative through the publication—in print and across digital platforms—of positive, inclusive imagery emphasizing full agency and equity for all. This exhibition will be on view in DelArt’s Fusco Gallery from October 18, 2025 – March 1, 2026.

Receiving the fellowship

A stipend of $3,500 is available for the Fellowship. The Fellowship is intended for those who are currently enrolled in an art history graduate program and are planning a museum career. While the project may require off-site research, the fellow is expected to work on site regularly during the two-month period of the Fellowship.

Important Dates

The deadline to apply is February 8, 2025. Notification of the successful applicant will be announced by March 15, 2025. The chosen candidate will then be asked to provide a date for assuming the Fellowship by March 28, 2025. The Fellowship must be carried out between May 27 – August 1, 2025.

To Apply:

Applications for the 2025 Appel Fellowship, including a cover letter, resume, and two letters of recommendation as an MS Word or PDF attachment may be emailed to curatorial@delart.org. We are committed to inclusivity and encourage qualified candidates from all cultures and communities to apply. Delaware Art Museum is an equal opportunity employer.