Caution (2001), oil on pigmented, plasticized Hydrocal plaster with fresco markings and steel wires, 25 x 31”.
ESR CURATORIAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP 2025
New York City
We seek a curatorial research fellow to interpret and advance the work of Elaine Spatz-Rabinowitz (b. 1942), an American visual artist whose work pushes the limits of representation and abstraction through innovative use of material in painting, photography, and sculpture. Spatz-Rabinowitz received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2007 for her mixed media work on war and violence and is currently focusing on climate collapse in a series of hybrid works revealing fragmented Arctic landscapes.
The fellow should have a postgraduate degree in art history or curatorial studies (or equivalent professional experience) and a keen sense of the contemporary art world. They will research galleries and museums, help to develop a compelling narrative around this body of work, and co-lead projects as appropriate. We welcome applications from retired and/or independent curators as well as younger candidates.
Compensation for this part-time position is in the form of housing. You will have sole occupancy of a small, sunny, comfortably furnished studio apartment located on East 30th Street in Manhattan, NYC — close to the MOMA, the Met, and more — with a market rental value of $2800 per month. In exchange you will work 20–25 hours per week on this project, meeting regularly with the fellowship supervisor.
The painting above (Caution, 2001) hangs in the apartment. Viewing other works in person will require visits to the artist's studio in Cambridge, MA.
To apply, send cover letter with CV and references to esrfellow@gmail.com by April 15th, 2025. The cover letter should explain how you would situate this body of work in today’s artistic landscape, with reference to the current and archival materials available on this website. The fellowship will begin in Autumn 2025 with an initial commitment of 12 months. Renewal is possible, by mutual agreement.
About the apartment:
This small, charming sun-filled studio apartment is perfect for a year in New York City. The apartment overlooks private gardens on a quiet street in the midst of the lively restaurant-rich Murray Hill neighborhood in Manhattan. It is within easy walking distance of the Morgan Library & Museum, CUNY Graduate Center, and NYC’s main public library branch on 42nd Street. It is close to subway and bus lines and to supermarkets and specialty food shops.
The apartment is fully furnished and user friendly. The kitchen is small but amply equipped. There is a double Murphy bed, which pulls down from a wall cabinet but can remain open with room to spare. The apartment is on the top floor of a lovely pre-war walk up and has air-conditioning, good reading lights for study, a comfortable sofa, and a couple of family antiques. There is ample closet, dresser and book-shelf space. Utilities and Wi-Fi Internet access are included.