About the Fellowship
The Romare Bearden Graduate Museum Fellowship honors the pioneering artist’s legacy by providing opportunities to early-career museum professionals. The goal of the Fellowship is to promote greater access to the field for individuals from backgrounds that are historically and statistically underrepresented at American art museums. During the two-year paid Fellowship, Fellows work in various museum departments and gain the skills, experience, and confidence necessary to pursue careers in art museums and related fields. The Fellowship embodies Romare Bearden’s vision of creating opportunities and spaces for new voices to thrive and contribute meaningfully to the art world.
Who Should Apply
The Museum welcomes candidates from various backgrounds who will advance the goals of the Bearden Fellowship program. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Individuals who are the first from their families to attend college
- Individuals who live in households with incomes below 80% of the national median household income
- Applicants who grew up in households or communities that afforded limited opportunities to visit and engage with museums
- Individuals who have encountered other specific articulable barriers to entry into a museum career
The Bearden Fellowship program also provides opportunities for individuals who articulate and demonstrate a commitment to the goals of the program, even if the candidate does not come from a historically and statistically underrepresented background.
The Fellowship program welcomes all applicants without regard to sex, race, age, disability, religion, national origin, color, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status or any classification protected by law.
Applications for the next Fellowship pool will be accepted in November, 2026.
Contact Renée Franklin for additional information.