Forbes Fellowship at Freer Gallery

Please forgive the late announcement about the Forbes Fellowship.
The federal government shut-down and the "Blizzard of '96" have
conspired to delay the information by almost a month.

Forbes Fellowship

The Freer Gallery of Art of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington,
D.C., has established the Forbes Fellowship to be awarded annually
to a "young scholar of particular merit and distinction" for a
project to further the scientific study of the care, conservation,
and protection of works of art. The fellowship is established in
memory of Edward Waldo Forbes and is endowed by the estate of John
S. Thacher.

Applications are currently being sought from individuals with a
background in art conservation or conservation science for
consideration for the Forbes Fellowship.  Selection will be based on
the merit and quality of the proposed project and the demonstrated
ability of the candidate.  Applicants having expertise in the area
of the arts of Asia and meeting all other qualifications will be
given preference.

A stipend of $18,800 to $25,800 will be offered for a twelve month
period. The amount of the stipend will depend on the scholarly and
professional level of the selectee.  The proposed research or
conservation project associated with the fellowship must be
conducted at the Freer Gallery of Art in Washington.  Transportation
to and from Washington will be paid in addition to the stipend.

Proposals should describe a specific project in no more than six
double-spaced pages.  In addition, a description of the methodology
to be used in carrying out the project, a curriculum vitae, and
bibliography should be submitted with the proposal.  Three letters
from referees familiar with the applicant's work should be submitted
to the address given below. Applications must be postmarked by
February 1, 1996 and received in the Gallery no later than February
15, 1996.  Applications should be addressed to:

    Forbes Fellowship Selection Committee
    The Freer Gallery of Art
    Smithsonian Institution
    Washington, D.C. 20560
    U.S.A.

Inquiries may be made by telephone to the Office of the Director,
Freer Gallery of Art, on 202-357-4880 extension 206 or to Dr.
Christopher Maines, Conservation Scientist, on 202-357-4880
extension 289.  Fax inquiries should be made to 202-357-4911.  The
Forbes Fellowship is open to all interested candidates with
demonstrated skills in art conservation and conservation science.
Applicants whose native language is not English are expected to have
ability to write and converse in English.

The Forbes Fellowship will be awarded for the general period of
September 1, 1996 to August 31, 1997.  The recipient will be
notified no later than April 15, 1996.

The Freer Gallery of Art

The Freer Gallery of Art opened to the public in 1923 as the
Smithsonian's first art museum. It was a gift to the nation by
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919) and was based on Freer's collection
of Asian art and 19th to early 20th century American painting. It is
now physically and programmatically linked to the Arthur M. Sackler
Gallery, which also has an important Asian collection. The Freer and
Sackler Galleries, which share one staff, together form the American
National Museums of Asian Art.

Facilities for research and study include collections of Chinese,
Japanese, Korean, South and Southeast Asian, ancient Near Eastern,
and Islamic Near Eastern objects.  There are also approximately 1500
American paintings and prints. An important research library serves
both the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and
which includes an extensive slide library and archives with original
documentary material.

The Department of Conservation and Scientific Research occupies a
recently renovated space that includes chemical and instrumental
laboratories, conservation areas and related facilities. Equipment
available within the department includes that for x-radiography,
routine and specialized photography, optical microscopy (including
chemical microscopy and photomicrography,) color measurement, x-ray
diffraction, x-ray fluorescence, gas chromatography/mass
spectrometry, infrared and visible-light image acquisition with
digital image processing and analysis, machine tools and limited
electronic shop facilities. Equipment available in collaboration
with other laboratories includes that for atomic absorption
spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, electron microbeam
analysis, lead isotope ratio analysis, and for other lines of work.

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 9:54
                Distributed: Thursday, January 11, 1996
                        Message Id: cdl-9-54-019
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