What are the responsibilities and job description for the Exhibitions Fellow position at MFAH?
Title: Exhibitions Fellow
Reports To: Julia Peters, Administrative Assistant
Work Schedule: 20 hours/week, Flexible within Monday through Friday 9:00am-5pm
Date of Job Description: 2026
The Exhibitions & Collection Management Department reports to the Associate Director of Exhibitions and Collection Management and is comprised of the following sub-departments: Preparations, Production, Design, Registration, and Exhibitions. It negotiates, plans, schedules and implements approximately twelve special exhibitions, five permanent collection exhibitions and thirty-two rotations annually. It coordinates correspondence for incoming loans; drafts, negotiates, monitors and executes contractual exhibition agreements; creates and maintains budgets for exhibition projects; manages the exhibition calendar; and organizes agendas and travel for exhibition-related guests such as artists or representatives from other museums and collections. It collaborates on and coordinates exhibition planning with the departments of Curatorial, Conservation, Development, Engineering & Facilities, Learning & Interpretation, Publications, Graphics, and Security, among others.
The Exhibitions Fellow will work collaboratively to obtain comprehensive experience in the field of arts administration, specifically in the area of fine art museum logistics and administration. The Exhibitions Fellow will attend regular departmental meetings on exhibitions and also learn about the museum’s managerial structure and organizational scheme. Projects and responsibilities can be tailored to suit the interests and career aspirations of the Exhibitions fellow.
Responsibilities
- Reserve all exhibition activity in the Museum’s Event Management System (EMS)
- Assist in coordination of meeting notices, room reservations and set-ups, audiovisual requests, special event requests, and prepare necessary meeting materials
- Assist in maintaining and analyzing the database of exhibition statistics
- Receive, track, and circulate exhibition proposals to curators and prepare decline correspondence
- Compile final exhibition reports
- Manage updates to various calendars
- Create exhibition production schedules, Exhibition Fact Sheets
- Assist in creation of ballpark budgets and project budgets
- Assist with data entry for departmental expense ledgers
- Perform other duties and projects as assigned by the Exhibitions department
Skills, Knowledge and Abilities
- Familiarity with Microsoft computer programs including Teams
- Strong typing and data entry skills
- Must be able to take meeting notes, and draft well-written professional letters
- Excellent organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail required
- Must have strong communication skills and be able to interact with diverse groups of people
Education and Experience
- Undergraduate College Degree required, ideally currently pursuing an advanced program or certificate
- Knowledge of/experience with museums and project management preferred
Eligibility Requirements
Must be able to commit to at least 20 hours per week in-person during office operating hours (Monday – Friday, 9am to 5pm) for at least 1 year. Preference will be given to students with a serious interest in pursuing a museum career.