Interpretative Fellow, Latinx Art

Title:                                 Interpretative Fellow, Latinx Art  

Academic Level:            Recent BA degree or currently enrolled in an MA program

Department:                  Learning and Interpretation

Fellowship Term:          2026-2027 academic term

Work Location:             on campus

Deadline to apply:       July 31^st, 2026

Project Description

Organized by the International Center for the Arts of the Americas (ICAA), ¡Aquí Estamos!: Latinx Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is a multi-year, institution-wide initiative that is opening critical pathways for the study and exhibition of Latinx art and artists within a major encyclopedic museum. Key to the initiative are emerging researchers who are well-positioned to make significant contributions to the expanding field of Latinx art. ¡Aquí Estamos! provides hands-on training and mentorship for a cohort of future museum and research professionals focused on Latinx art. These fellowship opportunities recognize the importance of early-career exposure to curatorial, conservation, and museum interpretation practices as well as archival and primary source research in cultivating the next generation of scholars and museum professionals.

Learning Outcomes and Objectives 

Key to the ¡Aquí Estamos! initiative are emerging art museum interpreters who are well-positioned to make a significant contribution to the project and to visitor experiences with Latinx art. Interpretive fellowship opportunities recognize the importance of early career exposure to object-based research and interpretive practices in cultivating the next generation of art museum interpreters with demonstrated capacity in the field of Latinx art.    

   

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is offering an Interpretive Fellow, Latinx Art the opportunity to assist the MFAH department of Learning and Interpretation in making Latinx art at the MFAH accessible and engaging to the broadest possible audiences. The Fellow is expected to become familiar with, and participate in, a range of interpretive practices, which may include the writing of interpretive plans; the development of content for printed or audio guides; in-gallery interactives and other interpretive tools and technologies; developing best practices for Spanish-language resources; and the assessment of those interpretive resources.   

Primary Responsibilities and Opportunities

• Work with Learning and Interpretation staff to develop interpretive online resources from research into Latinx works in the Museum’s collections  


• Collaborate with Curatorial and Learning and Interpretation departments to develop content for gallery-specific iPads, print materials, or the MFAH mobile app  


• Collaborate with the Museum’s Conservation department to interpret conservation research and technical reports for the Museum’s in-gallery and website audiences; Make these reports relevant through art historical research and accessible written content on in-gallery iPads or website platforms  


• Training docents and teens to answer questions and engage Museum visitors in Latinx art


• Participate in ¡Aquí Estamos! project meetings

Qualifications

• BA degree in art history, studio art, or museum studies  


•  Ideally pursuing graduate study (MA or MFA) in these or related fields


• Demonstrated interest or background in Latinx art  


• Reading and writing ability in Spanish isdesired  


• Basic fluency in the application of digital resources for learning and research a plus


•  Familiarity with some aspect of museum work or learning theory as it relates to

museum audiences is desired 

• Expects to develop a career in museum work, either as a museum, interpreter, educator or curator 

Working Conditions and Other Requirements

• Work is primarily performed indoors in a climate-controlled environment, with some limited work (special events, festivals) occurring outdoors. May be exposed to various environmental and event related factors such as but not limited to music, and crowd noise at a high, medium or low noise intensity 


• Ability to collect and analyze research and data as well as verbal information to reach logical recommendations and conclusions 


•  Ability to work under deadlines and sometimes changing requirements or expectations in an appropriate manner 


• Seeing, hearing, speaking, and writing clearly in order to communicate with staff, guests and others. 


• Job duties will include extended standing and working with a computer 


• Must undergo and meet company standards for relevant criminal background and professional reference checks. 

With or without reasonable accommodation, the individual selected must have the capacity to perform effectively all essential functions.

Work Schedule

This part-time, year-long internship will comprise approximately 125 hours per semester with an average of 10-12 hours of work per week. The fellow will work with supervisors in the Learning and Interpretation Department to determine an acceptable schedule, which will allow the fellow to do research, attend meetings, and assist in the production of interpretive resources. 

The anticipated term is September 7^th, 2026 to May 15^th, 2027, but minor adjustments will be considered based on the selected candidate’s availability.

Stipend

The Interpretative Fellow will receive a $5,000 stipend for their contributions to the initiative.

Please note that the MFAH is unable to offer tuition assistance or remission.

Application Instructions

Please submit the following materials to MFAH Careers by July 31^st, 2026:

• Letter of interest describing your experience and professional goals as relevant to this opportunity (maximum 1500 words) 


• Curriculum vitae including relevant graduate coursework completed


• Academic writing sample (maximum 12-15 pages) 


• The name and contact information for at least two (2) academic or other relevant professional references

Applications or letters of interest sent via mail, fax, or direct email to a staff member will not ensure consideration. Please note that only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.

Equal Opportunities for All

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, is committed to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. We encourage applications from candidates whose experiences and perspectives will contribute meaningfully to our work and institutional culture.

The MFAH is equally committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals interested in employment with the organization. As part of this commitment, we want to ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation needed to 1) participate in the job application or 2) interview process; 3) perform essential job functions; and/or 4) participate in the benefits and privileges of employment with the MFAH. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact the human resources department: [email protected].

About the MFAH

The MFAH is an organization comprised of 600+ employees and 1,000+ docents and volunteers. The museum is more than 100 years old and ranks nationally among the top 10 art museums in exhibition space, memberships, endowments, and attendance, with 1M visitors annually. Our multifaceted institution includes multiple gallery buildings, a sculpture garden, two art schools, three eateries and two house museums for decorative arts. The encyclopedic collection numbers more than 70,000 works of art in a wide range of media. As an employer, MFAH offers a supportive, collegial and inclusive work environment.

Latin American and Latino Art at the MFAH

The MFAH is an internationally recognized leader in the fields of Latin American and Latino art. Over the last 25 years, the Museum built a core collection of post-World War II modern and contemporary art with over 850 emblematic works in all media from Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the United States. During this time, the MFAH acquired works by major Latino artists including: Allora & Calzadilla, Carlos Almaraz, María Magdalena Campos-Pons, Margarita Cabrera, Mel Casas, Adriana Corral, Rafa Esparza, Teresita Fernández, Carmen Lomas Garza, Jay Lynn Gomez, Luis Jiménez, Antonio Martorell, Amalia Mesa-Bains, César A. Martínez, Daniel Joseph Martinez, Patssi Valdez, and Vincent Valdez. To date, the Museum’s holdings in this area encompass 400+ works by over 80 artists.

In 2001, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), established the Latin American Art Department and its research arm, the International Center for the Arts of the Americas (ICAA). The mission of the ICAA is to collect, exhibit, research, and educate audiences about the diverse artistic production of Latin American and Latinx communities. The ICAA organizes research-based exhibitions, maintains a dynamic publications program, and develops research and education projects that complement the MFAH’s renowned collections of Latin American and Latino art. The ICAA’s cornerstone initiative is the Documents of Latin American and Latino Art digital archive project, which is dedicated to recovering primary source documents and critical texts related to Latin American and Latinx art and making them accessible to a worldwide audience.