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Resident Collections Fellow – Cranbrook Center for Collections & Research

Founded by Detroit philanthropists George and Ellen Booth in 1904, Cranbrook Educational Community is one of the world’s leading centers of education, science, and art. Comprised of a graduate Academy of Art, contemporary Art Museum, Center for Collections and Research, House and Gardens, Institute of Science, and more than 1,600 students attending our Pre-K through 12 independent college preparatory Schools, Cranbrook welcomes thousands of visitors and students to its campus each year. Critics have called Cranbrook “the most enchanted and enchanting setting in America” and in 1989 it was designated a National Historic Landmark. The campus is located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, about 20 miles north of downtown Detroit. For more, please visit our website: www.cranbrook.edu.

Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research (the “Center”) is accepting applications for its 2026-2028 Resident Collections Fellow. This is a unique opportunity for an emerging museum or historic house curator with a passion for decorative arts, architecture, and landscape history to play a leading role in the preservation and interpretation of Cranbrook’s diverse historic collections, as well as built and natural environments. This post-graduate (or post-doctoral) fellowship, which provides a professional bridge to long-term curatorial careers, includes a modest apartment on Cranbrook’s campus in a carriage house designed by Albert Kahn.

The 2026-2028 Fellowship Focus: Cranbrook’s Cultural Landscapes, including those surrounding its three historic house museums and the Cranbrook Japanese Garden. During the 2026-2027 fiscal year, the position will be titled the “2026-2027 Diana Mallory Hawes Collections Fellow,” in recognition of the Fellow’s patron.

About the Center:

Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research centralizes Cranbrook’s 122-year story and offers intellectual engagement with its legacy. Launched in 2012, the Center encompasses the management and curatorial leadership of Cranbrook’s campus-wide collection of Cultural Properties, Archives, historic architecture (most notably Cranbrook House, Saarinen House, and the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Smith House), Cultural Heritage Areas, and Cultural Landscapes. By preserving and interpreting the community’s unparalleled landscape, architecture, collections, and archives, the Center provides memorable educational experiences and meaningful research opportunities for internal and external audiences. The Center’s offices are housed within Cranbrook House and its annex, as well as Cranbrook Art Museum, where the Center takes advantage of the state-of-the-art Collections Wing. The public operation of Cranbrook Archives, which is a key component of the Center, is located within the Collections Wing of the Art Museum.

About the Fellowship:

The Collections Fellow reports to the Center’s Director and works closely with the Center’s Curator, while also working collaboratively with the staff of the Center (notably the registrar and archivists) and the staffs of Cranbrook’s Art Museum, Institute of Science, and Schools, and the volunteers of Cranbrook House & Gardens Auxiliary. The Collections Fellow researches collections and assists with the development of their documentation, accessioning, storage, care, conservation, and inventory, as well as their display and interpretation within the context of Cranbrook House (the founders’ 1908 Albert Kahn-designed manor home), Saarinen House (Eliel Saarinen’s 1930 Art Deco masterwork with a landscape designed by Loja Saarinen), and Smith House (a 1950 Usonian house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright with a landscape designed by Thomas Dolliver Church); develops and organizes collections-based educational programs for Cranbrook Schools; develops lectures and tours for regional audiences; assists with visiting researchers; develops the representation of the Center’s collections and programs on the Center’s website; writes blogs; assists with fundraisers and events; and provides public and private tours of the campus, including Cranbrook House, Saarinen House, and Smith House and their landscapes, as well as the Cranbrook Japanese Garden.

2026-2028 Fellowship Focus:

While past Collections Fellows have focused on the decorative arts collections and architecture of Cranbrook’s three historic house museums, the 2026-2028 Resident Collections Fellow will be the first to focus on researching and sharing with public and internal audiences Cranbrook’s landscapes and natural environments, including the landscapes designed by Ossian Cole (O. C.) Simonds, the Olmstead Brothers, Loja Saarinen, Thomas Dolliver Church, and Dan Kiley. A veritable who’s who of modern and contemporary design, the campus was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1989. Despite the significance of the landscapes in the shaping of Cranbrook as a “total work of art,” its histories and stories are under-researched.

The work of the 2026-2028 Resident Collections Fellow will not only document these landscapes and their supporting sculptures and decorative arts but also share them with ever expanding audiences. The Fellow’s work may include researching and publishing garden histories for the Center’s “Cranbrook Kitchen Sink” blog, website, eMuseum database, and pamphlets; developing and leading public walking tours; creating a series of maps for self-guided tours; developing related programs such as tree and bird walks; working with Cranbrook Schools students on curriculum-related landscape content; developing small exhibitions in Cranbrook House; and—critically—helping to educate Cranbrook staff members on the importance of Cranbrook’s landscapes and natural environments.

A central focus will be the landscapes that were part of the original Booth estate, including the terraced gardens that surround Cranbrook House, the Booths’ 1908 Arts and Crafts manor home; the 1915 Greek Theatre; and the 1915 Cranbrook Japanese Garden that is now being rejuvenated by the Center with Sadafumi Uchiyama, Curator Emeritus of the Portland Japanese Garden in Oregon.

It is essential that the 2026-2028 Resident Collections Fellow not only see themselves as a scholar-curator, but also a person that is comfortable working, when necessary, side by side with and learning from the volunteers and staff members that tend the gardens. As an example, the Fellow will work with the Center Director to oversee the work of the volunteers that meet once a month to care for the Japanese Garden. The Fellow will also need to develop a close working relationship with the large corps of volunteers that care for the gardens surrounding Cranbrook House.

Requirements:

The ideal candidate should have an M.A. in art, architecture, or landscape history, material culture, or a related field (completion of M.A. coursework before starting fellowship required), with an emphasis on the late 19th through mid-20th centuries; demonstrated object- and place-based research and interpretation skills; outstanding speaking, writing, and editing skills; an interest in working in the landscape; attention to detail; strong computer skills (Microsoft Office 365), including comfort with virtual presentation platforms; and collections database experience (TMS preferred). Previous curatorial experience or internships preferred.

Fellowship Duration and Compensation:

The two-year fellowship begins in September 2026 (the tentative start date is September 8th although a later start date may be considered) and continues through June 2028. The pay rate is $19.66 per hour, which equates to $40,893 annually based on a full-time, 40 hours/week work schedule (including periodic evening and weekend responsibilities). A small apartment on Cranbrook’s campus will be provided.

Cranbrook offers benefits that include a medical plan, paid time off, and eligibility to participate in the retirement programs with the potential to earn employer contributions. We also offer employee discounts, and a unique environment in an educational setting that values collaboration.

Application Process:

In addition to a resume, applicants must upload a cover letter (noting Fellowship and career goals) and a writing sample. Applications will be considered incomplete without these materials. Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled. Please be sure all documents are uploaded at the time you submit your application.