The Department of Egyptian Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art invites applications for the Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Curatorial Fellowship, a two-year fellowship that provides an opportunity for a postdoctoral scholar at an early stage of their career to gain curatorial training and experience, and to engage with a community of staff and scholars from around the world. These fellows work with a curatorial supervisor and mentor on a specific project related to The Met collection or an upcoming exhibition. The fellowships are designed to enhance the curatorial profession by training promising emerging scholars for careers in curatorial work. The fellowship will be granted in either Egyptian Art or Islamic Art.
2026–2028 Fellowships in Egyptian Art
Fifty years after first unveiling its galleries dedicated to Old Kingdom art, the Department of Egyptian Art <https://www.metmuseum.org/
the Pyramids (1999–2000) and Dawn of Egyptian Art (2012). Now, half a century later, the Department is seizing this moment to reflect on how current and future narratives can be meaningfully conveyed in these spaces.
The objects on view illuminate the work of Egypt’s earliest artists—those who experimented with form and expression before the formal conventions of Egyptian art were fully established—as well as the achievements of master craftsmen from the age of the pyramids, whose work reveals remarkable observation and sensitivity. Recent scholarship, however, has prompted new perspectives on art and culture in these
periods, such as the importance of sites outside the capital and the ever-changing dynamic between the king and his elite, calling for a fresh approach as to how we introduce Egyptian art, culture, and language to our many visitors.
The Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Curatorial Fellowship in the Department of Egyptian Art 2026–2028 provides an opportunity to engage deeply with this work. The fellow
will gain curatorial experience and training through working closely with curators in the department on the study and interpretation of artworks from Egypt’s earliest days to the end of the third millennium BCE. A key aspect of the fellow’s project will involve tracing their biographies from their ancient origins to their modern histories. This project will play a vital role in shaping the Department’s curatorial vision and storytelling within
these galleries. In addition, the fellow will participate fully in Fellowship Program activities. Ideal candidates will have a specialization in Egyptology or adjacent fields, with a keen interest in material culture, curatorial practice, and museum work. Proficiency in
German and French is required.
Application deadline: Friday, October 17, 2025, 5 pm ET
Notification date: All applicants will be notified by
the last Friday in February following the application
deadline.
Fellowship period: September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2028
For more information, see:
<https://www.metmuseum.org/
