Short Description
CCL offers leadership training for art museum curators from all art historical specialties. Established in 2007, CCL’s core Fellowship program provides experienced curators with instruction from Columbia Business School faculty and exposure to real- world challenges faced by cultural institutions today.
Mentoring is a key element of the program and extends the learning outside of the classroom. Every year, directors and trustees from major museums across the world host Fellows for a weeklong residency.
Twelve curators are selected each year for the core CCL fellowship. Applicants must be full-time art museum curators; the ideal candidate demonstrates a track record of success with and commitment to the full range of the curatorial endeavor – management, care, and scholarly study of collections as well as the development and execution of exhibitions, publications, and community programs.
Program Components and Dates
The program extends from January to May or June and includes the following segments:
- A two-week intensive program in New York City in January that includes teaching from faculty members at Columbia Business School and practical exposure and assignments provided by museums, cultural institutions, foundations, and other civic organizations across the city.
- A five-day individual residency in March or April with a museum director from an institution other than the Fellow’s home institution.
- A concluding week in May or June, crafted to the particular needs and experiences of the class. It includes instruction, coaching, and the presentation of a team assignment.
CCL 2026 Dates:
- The two-week intensive will take place in New York City from January 4-16, 2026.
- The dates of each residency are selected by the Fellow and the residency host based on the activities in the host museum.
- The concluding week of instruction will be determined following the selection of the 2026 class.
Eligibility
CCL accepts applications from full-time senior and/or established curators working in art museums in North America and abroad; up to twelve applicants are accepted each year. CCL looks for inspired individuals with an established record of:
Curatorial achievement: Successful candidates are distinguished within their fields of expertise but are interested in developing new skills that would enable them to become valuable partners in institutional decision making.
Advancing Equity: CCL believes that diversity, representation, and inclusion are synonymous with excellence. Successful candidates have demonstrated commitment to fostering these values both within their institutions and in the field at large.
Leadership experience: CCL is interested in applicants who look beyond their curatorial responsibilities. Many candidates have managed teams, mentored emerging professionals, and partnered with colleagues both within their museums and across the profession. Successful candidates seek to contribute to the larger goals of their organizations and engage in questions facing the field at large.
Creative and entrepreneurial thinking: CCL curators are innovative problem solvers and forward-looking agents of change. In the program, they learn not only subject-specific skills like managerial accounting, but also habits of strategic thinking that will help them solve problems, foster institutional change and build relationships throughout the museum and beyond.
Submission Requirements
- General information about yourself and your museum
- Responses to five short prompts (250-300 words each)
- Résumé (PDF, no more than three pages)
- Two confidential recommendations (submitted through an online portal)
How to Apply
Online Application
Program Benefits & Awards
CCL is proud to announce that, with the support of our Board of Trustees, the 2026 Fellowship will remain tuition free. CCL covers the majority of travel, hotel, and food costs related to the program. For the two weeks in January in New York City and the final week of the program, the majority of meals and transportation from Monday through Friday will be organized by CCL; Fellows will be responsible for covering a small number of expenses for taxis and other incidentals. For the five-day residency, CCL will arrange the booking and payment of hotel and travel reservations and Fellows will receive a daily stipend for meals, transportation, and incidentals.
Entry Fee
None
Location
United States
Timeline
- Application Deadline: 30 June 2025
Website Link: https://www.curatorialleadership.org/programs/ccl-program/
