HNA is pleased to announce a new mentorship program designed to foster connection between historians of Netherlandish art at different phases of their careers. The current global pandemic and the lasting effects that it will have on our field make it especially important to offer new systems of support and contact across HNA’s diverse international community. With this in mind, we will match established academics, curators, conservators, and other professionals in the field with those at an earlier or developing stage of their careers.
The aims of the HNA Mentorship Program are threefold:
- First, we seek to create an opportunity for the sharing of knowledge and expertise within our community, and for fostering future generations of historians of Netherlandish Art.
- Second, we hope to bridge geographical and disciplinary divides within the field by connecting members across the realms of museums, universities, and trade, and among members in Europe, North America, and everywhere else.
- Third, we want to encourage collaboration and conversation among our members beyond the traditional platform of the in-person conference.
While inspired by the Renaissance Society of America’s foundational mentoring program, we believe that a dedicated HNA program of this kind will serve to strengthen our field over the long term and will better address the specific needs of our community.
Application Process:
Applications for the 2020–21 academic cycle are open until July 31, 2020 for both mentors and mentees. Mentors and mentees are encouraged to self-define when applying to participate, which means that there is no specific requirement of degree, position, or phase of study other than that students should already be post-coursework. We recognize, for instance, that many professionals in our field who might serve as excellent mentors do not necessarily have a Ph.D.
Mentors may be established professors, curators, museum professionals, conservators, educators, art dealers, art world specialists, publishers, etc. Mentors are not required to have an active HNA membership, but it is strongly encouraged. To apply to be a mentor, please click HERE.
Mentees may be graduate students who have completed their coursework, post-graduate scholars, postdoctoral fellows, early-career curators, conservators, or academics, or individuals seeking to pursue new areas of expertise regardless of age. Mentees must be current HNA members. To apply to be a mentee, please click HERE.
General Guidelines:
The mentorship program will run from September 1, 2020 until July 1, 2021. Mentors and mentees will be matched by the HNA Mentorship Committee. Once notified, mentors will be asked to reach out to their mentee and arrange an initial conversation whether over Zoom or over the phone. There is no specific requirement for the number of meetings over the course of the year, though we do ask both parties to be considerate of each other’s time and commitments beyond this program. Conversations might focus on matters of research, professional skills, job application strategies, the state of the field, the work/life balance, specific works of art or readings of mutual interest, etc. Mentees may ask mentors to read one article, essay, or chapter, or to look over one professional document, such as a CV or cover letter, though the mentor may opt to decline for reasons of time or potential conflict of interest. If it is convenient and feasible to meet in person at some point, such as at the upcoming HNA conference in Amsterdam this June 2021, they might consider this option as well, though once again it is neither necessary or required.