The University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) has selected PhD candidate Lehti Keelmann the 2014–15 UMMA History of Art Andrew W. Mellon Curatorial Fellow, a position she will hold for the academic year. As the Museum welcomes its third Mellon Fellow, UMMA Director Joseph Rosa notes: “We are thrilled to provide advanced PhD students with the opportunity to explore, learn, and develop the critical thinking skills and diverse practical experience required for success in today’s world. I know I speak for everyone on the UMMA staff when I say that we welcome these truly inspiring young scholars and hope to provide the impetus for them to choose museum work as a profession.” In addition to strengthening the Museum’s capacity to nurture young museum professionals such as Ms. Keelmann, a $650,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation has allowed UMMA to more systematically develop cross-disciplinary teaching and learning opportunities and projects that investigate, interpret, and present the University of Michigan collections for broad audiences.
Keelmann earned her B.A. (with Honors) in Art History from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada and her M.A. in the History of Art from the University of Michigan. She is currently writing her dissertation entitled “Bachelors Bridging the Baltic: the Artistic Ambitions of the Tallinn Brotherhood of the Black Heads, circa 1400–1550.” While at UMMA, Keelmann will work with staff on a number of curatorial and education projects related to her interests in medieval and early modern European art and architecture, in the process contributing ideas and perspectives to the field and engaging with educators. Keelmann remarks: “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the UMMA community and I look forward to participating in the collaborative and creative environment of the Museum”.