MOLAA Research Center & Lab
MOLAA Collection Lab. Photo by: Yubo Dong, @ofphotostudio
To address the systemic issue of low representation of the Hispanic, Latin American, Latinx, and Chicanx experience in the museum field, the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) proposed to create and implement the 2023-2026 Latino Museum Research & Fellowship Consortium (LMRFC).
This proposal aligns with the Institute of Museums and Library Services (IMLS) American Latino Museum Internship and Fellowship Initiative’s program goals and objective for supporting museum-based fellowships to increase museum career opportunities for individuals in the study of American Latino life, art, history, and culture, and supporting the creation of a new museum-based fellowship opportunities for students pursuing advanced studies related to American Latino life, art, history, and culture. Additionally, MOLAA is pleased to support the IMLS’ goals and objectives related to supporting the training and professional development of the museum and library workforce and promoting access to museum and library collections.
LMRFC Partners
In addition to MOLAA, the LMRFC counts four institutions of higher learning as project partners, including the University of California Irvine and California State University Long Beach and the University of California Los Angeles and the University of Southern California (USC).
LMRFC Goals
This Consortium promotes cross-institutional relationships between and among institutions of higher learning and advance studies relating to American Latino life, art, history, and culture through activities such a build a pipeline of paid fellowship opportunities for masters and postdoctoral students at MOLAA; provide resources for professional development opportunities paired with fellowships at MOLAA; foster research collaboration by leveraging MOLAA’s curatorial staff expertise and over-1,300-object collection of Latin American, Latinx, and Chicanx art; and develop cross-institutional relationships between institutions of higher learning and MOLAA to promote student cohort learning opportunities across universities; among other activities.
LMRFC and MOLAA´s Strategic Plan
The proposed Latino Museum Research & Fellowship Consortium (LMRFC) fits squarely within MOLAA’s strategic plan, building on its strategic goals to foster greater access to its exhibitions, collections, and educational programming to expand the Museum’s reach and impact and strengthen its reputation and leadership role among local and global communities to foster new ideas and partnerships and drive innovation in the arts investing in digital initiatives to increase reach and accessibility to a global audience prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion in collections, exhibitions, programming, and staffing.
MOLAA uses the Consortium to assist with two long-standing efforts: the digitization of MOLAA’s collection; and the expansion of the Museum’s research capacity for its collection, exhibitions, and programming. Digitize the MOLAA Collection in a meticulous and impactful way providing a platform that will expand our audience reach and be a fundamental academic and educational resource.
Project Leadership
MOLAA Chief Curator Gabriela Urtiaga will lead the Latino Museum Research & Fellowship Consortium as the Project Director, serving as the main point of contact between the four institutions of higher learning. She will also provide overall supervision of and guidance for the project personnel who will implement the Consortium, its programming, and the fellows and their work. Consortium programming will help inform potential research collaborations through ongoing conversations with participating institutions, their students and faculty, and fellows selected later in the project period.
