Please forgive the late announcement about the Forbes Fellowship. The
federal government shut-down and the "Blizzard of '96" have conspired to
delay the information by almost a month.

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FORBES FELLOWSHIP


The Freer Gallery of Art of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.,
has established the Forbes Fellowship to be awarded annually to a "young
scholar of particular merit and distinction" for a project to further the
scientific study of the care, conservation, and protection of works of art.
The fellowship is established in memory of Edward Waldo Forbes and is
endowed by the estate of John S. Thacher.

Applications are currently being sought from individuals with a background
in art conservation or conservation science for consideration for the Forbes
Fellowship.  Selection will be based on the merit and quality of the
proposed project and the demonstrated ability of the candidate.  Applicants
having expertise in the area of the arts of Asia and meeting all other
qualifications will be given preference.

A stipend of $18,800 to $25,800 will be offered for a twelve month period.
The amount of the stipend will depend on the scholarly and professional
level of the selectee.  The proposed research or conservation project
associated with the fellowship must be conducted at the Freer Gallery of Art
in Washington.  Transportation to and from Washington will be paid in
addition to the stipend.

Proposals should describe a specific project in no more than six
double-spaced pages.  In addition, a description of the methodology to be
used in carrying out the project, a curriculum vitae, and bibliography
should be submitted with the proposal.  Three letters from referees familiar
with the applicant's work should be submitted to the address given below.
Applications must be postmarked by February 1, 1996 and received in the
Gallery no later than February 15, 1996.  Applications should be addressed to:

Forbes Fellowship Selection Committee
The Freer Gallery of Art
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, D.C. 20560
U.S.A.

Inquiries may be made by telephone to the Office of the Director, Freer
Gallery of Art, on 202-357-4880 extension 206 or to Dr. Christopher Maines,
Conservation Scientist, on 202-357-4880 extension 289.  Fax inquiries should
be made to 202-357-4911.  The Forbes Fellowship is open to all interested
candidates with demonstrated skills in art conservation and conservation
science.  Applicants whose native language is not English are expected to
have ability to write and converse in English.

The Forbes Fellowship will be awarded for the general period of September 1,
1996 to August 31, 1997.  The recipient will be notified no later than April
15, 1996.

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The Freer Gallery of Art

The Freer Gallery of Art opened to the public in 1923 as the Smithsonian's
first art museum. It was a gift to the nation by Charles Lang Freer
(1854-1919) and was based on Freer's collection of Asian art and 19th to
early 20th century American painting. It is now physically and
programmatically linked to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, which also has an
important Asian collection. The Freer and Sackler Galleries, which share one
staff, together form the American National Museums of Asian Art.

Facilities for research and study include collections of Chinese, Japanese,
Korean, South and Southeast Asian, ancient Near Eastern, and Islamic Near
Eastern objects.  There are also approximately 1500 American paintings and
prints. An important research library serves both the Freer Gallery of Art
and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and which includes an extensive slide
library and archives with original documentary material.

The Department of Conservation and Scientific Research occupies a recently
renovated space that includes chemical and instrumental laboratories,
conservation areas and related facilities. Equipment available within the
department includes that for x-radiography, routine and specialized
photography, optical microscopy (including chemical microscopy and
photomicrography,) color measurement, x-ray diffraction, x-ray fluorescence,
gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, infrared and visible-light image
acquisition with digital image processing and analysis, machine tools and
limited electronic shop facilities. Equipment available in collaboration
with other laboratories includes that for atomic absorption spectroscopy,
scanning electron microscopy, electron microbeam analysis, lead isotope
ratio analysis, and for other lines of work.