Call for Applications: Museums Next Generation 2026 (US Candidates)
© F. Deval, Bacchanight, Mairie de Bordeaux
Villa Albertine is pleased to launch the new edition of the Museums Next Generation program, a two-week immersive experience bringing seven young American museum professionals to Paris, Bordeaux, and Bayonne from October 25 to November 8, 2026.
This unique opportunity will allow them to engage with the French museum landscape, exchange ideas, and build connections with peers across the Atlantic.
The call for applications will be open from February 16, 2026, until March 27, 2026.
Since 2023, Villa Albertine, with the support of the Albertine Foundation, launched Museums Next Generation, a new acceleration program. This initiative aims to strengthen ties between French and American museums by fostering a new generation of professionals aspiring to leadership roles in museum institutions and equipping them with a deeper understanding of the professional landscape in the other country.
Additionally, the program supports participants in building a transatlantic network to encourage new synergies within the French-American professional community.
Villa Albertine provides participants with full financial support for the duration of the program, including transportation and accommodations.
The program for U.S. applicants aims to:
- Enhance knowledge and comprehension of the various aspects of the French museum ecosystem.
- Inspire American professionals in their own practices and to compare them with the practices of their French counterparts.
- Strengthen the international perspective of a young generation of American curators and their networks across the Atlantic.
- Introduce a new generation of American curators to the French professional community.
- Connect professionals with different specialties to create innovative new collaborations.
Throughout the two weeks, fellows will participate in:
- Discussions on the specificities and challenges faced by French museums in their scientific, educational, organizational, and philanthropic pursuits.
- Exclusive meetings with leaders and prominent figures in the field (directors, curators, development and sponsorship officers, educational managers, sponsors, etc.).
- Visits to the most prominent and innovative institutions in the country.
- Networking events with French professionals.
A detailed schedule of the immersion program will be provided later.
Applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Currently serve as curators, associate curators, or assistant curators at American museums
- Possess 5 – 15 years of relevant experience
- Work for an American museum
Applications will be evaluated based on the quality of the candidate’s background and their interest in participating in the program.
Fellows are selected based on their achievements (exhibitions, publications, etc.) as well as their experience in managing innovative museum projects. Moreover, candidates’ abilities to envision museums of the future and their interest in international and managerial concerns, which position them as potential leaders, will be considered.
Fellows will be selected by a jury of French and American museum professionals.
Applicants are invited to submit their applications via this online form no later than March 27 at 11:59pm ET.
- Call for Applications Opens: February 16, 2026 at 10:00pm ET
- Application Deadline: March 27, 2026 at 11:59pm ET
- Jury Selection and Announcement of Laureates: End of April 2026
Contact:
Olivia Bourrat, Director of Museums and Heritage and Cultural Attaché
Villa Albertine, The French Institute for Culture and Education
olivia.bourrat@villa-albertine.org
museums@villa-abertine.org