The Nord Network

As a global leader among museums, a community anchor, and a beacon for the visual arts, the CMA is dedicated to encouraging and supporting individuals from all backgrounds to pursue careers in the museum field. To further that objective, the CMA has partnered with the Eric and Jane Nord Family Fund to create an innovative and expansive network of professional opportunities. 

The Eric and Jane Nord Family Fund Fellowship and Internship Network (Nord Network) fully supports several new fellowships and internships for undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate, and nondegree-seeking students. This is an extraordinary development in the CMA’s longstanding partnership with the foundation, and it advances the mission of both organizations by offering significant, life-changing professional positions. A prominent supporter of the CMA, the foundation has helped to develop major initiatives over decades of philanthropic giving. Its multiyear commitment to this newest program ensures that the museum can expand access to opportunity and eliminate financial barriers by providing competitive salaries and stipends for fellows and interns. 

The Nord Network offers a variety of experiences across museum areas. The director’s fellowships invite undergraduates to engage with the museum through immersive, hands-on roles, helping to illuminate possible career paths. A highlight of the initiative is the innovative junior fellowship in conservation; there are few similar programs in the country. This 36-week fellowship provides valuable experience working in the CMA’s leading conservation suite, where aspiring conservators can build on their expertise and knowledge. Two other internships in conservation are offered at the graduate and undergraduate levels. 

In collections management, two internships for undergraduate or nondegree-seeking students focus on assisting art handlers, collections care specialists, packing specialists, and registrars to gain a comprehensive understanding of the CMA’s world-class collection and the behind-the-scenes work involved. The Nord Network also supports community arts through a fellowship at the Community Arts Center that facilitates programming and outreach to further extend the CMA’s welcome to audiences in Northeast Ohio. 

Fellowships and internships for 2024 have already begun, and the size and the diversity of the applicant pool have demonstrated both the need and the competitive nature of these exceptional opportunities supported by the Eric and Jane Nord Family Fund.