Request for Qualifications

Atwater Kent Collection and Pearlstein Gallery

Drexel University’s Atwater Kent Collection and Pearlstein Gallery are announcing a Request for Qualifications for visual or performing artists and writers to develop a project based on artifacts from the Atwater Kent Collection related to manufacturing and industry. 

A shortlist selected from the applicants will be awarded $500 to develop a proposal for a project, culminating in a public presentation or exhibition at Pearlstein Gallery.  The date for completion of the project is funding dependent, but slated for Winter 2029, with substantial project development likely taking place in 2028. 

Applicants should include a resume and up to 3 links to projects which demonstrate a commitment to at least one of these topics:  

• History and a research-based practice 
• The crossover between crafts/trades and art and/or the subject of industry or trades (including but not limited to woodworking, textiles, paper hanging, printing, sign painting, machinery, electronics). 

Applicants should also submit a brief one paragraph statement of interest which summarizes the applicant’s interest in and/or past commitment to the above topics. 

Please send submissions to gallery@drexel.edu with the subject line “AKC – RFQ” by Monday, March 16 at 9am. 

This application is open to artists within a 90-mile radius of Philadelphia.  

About the Atwater Kent Collection: 

Drexel University is stewarding the Atwater Kent Collection (AKC) as a “museum without walls” for research, interpretive and educational use. The AKC is the collection of the former Philadelphia History Museum, which closed in 2018. Drexel is continuing the mission of the former Museum: collecting, preserving, and interpreting  over 133,000+ items, reflecting 350 years of Philadelphia and American history. 

The Collection includes approximately 35,000 objects (paintings, sculpture, furniture, clothing, etc.), 51,000 photographs, and 47,000 archival items (prints, drawings, manuscripts, sheet music, posters, etc.), acquired through purchase, gift, bequest, and transfer—many donated by local individuals and institutions.  Alongside celebrated portraits and history paintings are objects related to Philadelphia’s industrial community (documenting the city’s role as “Workshop of the World”), and ephemera from the Centennial and subsequent national anniversaries, as well as objects related to the Civil War. Strengths include material representing: the Museum’s earliest acquisitions (including a maritime focus, and WPA material), the eclectic collections it absorbed, national celebrations, development of the city and civic history, sports, salvaged material and relics, manufacturing and retail (especially 19th and early 20th century), and art and music. 

Work Study

Drexel students with Federal Work Study funds can apply to work at the Pearlstein Gallery. Our staff gains an understanding of the day-to-day work of supporting a contemporary art organization through hands-on professional experience. From visitor services to graphic design, we offer a range of projects that are an asset to our staff members’ professional development. The ideal candidate is an outgoing self-starter with a passion for arts. In addition to daily responsibilities, our team-members have the opportunity to attend and staff a range of special programs at the gallery. With rotating exhibitions, film screenings, dance performances, writing workshops and more, the Leonard Pearlstein Gallery is a great place to work on campus.

Volunteer

If you are not a Federal Work-Study student and would like to get involved, The Leonard Pearlstein Gallery welcomes any matriculated Drexel student as a volunteer! Volunteers may take on a variety of tasks dependent on their skill-set and interests. Hours can be extremely flexible. Some volunteer responsibilities include:

• Monitoring the gallery
• Ushering special events and performances
• Distributing promotional materials
• Data collection

Have a skill you would like to share? We design special projects for volunteers too! Please contact the gallery for more information.