The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art (The Ringling) is pleased to welcome Lindsey Hewitt and Alexander Buchheit as the first David W. and Mary S. Benfer Curatorial Research Fellows. Hewitt will work in the European Art Department under the supervision of Dr. Sarah Cartwright, the Chief Curator and Ulla R. Searing Curator of Collections, and Buchheit will work in the Circus Department under the supervision of Jennifer Lemmer Posey, the Tibbals Curator of Circus.

“The fellowship provides graduate or postgraduate students with an opportunity to receive hands-on learning and professional support in the curatorial departments of Circus and European Art,” says Michelle Young, The Ringling’s Director of Development. “The goal of the fellowship is to serve as a bridge between academic training and professional leadership, equipping future arts leaders with the experience, skills, and networks necessary to thrive in the museum field.”

These positions were made possible through the generous support of David and Mary Benfer. “Through his own dedication as a volunteer and trustee, David Benfer recognized the opportunity to support the work of curatorial staff and also foster skills in a new generation of museum professionals,” adds Lemmer Posey. After a national search to fill the curatorial roles, Hewitt and Buchheit were chosen as the inaugural Benfer Fellows.

Lindsey Hewitt holds a BA in Art History from Washington and Lee University and an MA in Art History from Syracuse University’s Florence Program in Italian Renaissance Art. She has worked as an Assistant Collections Manager at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, where she implemented collections care for objects across the historic estate. As a fellow, she assists Cartwright with the research, documentation, interpretation, and display of works in the permanent collection of pre-1900 European Art.

“Hewitt’s application stood out for the high level of research in the area of Italian Renaissance art that she had undertaken as both a graduate and undergraduate student, her knowledge of the Italian language, her understanding of museum work gained from experience working in two different museums, and her keen interest in supporting a variety of research projects,” says Cartwright. Hewitt’s fellowship projects include researching the collection’s sculptural works, collaborating with the Conservation Department, and supporting reinstallation projects in the Museum of Art. Following this fellowship, Hewitt intends to pursue a PhD in Art History as well as subsequent teaching opportunities within museum or academic settings.

“I am incredibly fortunate to have this opportunity to perform the kind of work I love within a collection that perfectly fits my academic interests,” adds Hewitt, “and I recognized the fellowship as a chance to learn from and work with Dr. Sarah Cartwright, an esteemed scholar with interests similar to mine.”

Alexander Buchheit holds BAs in History and German, with honors in German, from Hillsdale College and an MA in Public History from Wright State University. He has worked for the Wright State University Special Collections & Archives and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. He has also developed several exhibitions, including one on the legacy of the Wright Brothers and one about African art, and presented papers on the American Civil War and on interactive exhibits at the Wright State University History Symposium.

“With a degree in Public History and experience working with and interpreting historical collections, Buchheit was well-suited to the responsibilities of the Benfer Circus Curatorial Research Fellow,” says Lemmer Posey. “His enthusiasm for making connections between the circus and some of his own areas of interest, like music, sports, and aviation history, fits perfectly with The Ringling’s interpretation of circus history as a unique and important lens on broader cultural trends.”

His projects during this fellowship include research into the time the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows spent in Sarasota as its winter quarters and the curation of an exhibition focused on circus music in the Tibbals Learning Center’s Poster Gallery. After his fellowship, Buchheit plans to pursue further curatorial museum work.

“I wanted to be a Benfer Fellow because the circus is a significant part of American culture, alongside baseball, apple pie, and the Fourth of July, and its history deserves to be preserved and shared with the public. Working at a world-renowned museum such as The Ringling and learning from experts in the museum field is an amazing opportunity that I could not let pass by,” Buchheit adds.