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Responsibilities

General Purpose:

The Curator of Contemporary Art organizes permanent collection installations and temporary exhibitions that help advance the Museum’s mission, visibility, and achieve its scholarship and audience development goals.

The Curator has expertise in modern and contemporary art, especially of the past 20 years, and a strong network of relationships among artists, gallerists, collectors, and professional colleagues. The Curator serves as an active and visible member of the local, national, and international arts community and as an outward-facing presence in the art world. The Curator engages in community and public engagement both inside and outside the institution, as well as effectively leading and managing teams that develop exhibitions, installations, and special projects.

Finally, the Curator brings a spirit of openness and collaboration to their work at MAG, and embracing the interdisciplinary scope of the Museum’s exhibitions. Supports the Director in execution of the initiatives of the Strategic Plan with special attention to MAG’s DEAI focus.

Responsibilities:

• Develops, manages, and stewards permanent collection of contemporary art. Conducts original research, selects objects, presents and makes recommendations for acquisitions, deaccessions, and gifts to the Art Committee. Presents and interprets permanent collection in galleries and publications. Prioritizes and provides oversight for conservation treatments.

• Couriers works of art to national and international loan exhibitions.

• Originates, develops, and presents temporary exhibitions, and organizes and coordinates temporary loan exhibitions as related to areas of expertise and responsibility.

• Originates concepts, conducts original research, selects objects, collaborates with team consisting of curatorial colleagues, educators, exhibition designer, and facilities on interpretation, display, presentation, and installation.

• Works with educators, when appropriate, and IT staff (or outside digital interactive designers) to develop in-gallery engagement tools.

• Obtains loans from other institutions and private individuals.

• Produces and contributes to publications supporting the collection and exhibitions, including scholarly essays and texts in addition to gallery text.

• Develops programs to support and enhance special exhibitions and the permanent collection, as related to areas of expertise and responsibility. Collaborates closely with educators and the Marketing and Engagement team to create and support programming to enhance community engagement with the contemporary art collection and exhibitions. Supports Interpretive Engagement department’s efforts to create a rich ‘in Museum’ experience for connecting with the art. Gives public lectures on exhibitions and permanent collection displays as well as lectures to community groups, docents, and provisional docents. Provides access to and lectures on MAG’s collections and exhibitions to University of Rochester and area faculty and students.

• Engages in advancement efforts to support curatorial priorities, such as, actively seeking and cultivating collectors and donors for both funding and gifts of art. Visits private collections and creates development reports, and leading trips with collectors and patrons to art fairs, art galleries, museums, and private collections nationally and internationally.

• Represents the museum at national and international art fairs, biennials, exhibition openings, and other contemporary art world events.

• Collaborates with outside scholars.

• Cultivates and maintains relationships with national and international colleagues through correspondence and professional meetings.

• Identifies and writes grant proposals to support MAG’s exhibitions, permanent gallery installations, and collections stewardship initiatives.

• Participate in donor and UR alumni events, as well as museum membership activities and events.

Other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

Required:

• Master’s in Art History

• PhD (preferred)

• Or equivalent experience as evidenced by a track record of significant exhibitions and publications. A minimum of 5 years of experience in research or museum environment with knowledge of conservation, installation, and interpretive techniques; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred:

• Demonstrated knowledge of and passion for contemporary art and artists, including local and regional artists, and for exploring new directions in the fields of contemporary art and museums.

• Strong interpersonal skills with a proven ability to interact respectfully, collegially, and professionally with colleagues, other employees, donors, and lenders.

• Deeply committed to promoting the diversification of artists and audiences and to considering acquisitions and programs through the museum’s DEAI strategic initiative.

• Demonstrated ability to work closely with artists to realize exhibitions and projects.

• Superb written and verbal communication skills.

• Highly organized working style and ability to juggle a variety of deadlines and commitments simultaneously.

• Ability to maintain the highest ethics as they relate to all aspects of curatorial endeavors, and to understand and maintain the highest levels of confidentiality.

The University of Rochester is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion to advance the University’s mission to Learn, Discover, Heal, Create – and Make the World Ever Better. In support of our values and those of our society, the University is committed to not discriminating on the basis of age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, military/veteran status, national origin, race, religion/creed, sex, sexual orientation, citizenship status, or any other status protected by law. This commitment extends to the administration of our policies, admissions, employment, access, and recruitment of candidates from underrepresented populations, veterans, and persons with disabilities consistent with these values and government contractor Affirmative Action obligations.

How To Apply

All applicants must apply online.

EOE Minorities/Females/Protected Veterans/Disabled

Pay Range

Pay Range: $59,197 - $82,888 Annually

The referenced pay range represents the minimum and maximum compensation for this job. Individual annual salaries/hourly rates will be set within the job’s compensation range, and will be determined by considering factors including, but not limited to, market data, education, experience, qualifications, expertise of the individual, and internal equity considerations.

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Location: Memorial Art Gallery
Full/Part Time: Full-Time
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