Assistant Curator, American Art at the Brooklyn Museum
Job Title: Assistant Curator
Job Status: Full-time
Description
We seek an emerging curator of American art, focused primarily on pre-1960s art and material culture, who will deepen our presentations and offer fresh perspectives that expand the definition of American art for twenty-first century audiences. In addition to proposing ideas for exhibitions, the Assistant Curator will work closely with the Andrew W. Mellon Curator of American Art to support the development and implementation of exhibitions, bring all aspects of projects together, cultivate patrons, and strengthen the collection through research and acquisition. Especially welcome are candidates with a demonstrated commitment to producing innovative and expansive research, and to advancing art historical narratives that have been marginalized across the field.
Responsibilities:
- Conceptualize and propose collection activations and exhibitions
- Collaborate with curatorial colleagues on exhibition and publication projects, including a major collection reinstallation
- Assist with the upkeep of our American Art collection galleries, including rotations and installations
- Maintain departmental records by cataloging, researching, and documenting American artworks in multiple mediums in the collection
- Prepare gallery labels and didactics
- Assist in the maintenance of our active loan schedule, which may include occasional travel to oversee installation of collection objects
- Field inquiries from scholars and the general public
- Work with Development staff to cultivate patrons
- Attend events in support of the American Art collection and related public programs
- Oversee new collection and exhibition projects as assigned
Requirements
Qualifications:
A successful candidate will meet many of these requirements, and have the desire and capacity to learn the rest on the job.
- M.A. in art history (with an emphasis on American art), American studies, ethnic or cultural studies, or another interdisciplinary or related field; Ph.D. or equivalent experience preferred
- Two to three years of experience in a museum or in a curatorial role
- Superior attention to detail, organizational skills, and the ability to prioritize among multiple projects
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Interest in and experience with working collaboratively
- Background in art historical research and writing, with a focus on objects made prior to 1960
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and basic office functions (e.g., scanning, filing)
- Familiarity with collection databases such as The Museum System (TMS) is a plus
Start date: Immediately
Department: Curatorial
Reports to: Andrew W. Mellon Curator, American Art
Position type: Full-time
Union status: Union
FLSA status: Exempt
Schedule: 35 hours per week, Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, with occasional weekend and evening hours required for events.
(If you have questions about our online application system, please get in touch with us at job.application.questions@brooklynmuseum.org.)