Lunder Curator of American Art at the Colby College Museum of Art

Job Title: Curator of American Art

Job Status: Full-time

Location: Waterville, ME

Job Summary:

Established in 1959, the Colby College Museum of Art is a destination for the study, preservation, and exhibition of American art. We continue to build on the museum’s founding strength in the art of the United States from across its history, while also developing the collection in ways that facilitate pluralistic and inclusive understandings of the idea of America. Our exhibitions, permanent collection galleries, curricular programs, and research initiatives seek to bring complexity and richness to the interpretation of American art. The museum also has a strong collection of art from cultures and traditions outside of the United States and continues building this collection to support its academic and public mission.

The Colby Museum has benefited from two major gifts of art from Peter and Paula Lunder, the first in 2013 and the second in 2017, when the Lunder Institute for American Art was established. Primarily focused on American art, the Lunder Collection encompasses more than 1,800 works and also includes select holdings of European art, Japanese prints, and Chinese antiquities.

Reporting to the chief curator, the Lunder curator for American art plays a leadership role in the ongoing stewardship, research, interpretation, display, access, and educational use of the museum’s collection with a focus on American art and the many works of art in the museum’s care from the Lunder Collection. The curator augments and illuminates the museum’s collection through acquisitions and advises the museum and its benefactors on art purchases and gifts of art for the Colby Museum. The curator works collaboratively with colleagues at the museum, faculty, students, and peers in the field to develop exhibitions, programs, digital experiences, and publications that interrogate and advance new understandings of American art, the relationship between works of art made at various points in history, and relevant questions today. They teach or co-teach to facilitate academic and public engagement and propose research initiatives and special projects that can leverage the combined strengths of the Colby Museum and its Lunder Institute for American Art. The curator facilitates relationships with the museum’s Board of Governors and campus, local, regional, and national communities and works with Advancement and others at the museum to facilitate fundraising and public communications efforts.

The curator advances the museum’s strategic plan in all areas related to collections, exhibitions, publications, and programs and works collaboratively with these and other teams that comprise the museum and its Lunder Institute to realize the museum’s programmatic goals and its integral commitment to equity, inclusion, and racial justice. As a scholar and museum practitioner, the curator actively contributes to the field through professional networks, publications, and other activities.

THE MUSEUM AND ITS MISSION

The Colby College Museum of Art is a collecting and teaching museum dedicated to the preservation, display, and interpretation of the visual arts. We embrace within our collections works of art from diverse cultures and historical periods, with a focus on American art, and a commitment to collecting and exhibiting contemporary art. We manage these resources for the benefit of the Colby College community, the region, and the nation and aspire to display works that embody the highest standards of achievement.

A COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND INCLUSION

Working to advance equity and inclusion in the field of American art—and, by doing so, in the wider world—is core to our mission. We feel the urgency of national and campus conversations on inequality and are keenly aware of the unique responsibility that we have as an academic art museum—as a place where we can listen, ask questions, and challenge assumptions—to engage in this dialogue, and to act. We affirm the Colby Museum’s commitment to multidisciplinary teaching and learning and our potential for deep engagement with students will be leveraged in this effort toward fighting racialized violence, injustice, and inequality; and we encourage inquiries from candidates who will contribute to the diversity of our College, including its cultural and ethnic diversity.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Provide ongoing curatorial stewardship of the American art collection, ensuring its research, documentation, presentation, interpretation, and digital access, with special attention to holdings in the Lunder Collection, in ways that advance our commitment to diversifying and expanding narratives of American art
    • With the chief curator and others across the museum, prepare bi-annual reports on the Lunder Collection and its use and help to shape meetings of the Lunder Collection Board of Review
    • Identify and pursue opportunities to maximize the potential of the Lunder Institute as a vehicle for research on and engagement with the Lunder Collection and the museum’s other holdings of American art
  • Play a proactive role in the ongoing development of the museum’s collection in dialogue with other curators and under the oversight of the museum’s director and chief curator; regularly propose works of art for acquisition, cultivating donors, soliciting gifts and loans of art, and pursuing possible purchases; identify and secure institutional partnerships for projects and co-purchasing arrangements, as appropriate
  • Generate timely, community-responsive, and important exhibitions and collection displays of American art that garner local interest and national attention and adva
  • Contribute to the curation of the permanent collection galleries, including interpretive content, with priority to the Lunder Wing and the museum’s historical holdings
  • With the education and engagement team, Colby College Libraries, Department of Art, and departments across campus, envision and realize projects, programs, and other engagements that advance curricular priorities at Colby and that also expand entry points to art for all of our audiences; teach, present, and lead discussions regularly
  • With the Colby College Libraries and the collections management staff, ensure the care, research access, and organization of archival materials related to the Lunder Collection and the museum’s holdings of American art
  • Work closely with colleagues at the museum and at Colby managing communications and marketing channels to ensure a strategic approach to the authentic dissemination of curatorial content and scholarship, with an eye toward expanding reach, creating public relevance, and diversifying engagement
  • Generate scholarly publications and other forms of content related to the collections and exhibitions at Colby, adopting a stance of critical and creative inquiry as well as bringing equitable, antiracist perspectives to bear upon the questions at hand
  • Supervise and mentor interns and, at times, fellows
  • Collaborate with the director of museum development and advancement colleagues to pursue grants and individual gifts
  • Cultivate strong relationships with donors, lenders, alumni, the museum’s Board of Governors, and other key stakeholders
  • Develop and sustain a network of relationships—peers, mentors, and mentees—in the museum field; remain knowledgeable of trends in this field and in the arts and culture sector generally
  • Represent the museum through speaking engagements and other field exchanges in the context of curatorial projects and related duties
  • Perform additional duties as assigned; duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent in education and experience; art or related humanities field and/or advanced degree preferred
  • Minimum three to five years of curatorial experience, including collections and acquisitions, development, interpretation and public programs, and project management; additional years of experience preferred
  • Enthusiasm for the museum’s mission and our curatorial program, and capacity to assume leadership in communicating its priorities and values
  • Demonstrated research interests in American art with additional broad subject knowledge across art and cultural history, as well as commitment to teaching and learning across disciplines
  • Ability to assess and act on opportunities to increase the narrative complexity and diversity of the collections and programs and advance equity in our daily practices and work culture; unwavering commitment to fostering an anti-racist, equitable work environment supportive of people from different cultures, backgrounds, and life paths
  • Demonstrated ability to think strategically and long-term while successfully attending to more immediate goals and tasks; strong planning, and organizational skills
  • Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills, including relationship skills and ability to work with people across a wide range of levels of power and influence
  • Self-motivated, flexible and responsive work ethic; proven ability to work both independently as well as collaboratively within the context of a diverse community
  • Demonstrated track record of curatorial activity, including scholarship and publications
  • Ability to manage multiple tasks among competing priorities and meet deadlines
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite and Google applications; familiarity with digital cloud collaboration platforms preferred
  • Valid driver’s license required and must meet the College’s Fleet Safety Policy requirements; willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed

KEY RELATIONSHIPS:

This position works closely with the Carolyn Muzzy director, chief curator, Lunder curator of works on paper and Whistler studies, Katz curator, assistant curator of modern and contemporary art, Anne Lunder Leland curatorial fellow, deputy director, director of the Lunder Institute for American art, director of museum development, and the engagement team, senior manager of exhibitions, manager of museum collections and registration and museum registrars, manager of communications, art preparation and installation team as well as with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and guests.

WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

General open office and campus environment. Position involves sitting, although frequent movement is necessary. Occasional lifting is required. Computer usage involving repetitive hand/wrist motion is also necessary. Some night and weekend work required based on museum events.

TO APPLY:

Interested candidates should apply electronically by clicking the “Apply” button on the Colby Careers website. Please submit a letter of interest including salary requirements, resume, and the contact information of three professional references. Materials should be addressed to:

Lunder Curator of American Art – Search Committee
Office of Human Resources
Colby College
5500 Mayflower Hill
Waterville, ME  04901-8855

A review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.