Assistant Curator at Art Bridges Foundation
Job Title: Assistant Curator
Job Status: Full-time
Location: Bentonville, AR
Salary: $55,000 – $60,000
About Art Bridges
Art Bridges is the vision of philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton. The mission of Art Bridges is to expand access to American art in all regions across the nation. Since 2017, Art Bridges has been creating and supporting programs that bring outstanding works of American art out of storage and into communities. Art Bridges partners with a growing network of nearly 220 museums of all sizes and locations to provide financial and strategic support for exhibition development, loans from the Art Bridges Collection, and programs designed to educate, inspire, and deepen engagement with local audiences. The Art Bridges Collection represents an expanding vision of American art from the 19th century to present day and encompasses multiple media and voices.
About the position
Art Bridges is looking for an experienced Assistant Curator to support the Art Bridges Foundation curatorial team in the development and implementation of curatorial projects and strategies. The successful candidate should be a dynamic visionary and productive individual who will participate in all art-related activities of Art Bridges. This position is responsible for providing research and content development for a growing collection of American Art.
The position requires an outgoing, innovative, collaborative, and diplomatic professional who has a strong interest in and experience with historical and/or contemporary art that is required to support an inclusive collection of American art.
You’ll join a top-notch department focused on serving Art Bridges’ partner institutions across the country. Exceptional oral and written communication skills are a must for this role.
Responsibilities
Art Bridges Collection
Unlike traditional museums, Art Bridges is a collecting foundation that lends works of art to museums across the nation for long-term periods. Our collection – currently over 135 objects from the 19th century to today and of various media and a diversity of artists – is meant to be activated by our external partners to respond to the needs of their organization and communities. The curatorial staff actively solicits and confirms loans with new and existing partner museums while also adding works to the collection. We also provide ongoing curatorial support for all loan projects through the Learning & Engagement funding process.
- Solicit, activate, and support long-term loan placements from the Art Bridges Collection
- Identify and propose acquisitions
- Create collection-based scholarship for internal and external distribution, including Object Packages
- Assist with collection development and research, including the creation and ongoing management of an extensive curatorial and education resource referred to internally as Object Portals
- Present collection-based talks both internally and externally
- Provide content to social media team for creation of online materials
- Courier trips as needed
Traveling Exhibitions/Collection Loan Partnership
Art Bridges works with museum partners to travel collection-based exhibitions. The curatorial team provides curatorial oversight for all external exhibitions as well as creating and offering internally produced exhibitions. We also provide curatorial support for the Collection Loan Partnership, which focuses on collection-sharing between museums.
- Propose and develop, with guidance, collection-based exhibitions of various scale and content
- Assist curatorial, collections, and traveling exhibition departments with exhibition work including content creation and project oversight
- Support, with guidance, the Collection Loan Partnership team in solicitation of new lenders, checklist development, and project guidance
Administrative
- Partner outreach and stewardship
- Supervision of summer intern
- Assist Curatorial Projects Administrator with department tasks, when necessary
- Manage monthly expense report
- Lead meetings and set agendas, when necessary
- Attend departmental and interdepartmental meetings
- Help maintain and update CMS (Salesforce) and collection database (TMS)
- Travel to partner museums and conferences when needed
Art Bridges and DEAI
At Art Bridges, diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are central to all work and decisions made within our organization. We support our colleagues and partners in learning and growing together to make this important work part of our daily lives.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Art Bridges is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building and maintaining a culturally diverse workplace that is free of discrimination and harassment of any kind. We encourage women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.
How to Apply: https://awe.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/Art_and_Wellness/job/Bentonville-AR/Assistant-Curator_JR347
Requirements
Qualifications and skills
- M.A. in Art History or related discipline preferred, knowledge of American Art required
- 3 years work experience in a professional environment
- Excellent working relationship with collectors, artists, the art market, and scholars
- Demonstrated research skills
- Demonstrated skill in organization and rigorous attention to detail
Working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Comfortable working with minimal direct supervision and managing multiple projects in a high-volume and fast-paced environment to complete assignments on regular deadline
- Superior written and verbal communication skills; excellent analytical, critical thinking, and organizational skills with precise attention to detail
- Ability to anticipate and solve problems proactively; willingness to learn from mistakes
- Demonstrated capacity to work as part of a team, as well as independently
- Ability to travel regionally and/or nationally from time-to-time
- Ability to understand and maintain the highest levels of confidentiality
Attributes that support your success
- A passion for the power of the arts
- Enthusiasm about joining an organization that’s new, evolving, and poised to have major impact on the art museum field
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Ability to “self-start” and exhibit a high degree of initiative
- Ability to multitask and think critically in a busy work environment
- Flexibility, adaptability, and curiosity
- Tech savvy and early adaptor of technology
- Able to creatively and effectively problem solve
Physical demands and work environment
Occasionally, while performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to travel independently nationally and in communities served. The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Physical demands: In the work environments described below, position requires utilizing a computer and telephone for prolonged periods of time, good eye/hand coordination, verbal and written conversation with others, lifting/carrying (up to 10 lbs). Vision abilities required by the job include close vision.
Work Environment: Work will be performed in an office environment, museum spaces, and in communities served. Occasional evening and weekend hours may be required. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate. Some overnight travel may be necessary.
Contingencies
All offers of employment are contingent on your successful completion (where permitted by state law) of a confidentiality agreement, background check, and verification of being fully vaccinated for COVID-19. In addition, you will need to provide proper identification verifying your eligibility to work in the United States on your first day of work.