Chazen Museum of Art at University of Wisconsin

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Chazen Museum of Art seeks a dynamic and visionary Chief Curator to lead its exhibitions and collections. Reporting to the Director and a member of the museum’s senior staff, the Chief Curator is an important voice in the museum’s efforts to build its reputation for scholarly and public programming initiatives, collections management, and patron stewardship.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead development and growth of the permanent collection, overseeing legal and ethical issues and ensuring best practices for stewardship and care.
• Develop a thoughtful and supportive team environment with active professional development focus.
• Conduct and direct research related to the collection, including content for exhibitions and related publications.
• Cultivate relationships with donors, collectors, professional colleagues, and the broader art world.
• Be an active contributor to the field, producing original published research, presenting at conferences and participating in professional organizations.
• Develop productive relationships with the campus community by collaborating with faculty members and mentoring graduate students to conduct research on the collection or engage in student exhibitions.
• Oversee budget development for the curatorial department, working in close collaboration with the Director and Assistant Director for Administration to manage resources effectively.
• Identify and pursue funding opportunities in line with the overall museum development strategy.
• Supervise seven direct reports, including individuals working in registration, exhibition management, curation, and preparation as well as graduate project assistants and student employees.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree in art history or related field required, PhD or equivalent preferred.
• Minimum 3 years in a museum leadership position is preferred.
• Expertise in an area in which the museum has holdings is required (information can be viewed online at https://www.chazen.wisc.edu/explore-art/collections/collections-information/).
• Minimum 5 years of progressive experience as a curator or in a closely related position is required.
• Distinguished body of publications and exhibitions is required.
• Administrative skills in areas such as leadership development, project management and budgeting are required.