Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art

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Job Title: Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art

Department: Curatorial

Reports to: Director of Curatorial Affairs

FLSA Status: Exempt

Employment Status: Full-Time

Since our founding in 1901, the Toledo Museum of Art has earned a global reputation for the quality of our collection, our innovative and extensive education programs, and our architecturally significant campus.

And thanks to the benevolence of its founders, as well as the continued support of its members, TMA remains a privately endowed, non-profit institution and opens its collection to the public, free of charge.

SUMMARY

The Toledo Museum of Art is seeking a dynamic Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art to lead this growing area of the storied Museum’s collection into the future. The Museum is strongly committed to a curatorial program that blends scholarship and connoisseurship with equity and inclusion in paradigm-shifting ways for the twenty-first century Museum.

The Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art will support the Museum’s ambitious program of Modern and Contemporary acquisitions, exhibitions, and innovative gallery displays and presentations. The role is best suited to a candidate with strong research skills, an understanding of the contemporary art market, and both generalist and specialist knowledge of Modern and Contemporary art. The ideal candidate will have the ability and desire to thoughtfully integrate ideas about Modern and Contemporary works into the framework of the larger TMA collection and possess a genuine desire to engage a broad range of audiences.

The candidate seeks to include a diverse array of narratives and perspectives; embraces modern and contemporary art and artists from around the world; actively seeks engagement internally with colleagues and externally with visitors, Museum support groups and donors; is energized by involvement with the community of Toledo; is eager to take on a public-facing role; is innovative, reliable, communicates well with others and is deadline driven.

KEY ACCOUNTABILTITES

Works to support the Museum’s ambitious program of Modern and Contemporary acquisitions, exhibitions and innovative gallery displays and presentations.
Conducts quality art historical research primarily focused on the permanent collection, acquisitions for the permanent collection, exhibitions and artist projects.
Provides project management support for Modern and Contemporary curatorial projects and assists in the creation, tracking and execution of interpretive plans related to Modern and Contemporary curatorial initiatives, large and small.
Coordinates and oversees arrangements related to visiting scholars/artists/curators, including, but not limited to Museum-hosted symposiums and curatorial-driven events.
Liaises with other Museum departments as needed to communicate updates and key information about curatorial projects in an as needed and timely manner.
Provides tours of the Modern and Contemporary collection and speaking with visitors, donors and Museum support groups about curatorial initiatives and activities as needed.
Performs other duties as assigned or required.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Master’s degree in Modern or Contemporary art history or related field.
Consideration is given for a Ph.D. or related experience.
Preference is given to candidates with a specialty in African American, African Diaspora, Latinx, or Middle Eastern art.
Experience working in a museum and a proven track record of realizing complex projects.

RELATIONSHIPS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

Reports to the Director of Curatorial Affairs and works collaboratively across all departments.

Standard office environment requiring regular use of phone, computer, and copy machines. The person in this position frequently communicates with public membership and staff who have inquiries and must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations. This person may attend events inside and outside of TMA, including evenings and weekends with occasional overnight travel.