Associate Curator, Photography and Media

David C and Sarajean Ruttenberg Associate Curator, Photography and Media

The Art Institute of Chicago is hiring an associate curator in Photography and Media. This dynamic department maintains a robust exhibition schedule and cares for one of the premier collections of its kind in a museum of fine art. Applicants should have at least five years of museum or equivalent curatorial experience, as well as advanced training in art historical research. Please see below for further qualifications.

Applicants with expertise in African American photography, print media, and/or film and video are especially encouraged to apply. For nearly a decade the department has maintained a focus on African American makers and subjects that continues to develop within a collections and acquisitions program that addresses photography and media worldwide from the 19th century through the present.

The Art Institute of Chicago shares its singular collections with our city and the world. We collect, care for, and interpret works of art across time, cultures, geographies, and identities, centering the vision of artists and makers. We recognize that all art is made in a particular context, demanding continual, dynamic reconsideration in the present. We are a place of gathering; we foster the exchange of ideas and inspire an expansive, inclusive understanding of human creativity.

Photography and Media

The Art Institute has exhibited photographs at least annually since 1900, and since around 1950 the museum has collected photographs as well as maintained one or more galleries devoted to their display. The museum’s libraries have collected photographs and photo-illustrated printed matter since the 1930s, while film and video have been exhibited and collected since the 1960s.

The Department of Photography and Media acquires hundreds of works yearly in photography, film and video, and print or digital media; it maintains a collection of some 24,000 objects, along with three distinct exhibition areas and a study room open to students and the public. Thousands of further photography and media works reside in related curatorial departments as well as the library collections.

On average the department mounts five shows and two rotations of the permanent collection each year. Four curators, a collection manager, administrative coordinator, and specialist make up the permanent departmental team. Photography and Media Conservation, physically adjacent to the curatorial department, is a close partner in developing exhibition and collection strategies.

Associate Curator

The associate curator supports the department in caring for, researching, producing content on, interpreting, and displaying the permanent collection of the department. The associate curator furthers the chair’s strategic vision; helps to enhance the visibility and reputation of the museum and develop community interest in the departmental collection; and supports the museum in its commitment to creating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable institution.

With support from the chair, the associate curator proposes exhibitions and gallery rotations; performs art historical research, writing, and interpretation; produces and publishes content; conceives of, organizes, and develops publications and interpretive materials; and liaises with colleagues in the museum to develop compelling narratives, programs, and content for broad audience engagement.

The associate curator engages in a collaborative role with Conservation and Science and Collections and Loans to review treatments and foster best practices for maintaining the areas of specialty within the collection. All of these efforts are supported by the associate curator’s collaboration with the philanthropy team to cultivate relationships with donors, collectors, and committee members.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in art history or equivalent experience preferred
• Applicants should have at least five years of museum or equivalent curatorial experience, as well as advanced training in art historical research.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google suites required; ability to learn museum-specific collection database
• Knowledge of foreign languages as appropriate to areas of specialty
• The ideal candidate should demonstrate:
  • broad art historical foundation;
  • expertise, experience, and interest in pursuing a distinct area or areas relevant to expanding areas of the collection;
  • record of scholarship in areas of specialty;
  • willingness to embrace the museum’s commitment to creating an inclusive and equitable institution;
  • open-minded and collaborative approach to working and communicating with all colleagues across the museum;
  • outstanding communication skills that demonstrate both scholarly ability and interest in public engagement;
  • experience in working with collectors and donors