Curator, Native American Art

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Job Location: Crystal Bridges – Bentonville, AR
Position Type: Full Time
Education Level: Graduate Degree

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art recognizes the colonial history of American art and American museums. As a cultural institution, we have a responsibility to engage with dismantling historical and systemic invisibility of Indigenous peoples past, present, and future. We intentionally hold ourselves accountable to appropriate conversations, representations, connections, and education to facilitate measureable change.

To assist in this important and long-term work supported by the institution, Crystal Bridges seeks a Curator of Native American Art to guide the evolving vision and strategic planning for Native American Art at the museum in dialogue with American Art. Building on the museum’s collaborations with Indigenous communities, exhibitions such as Art for a New Understanding: Native Voices 1950s to Now, collaborations with the University of Arkansas, and collections, including recent acquisitions by Native American artists, and the holdings of the University of Arkansas, the Curator will continue to meaningfully develop the Native American art collection and program. A sustained commitment to this challenging work is key to this position.

As Crystal Bridges expands and grows, the Curator must help to build and sustain relationships with tribal leaders and Indigenous communities regionally and nationally as well as with Native consultants and advisors, professional organizations, area museums—including the Museum of Native American History located in Bentonville, and the academic community, including the expanding School of Art and graduate program in art history at the University of Arkansas. With support from the Chief Curator, the Curator of American Art and Director of Fellowships and Research and the curatorial team more broadly, the curator will position Native American art as vital to American art and history and central to expanding the field. The Curator will engage with a wide range of Native American and Indigenous art from what is now known as the United States, consulting and guiding conversations about ancient, historic, modern and contemporary art. The Curator will seize opportunities to be creative and experimental as well as flexible, innovative and collaborative to help develop new methodologies for interpretation and exhibition of Native American art at Crystal Bridges. The Curator will form a collection assessment and development plan for Native American art, cultivate and steward donors, supporters and stakeholders, and help foster broad public engagement with Native and American art

Position’s Principal Responsibilities

The Curator position will be responsible for the curation of the collections and Native American art broadly across time and geographic regions; activating community relationships; developing exhibitions and interpretation; and programming as well as cultivating and stewarding donors and stakeholders.
Crystal Bridges embraces a collaborative approach, and the curator will work closely with colleagues across the curatorial division and museum departments, particularly education and exhibitions and interpretation as well as with external stakeholders including tribal representatives, to develop collections, changing exhibitions, interpretation and display, publications, and programs.

Collections-based and subject-focused:

Craft a program encompassing collection development, loans, exhibitions, research and publications, and broad public engagement.
Conduct research and contribute to catalogues and scholarly and popular journals when appropriate.
Contribute to long-term curatorial vision for the museum.
Provide guidance and advice to museum staff and audiences on cultural competencies as they relate to the presentation, care and interpretation of Native American art and artists.
Supervise guest curators in area of specialization, consultants and support staff including curatorial assistants and interns, as required.
Serve as an ambassador for Crystal Bridges locally, nationally, and internationally, being an active member in the field as well as with the general public.

Community and field related:

Established tribal relationships are critical.
Engage tribal leaders and Indigenous communities regionally and nationally.
Consult and collaborate with Native American art scholars and experts.
Help establish and act as liaison to a new Native American art advisory board.
Collaborate with University of Arkansas faculty in Indigenous Studies and School of Art and colleagues at the Museum of Native American History.

Exhibitions and interpretation:

Develop and implement installation and interpretation plan for Native American collections across the museum in close collaboration with Curatorial and Exhibitions and Interpretation team; write labels and texts for use in collection galleries and exhibitions.

Programs:

Work in close partnership with Education and Interpretation colleagues to develop and contribute to programs related to the collection and special exhibitions, with a special focus on Native American topics, including, but not limited to, lectures, workshops, gallery presentations and other in-gallery interpretation and community engagement efforts.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including public speaking and writing for audiences ranging from the general public to international scholars
Excellent working relationships with collectors, donors, curatorial colleagues, scholars, and the art market
Strong research skills
Ability to meet deadlines and handle multiple tasks simultaneously
Demonstrated project management skills
Ability to interact respectfully, collegially, and professionally with all employees and volunteers at all levels of responsibility
Ability and willingness to be a team player both within the department, and throughout the entire organization
Ability to maintain the highest ethics as they relate to all aspects of curatorial endeavor, and to understand and maintain the highest levels of confidentiality
Proficiency with standard office equipment including basic computer literacy (word processing, spread sheets, e-mail, etc.) telephone, fax and copy machines