Consulting Curator of Native American Art

Job Title:  Consulting Curator of Native American Art

Department:  Curatorial Affairs

Reports to:  Senior Director of Collections and Curatorial Affairs

Employment Status: Temporary Contract Position (part-time, approximately 15 hours monthly for 1 year with potential for renewal)

Annual Compensation:  $50,000

Please submit application on the Toledo Museum of Art website http://www.toledomuseum.org/jobs-internships.

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.

Thanks to the benevolence of our founders and the continued support of our 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 seeks a dynamic Consulting Curator of Native American Art to oversee the Museum’s growing collection of Native American objects. 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. TMA believes that Native American art is a central component of an accurate and inclusive global art history.

The Consulting Curator of Native American Art will assess the Museum’s existing collection and identify gaps that align with the Museum’s overall collections development policy. The candidate will support the Museum’s ambitious program of exhibitions and assist in developing gallery displays and presentations. The role is best suited to a candidate with a generalist’s breadth of knowledge and experience with Native American art across all media, previous experience working in museums or comparable institutions, and a willingness to expand art historical narratives through scholarship and acquisitions.

The Consulting Curator of Native American Art will join a collaborative curatorial department and Museum, working closely with other departments across the institution, including but not limited to Conservation, Collections, Learning & Interpretation, Belonging & Community Engagement, to build sustainable partnerships and stronger relationships with Indigenous communities.

The candidate seeks to include a diverse array of narratives and perspectives; conscientious regarding the historical and contemporary issues regarding representation and politics of Native American art; actively seeks to engage the Museum with new national and international stakeholders; is energized by involvement with and cultivation of the community of Toledo; is eager to take on a public-facing role when in Toledo; is innovative, reliable, communicates well with others and is deadline driven.

Research demonstrates that women and individuals from underrepresented backgrounds tend to apply to jobs if they meet 100% of the qualifications. Since we recognize meeting all qualifications is highly unlikely, if much of the below appears to describe you, we encourage you to apply for this position.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Works to support the Museum’s ambitious program of Native American Art exhibitions and innovative gallery displays and presentations.
• Committed to quality art historical research and to interpreting Native American art for diverse audiences.
• Provides project management support for Native American Art curatorial projects.
• Engages relevant donors and collectors with the Museum and its Native American Art collection.
• Committed to the laws and ethics of caretaking for Native American collections, including familiarity with NAGPRA.
• Collaborate with Indigenous communities and demonstrate appropriate cultural competency in engagement with tribal nations.
• 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 collection and speaks with visitors, donors and Museum support groups about curatorial initiatives and activities as needed.
• Performs other duties as assigned or required.

• Master’s degree in Art History or a related discipline (such as, though not limited to, Anthropology, Native American Studies, American Studies, or Museum Studies), with a specialization in Native American Art.
• Preference is given for a Ph.D. or related experience.
• Experience working in a museum or a comparable institution.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage several projects simultaneously.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and basic office functions.
• Familiarity with The Museum System (TMS) or related collections database is preferred.

RELATIONSHIPS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

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

The Consulting Curator of Native American Art need not relocate to Toledo but will be expected to be in Toledo no less than semi-annually and no more than quarterly for one week at a time. Additional meetings on a virtual platform will also be required.

The Consulting Curator of Native American Art frequently communicates with public membership and staff who have inquiries and must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations. Requires regular use of phone and computer. This person may attend events inside and outside of TMA, including evenings and weekends with occasional overnight travel.