Curator, Photographs

Department: Photographs
Reports to: Chair, Department of Photographs
Contract: Full-time, permanent
Salary: $120,000–$165,000 per annum
Location: New York City (The Met Fifth Avenue / The Met Cloisters)
Application requirement: Must be based within commuting distance (NY, NJ, CT, or PA)
Start date: To be confirmed
Application deadline: not listed

General statement of responsibilities & duties:

As a Curator, you will have expertise in twentieth century and contemporary photography, as well as time-based media, particularly in Africa and Asia. You will act as a leader within the organization and cataloging of The Walther Collection, leading to a major exhibition planned for 2028. You will foster new research, scholarship, acquisitions, and exhibitions to enrich our understanding of still underexplored areas of global art-making. You will collaborate with other Curators, Conservators, Scientists, and Educators and act as an advocate within the wider curatorial field through the publication and presentation of your work within professional forums.

The Museum may recommend that a new hire be awarded credit for time worked in the same or similar role with comparable responsibilities as outlined in the Regulations for Curatorial, Education, Library, Conservation, and Scientific Research employees.

 

Primary Responsibilities & Duties

• Lead, organize, catalog, and fully research all the works in The Walther Collection, with an initial focus on those works selected for the 2028 exhibition;
• Present the art of these periods and regions within an international context, situating the artists and their work within the most pressing social, political, and aesthetic issues of their time;
• Manage the care and presentation of the collection, including potential provenance research, documentation, framing, and label writing;
• Propose art historical narratives, installations, and acquisitions that make this material come alive for audiences;
• Conduct archival research to identify new interpretative approaches to the related nineteenth-century historical material in the collection;
• Communicate scholarly research in a variety of modes—written or through lectures or gallery talks—that accommodate a variety of audience needs;
• Work collaboratively with multiple curatorial departments in the Museum, especially with ongoing projects related to the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, and the Tang Wing (The Met’s new wing for Modern and Contemporary Art);
• Support and supervise the professional development of department, including junior curators, interns and fellows.
• Serve as an advocate for the museum both internally and within the wider field.
• Work independently and in collaboration/coordination with curatorial, collections, conservation, advancement, audience engagement, and administrative staff;
• Other duties as assigned.

 

Requirements & Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Art History, or area of specialization required. PhD or equivalent preferred.
• Expertise in twentieth century and contemporary art with a specialty in photography in Africa and Asia.
• 10 years of scholarly experience in a museum or academic institution;
• Experience working with museum collections preferred, including professional experience in cataloging, building collections, curating collection displays, and developing educational programs.
• Proven achievement in the field of modern and contemporary photography, including original research and critical inquiry in publications, exhibitions, and public speaking;
• Understanding of current curatorial practice and methodologies;
• Ability to create precise and deeply researched object records in museum databases;
• Proven project-management skills and ability to work effectively and collaboratively in partnership with other colleagues;
• Demonstrated engagement with and knowledge of artistic practice around the world;
• Commitment to maintaining a high degree of professionalism and diplomacy;
• Experience in cultivating donors and collectors;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (written, oral, visual);
• Highly motivated, organized, and detail-oriented;
• Ability to contribute to an inclusive and positive work environment;
• Demonstrated competence in Met’s core capabilities: (a) quality of work, (b) collaboration, (c) communication, and (d) adaptability to change,
• Ability to adapt and produce results on multiple projects with shifting priorities.
• Facility in at least one European language, especially French or German, and knowledge of a language spoken in Asia would be beneficial;
• Experience with the following software: The Museum System (TMS), Adobe Suite, and Microsoft Office Suite.