Museum Gallery Curator, Contemporary Art | USA

Museum Gallery Curator, Contemporary Art

The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum seeks a creative, highly motivated individual with strong organizational skills, professional demeanor, and great attention to detail for the curatorship dedicated to contemporary art.

Made possible by a grant from Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, this position will perform responsibilities related to refining and extending the schedule of contemporary art exhibitions, developing programs that build academic and popular interest, expanding participation by GW faculty and students, building collaborations with peer institutions in contemporary art, and building the museum’s collections in contemporary art textiles.

The display and acquisition of contemporary art textiles enhance the museum’s core mission to expand knowledge and appreciation of the world’s textiles. Contemporary art textiles broaden the narrative scope of the museum’s collections by documenting the ongoing continuum of textile making. The Museum collects art textiles that build on ancient traditions of textile making and are a creative response to historical textiles, especially those in The Textile Museum’s collections.

Reporting to the Senior Curator, the Museum Gallery Curator for Contemporary Art is responsible for:

Exhibitions

• The curator will identify and develop concepts for future research and exhibitions on contemporary art textiles from around the world through collection assessment, and primary and secondary research. The curator will assist with the development and implementation of exhibitions and catalogues and will conceptualize original ideas for audiences that include the university community and the public. Strong dialogue with GW faculty and students, and wider contemporary art world in this process is a must.

Educational/Professional and Public Service

• The curator will assist the museum’s education team in developing lectures, discussions, workshops, screenings, and other special events to build an audience for contemporary art textiles within the university and the public. Sharing his/her specialized knowledge on contemporary art textiles through public and scholarly lectures, publications, and other means with diverse museum audiences is a must.
• Given the many and vibrant museums already involved in contemporary art in D.C.—the Phillips Collection, National Gallery of Art, Hirshhorn, National Museum of American Art and the Renwick Gallery, among others—the curator must establish a differentiated niche for the museum’s contemporary art activities. While leveraging the work of these local institutions, the curator will develop partnerships, collaborative projects, and coordinated programs. Beyond local reach, collaborative work with national and international partners will be encouraged.

GWU Engagement

• The curator will serve as the primary programming link to the university’s contemporary arts initiatives, including the Corcoran School of the Arts + Design, the Luther W. Brady Gallery, and the Department of Fine Arts and Art History. The curator will strive to increase the museum’s relevance to a broad range of courses and academic disciplines. A major portion of the curator’s duties includes developing opportunities for student and faculty research, collaborative academic projects, and museum career training.

Collections

• Working with museum colleagues and stakeholders, and experts from the art world, the curator will begin to build a collection of contemporary art textiles for the museum. The curator will also develop and cultivate a corps of collectors and donors to help build acquisition funds, as well as solicit work from collectors and, when appropriate, artists themselves. Studio visits, working with galleries, and traveling to contemporary art fairs and major expositions will be encouraged.

The position is based at GW’s Foggy Bottom Campus in Washington, DC. On-site time includes days/evenings/weekends as appropriate. Some travel required. The incumbent may perform other related duties as assigned. The omission of specific duties does not preclude the supervisor from assigning duties that are logically related to the position.

Minimum Qualifications:

Qualified candidates will hold a Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate area of specialization plus 2 years of relevant professional experience, or, a Master’s degree or higher in a relevant area of study. Degree must be conferred by the start date of the position. Degree requirements may be substituted with an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

For more information about this position and to apply, please visit: https://www.gwu.jobs/postings/57039