Assistant Curator of Islamic Art
Position Summary:
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston seeks a dynamic scholar in the field of Islamic Art to become the inaugural Assistant Curator of Islamic art. Reporting to the Ananda Coomaraswamy Curator of South Asian and Islamic Art, the ideal candidate will help shape the institution’s commitment to Islamic art and culture. The curator will build, display and interpret the collection through innovative exhibitions and programs designed to promote the broadest and deepest possible engagement of the public with the MFA’s collection of Islamic art and the histories, experiences and ideas that its objects embody.
Critical to this new role, supported by a grant from the Lilly Endowment, is a commitment to exploring and representing not only the historical, cultural and aesthetic dimensions of Islamic art but also its religious dimensions. By readmitting these long suppressed aspects of Islamic art and setting them in the context of other Islamic discourses, the curatorship allows for the improvement of public understanding of Islam and its relationship to art, culture and society. It also furthers the MFA’s commitment to creating programs that reflect the experiences and values of visitors, especially of historically under-represented communities.
The MFA’s collection of Islamic art was established in 1872, when the Museum first opened to the public. It includes approximately 5,500 objects dating from the 8th century and spans more than 15 countries, and is one of the most renowned collections of Islamic art in the US and the world. Islamic ceramics, manuscripts, textiles and metalwork are well represented in the collection, which also includes important woodwork and glass, as well as finds from excavations carried out in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania from 1933 to 1936 at the ancient city of Rayy near modern Tehran. The curator will draw on this expansive collection to create exhibitions, publications, and public programs that engage visitors in exploration of the diverse forms of Islamic arts and cultures.
Essential Functions:
• Develop an overall vision for the Islamic art collection in collaboration with the Ananda Coomaraswamy Curator of South Asian and Islamic art and the Matsutaro Shoriki Chair of the Art of Asia department.
• Propose exhibition ideas and execute approved exhibitions and installations of the collection. Direct and oversee related activities, including programs, publications, labels, and other interpretive materials.
• In collaboration with the Department Chair, the Head of Collections, and the Director, discover, research, recommend and present objects for acquisition. Refine the collection through thoughtful de-accessioning.
• Actively seek out opportunities to engage with Boston communities and beyond to deliver on the MFA 2020: Strategic Plan’s promise to be a meeting place of world cultures and to welcome and deeply engage a diverse range of audiences.
• Open new dialogues with Boston-area communities to build knowledge about how MFA audiences think about religion and culture in order to develop projects that matter to and make an impact on them.
• Collaborate with other MFA staff, especially curators who work with collections that are closely tied to religious communities, to catalyze conversations across the Museum about approaches to religion.
• Co-organize the “Curators Circle: Arts of South Asia and the Middle East” and create innovative and thoughtful programming and travel opportunities that appeal to existing members and help attract new members.
• Collaborate with the Development department to cultivate and steward relationships with collectors and donors and to seek and act upon opportunities that connect new and existing donors with the Museum.
• Share expertise, and maintain extensive contacts with colleagues, scholars, artists, collectors, and dealers, locally, nationally, and internationally.
• Work closely with Conservation and Collections Management, Exhibitions Strategy and Gallery Displays, Facilities, Protective Services, contractors and others partaking in art installations, to execute projects and ensure that proper conditions and protocols are applied.
• Collaborate with departmental and Museum-wide colleagues to research and document the collection in the Museum’s collections database “The Museum System” (TMS). Evaluate and arrange for loans of objects to and from the collection.
Qualifications and Experience:
- Advanced degree in Islamic art history (Ph.D. preferred).
2-3 years of curatorial experience in a museum or comparable institution. - Fluency with a language relevant to Islamic art research (Arabic preferred).
- Demonstrated record of creatively engaging publics in dialogue about Islamic art through writing, teaching, lecturing, etc.
- Proven record of scholarly research and publishing in area(s) of specialty.
- Commitment to incorporating the religious dimensions of Islamic art into curatorial work and awareness of current approaches to religion within the academic fields of Religious Studies and Material Religion.
- Dedication to activating and collaborating with communities – whether Islamic, interfaith, general, artistic, under-served, scholarly or others – in order to achieve continuity and depth in community engagement.
- Strong planning and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and to collaborate with colleagues across the institution.
- Strong sense of accountability for achieving stated objectives.
Personal Qualities and Attributes
- Intellectual rigor
- Passion and curiosity
- A generous and collaborative team spirit
- Superior judgment, discretion, tact and diplomacy
Full-Time Salary Range
$55,000-$60,000
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to building a culturally diverse and inclusive work environment and strongly encourage and welcome an application pool that reflects our commitment.
Page Type
Staff Position
Status
Full Time
Schedule
Full time — 35 hours per week