Associate Curator of 18th and 19th Century European Painting and Sculpture

How You Will Contribute  

The Philadelphia Museum of Art seeks an expert in European painting and sculpture from 1750 to 1850 to play an essential role in implementing the Museum’s mission to interpret, display, and develop the collection. The Museum’s European Painting and Sculpture collection spans six centuries and comprises nearly 5,000 objects, with strong concentrations in 18^th century British portraits and landscapes, early 19^th century French painting as well as sculpture, medals, and miniatures.

The Associate Curator, working with members of the European Painting and Sculpture Department, is responsible for the care, presentation, and development of the Museum’s important holdings of European art from 1750 to 1850 and will play a key role in advancing the collection and producing relevant exhibitions and publications. As a member of the Museum’s curatorial staff, the Associate Curator is expected to participate in all aspects of the work of the Museum and to enable it to fulfill its Mission and to maintain the highest standards of scholarship, connoisseurship, and professional practices in the field.

Specifically, you will…  

• Work under the direction of the Head of the Department of European Painting and Sculpture and in cooperation with the other members of the Museum’s curatorial, education, and administrative staff to achieve the mission of the institution and its strategic objectives.
• Work closely with the Museum’s conservation, collections management, and design and installation staffs to ensure that the works of art in your care are properly documented, conserved when treatment is needed, stored in a safe and accessible manner, and effectively displayed in the Museum’s galleries for the enjoyment and education of the public.
• Review and provide recommendations on loan requests received by the Museum.
• Conduct or direct research on the collection or on related topics in accordance with a plan developed in consultation with the department head. Utilize this research for a variety of purposes—e.g., the development of exhibitions and public programming, the enrichment of the Museum’s collections database and interpretive materials in the galleries, and for presentation in collections catalogues, scholarly articles, public lectures and symposia, etc.
• Work collaboratively with the Education Division on the development and production of interpretive materials related to the collection—e.g., object labels, introductory text panels, gallery and audio guides, and educational computing tools—and on the content and presentational strategies developed for public programs and distance learning programs.
• Organize and/or coordinate special exhibitions, either individually or in collaboration with colleagues from the PMA or peer institutions. This work should be understood as encompassing every aspect of the development and implementation of special exhibitions, from initial project planning and research to participation in budgeting and resource development, the production of the catalogue, the creation of the installation design and a marketing plan to promote the exhibition, and the development and presentation of interpretive programs that will accompany it.
• Identify and recommend works of art in your area of responsibility to be acquired for the collection and provide supporting documentation (e.g., the historical and aesthetic significance of the objects, the history of their ownership, and their state of conservation) to justify their acquisition by gift or purchase. In accordance with institutional policies, periodically assesse the area of the collection for which you are responsible and make recommendations for the disposition of works of art that should not be retained. Consult with the Museum’s library staff on acquisitions in your area of responsibility.
• Develop in consultation with the Head of the Department of European Painting and Sculpture, a professional development plan that will enable you to remain up-to-date on scholarship and curatorial developments in the field and address any agreed-upon professional needs (e.g., managerial training, communications skills, etc.)
• Perform other duties as assigned by the department head.

Your diverse background includes…

• A Ph.D. (preferred)
• A minimum of three to five years of museum experience
• A broad familiarity with the history of art and detailed knowledge of European painting and sculpture from 1750 to 1850
• A proven record of research and scholarly achievement
• A demonstrated excellence in collections development, exhibitions, and publications
• Excellent communication skills in both writing and public speaking
• A demonstrated ability to work successfully with a broad range of Museum visitors, collectors, volunteers, and professional colleagues
• Good command of spoken and written French and/or other relevant languages
• Strong computer skills and experience with databases, word processing and other normal office applications
• A genuine desire to advance PMA as Philadelphia’s place for creative play

Application Deadline: September 15, 2017.  Interviews will be completed in the fall

How to Apply

Please submit a cover letter, resume, two writing samples, and the names of three references with your online application.

If you have difficulty uploading writing samples, you may email them to HR@philamuseum.org or send them to the following address:

The Philadelphia Museum of Art

Human Resources Department

PO Box 7646

Philadelphia, PA 19101-7646

Attn: Application for Associate Curator of 18^th/19^th Century European Paintings and Sculpture