(Full-time, permanent, non-union position)

Reports to: Managing Curator, Arts of the Americas and Europe
Work schedule: 35 hours per week, with additional hours, as necessary

Requirements: The ideal candidate for this position is an excellent communicator and recognized scholar in the field of American art. She or he must possess an advanced degree in the history of art with a strong concentration on American art prior to 1945, Ph.D. preferred; three to five years of museum experience; and a demonstrated commitment to engaging a wide public audience in innovative and exciting ways, as well as to art history, research, and scholarship. Strong writing skills, the ability to teach and speak effectively to diverse audiences, and the ability to work effectively with colleagues in a highly collaborative environment are essential. The candidate must have a proven ability to produce original and engaging exhibitions based on the Museum’s permanent collections and to communicate to multiple audiences through excellent writing and dynamic public speaking.

Responsibilities: The Andrew W. Mellon Curator of American Art is a full-time curatorial position caring for the Brooklyn Museum collections of American paintings, sculpture, and works on paper, pre-1945. The Brooklyn Museum holds one of the most important collections of American art in the world, including nearly 2,000 paintings (oils, watercolors, and pastels), 200 sculptures, and 3,600 prints and drawings. Selections from this collection are published in Teresa Carbone’s American Paintings in the Brooklyn Museum: Artists Born by 1876 and currently exhibited in the installation American Identities and in the adjacent Luce Visible Storage ▪ Study Center.

The Mellon Curator is a leadership role within the Museum’s curatorial team and serves as the Museum’s representative to scholars, donors, and the public outside the Museum, supporting and advancing fundraising goals for the collection and for the Museum as a whole. Responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to, conceptualizing and producing exciting exhibitions from the permanent collections, both for exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum and for travel to other venues; performing ongoing reviews of the collection in order to recommend refinement, including acquisitions and deaccessioning, in accordance with the Museum’s collection plan; overseeing the preparation of the department’s Collections Committee meetings and reports; working with registrars and collection managers to maintain complete, up-to-date, and orderly records and cataloguing for the collection; working in collaboration with the Conservation department to provide planning and oversight for collection maintenance and conservation in accordance with best practices of collection stewardship; supervising the Assistant Curator of American Art, interns, and volunteers; working in collaboration with the Development department to encourage support for the collection and for the Museum, especially in relation to the Fund for African American Art support group; assisting in grant writing, events, and related programs; developing relationships with collectors and donors in the field; collaborating with the Exhibitions department and other curators; researching and interpreting the American collections and participating in cross-disciplinary projects, exhibitions, installations, and publications; participating in the process of an active loan program from the permanent collection; representing the Museum at professional conferences, symposia, etc.; and other duties, as required or assigned.

To apply: Candidate should submit a curriculum vitae and a letter describing her or his particular suitability to the position via email to job.curator.american.art@brooklynmuseum.org.

For further information please visit: https://www.brooklynmuseum.org