Curator of Collections

No application deadline was provided by the employer. Please refer to the posting date for reference, as availability may change.

(Associate) Curator of Collections – Chazen Museum of Art

Institution: University of Wisconsin–Madison
Department: Chazen Museum of Art
Employment Type: Regular, Academic Staff
Salary: Associate Curator $68,000–$71,400 | Curator $75,600–$80,850

About the Chazen Museum of Art

The Chazen Museum of Art, located on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus, houses a growing collection of over 24,000 works of art spanning diverse global cultures and time periods. As an academic art museum, the Chazen serves students, faculty, and the broader public through exhibitions, programming, research, and scholarly engagement.

About the Role

Reporting to the Chief Curator, the (Associate) Curator is responsible for the stewardship, development, and interpretation of the Chazen’s non-works-on-paper collections, which include approximately 10,000 artworks: paintings, sculpture, ceramics, glass, furniture, and multimedia works.

The Curator will lead temporary exhibitions, conduct and support original research, engage with campus and public communities, and manage strategic acquisitions and deaccessions. This role requires regular collaboration with curators, educators, faculty, students, and external scholars, as well as active participation in donor relations and community engagement.

Evening and weekend events or travel may occasionally be required. Hybrid work arrangements may be considered.

Key Responsibilities

• Participates in and contributes to the life of the museum and the university by attending events, serving on committees as appropriate, and otherwise contributing to the academic community (5%)
• Provides operational guidance on day-to-day activities of student workers and volunteers. May supervise staff, students, and volunteers (10%)
  Participates in development of collections plans, acquisition of collection items, exhibitions or displays, educational resources, and access to collections (30%)
• Develops and maintains relationships with donors, collectors, and colleagues (15%)
• Provides budgetary input and subject matter expertise in support of funding requests (5%)
• Serves as a subject matter expert and point of contact for internal and external stakeholders regarding collection information and access (5%)
• Designs, develops, and delivers instruction to faculty, staff, students, and museum patrons (5%)
• Records, documents, and preserves collection research; contributes to object files and other institutional archives; and periodically reviews and consistently updates data on objects under their purview in the museum’s collection database to ensure that information available to constituents is thorough, up-to-date, and meets professional standards (5%)
  Produces, publishes, and presents original research (15%)

Required Qualifications

• Associate Curator: Minimum 3 years of curatorial experience in an art museum

• Curator: Minimum 5 years of curatorial experience in an art museum

• MA or MFA in art history, studio art, or a related field (PhD preferred for Curator level)

• Demonstrated experience curating exhibitions and evaluating artwork

• Strong written and verbal communication skills adaptable for diverse audiences

• Excellent time management, organizational, and project planning abilities

• Broad knowledge of historical and contemporary art and a willingness to work beyond one’s specialization

Visit the link for more details about the position and to apply.

Image credits: By James Steakley – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,