Curator of Public Programs

Cranbrook Art Museum

Cranbrook Art Museum (CAM) seeks a full-time curator to help develop exciting and engaging public programs both on-site at its historic landmark campus and off-site in the City of Detroit. The successful candidate will build upon the museum’s innovative public art projects and programs that since 2015 have ranged from performances by artist Nick Cave; the creation of a skate park by artist Ryan McGinness; a participatory video project by Hank Willis Thomas and the Cause Collective; an iteration of artist Michelangelo Pistoletto’s Third Paradise by musician Tunde Olaniran and the Mosaic Youth Choir of Detroit; and Bone Black, a large-scale installation by artist Scott Hocking. The successful candidate will also be responsible for programming CAM’s Free Thursday night events that typically feature artist talks, workshops, screenings, or performances as well as helping to conceive and execute new seasonal projects on the museum’s grounds. A continued priority is engaging diverse audiences and communities across Southeast Michigan and helping us build a more inclusive museum experience and community. 

Cranbrook Art Museum (CAM) is one of the earliest institutions devoted to the collection and presentation of contemporary art in the United States and is a sister institution of the renowned Cranbrook Academy of Art, a leading graduate school for art, craft, and design. Located on a landmark historic campus in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, in metropolitan Detroit, CAM presents a constantly changing series of exhibitions on modern and contemporary art, architecture, craft, and design. The museum’s collection numbers nearly 7,000 objects and is accessible to the public via tours of its state-of-the-art Collections Wing, which opened in 2011. CAM is committed to the principles and actions of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access and since 2015 has significantly increased the diversity of artists presented and collected (defined as women, LGBTQIA+, and BIPOC artists) and has greatly expanded its outreach to underserved communities in cities such as Detroit, Pontiac, and Flint.

The Curator of Public Programs will develop, implement, and evaluate educational and outreach programming of Cranbrook Art Museum. The position requires an ability to effectively and diplomatically work with individuals, such as artists, designers, co-curators, campus staff, and community leaders, as well as with groups, such as neighborhood organizations, sponsors, and community partners. The projects, programs, and initiatives for such a position will naturally vary in scale from intimate to grand, with a spectrum of engagement expectations that range from scholarly presentations for artists and designers at the Academy of Art to large-scale installations that engage the broader public, many of whom may not be routine museum goers. A lively balance of programs that deepen understanding, build audiences, and expand revenues is expected.

Essential Duties

• Curate, implement, coordinate, and/or evaluate programming for the museum’s Free Thursdays, special opening weekend and exhibition-related programs, working with museum curators and staff, Academy faculty and staff, and others to create a sustainable series of activations, such as talks, lectures, workshops, screenings, gallery tours, etc. 

• Work with CAM curators to develop, coordinate, implement, promote, and evaluate the museum’s public art programs and projects, working with others in the community to realize public engagement projects in the City of Detroit or other off-campus venues. 

• Work with the Associate Director and/or Director to develop, coordinate, implement, promote, and evaluate the museum’s public gateway programs and projects on campus, working with other campus staff to realize such engagements. 

• Coordinate the hiring, scheduling, and supervision of any additional temporary staffing necessary for special programs and projects, working closely with the Associate Director and the CEC Human Resources staff. 

• Work with the Associate Director on the orientation of Visitor Services staff to new exhibitions and programs; help lead tours and train guides as needed.

• Working with the museum’s marketing and public relations team, actively participate in the Art Museum’s social media platforms to inform and promote public programs.

Requirements: 

The ideal candidate will have at least 3 years of related experience in developing and managing public programs in a museum or other community-based organization; a broad knowledge or interest in contemporary art and design practices; and a Master’s Degree or equivalent combination of education and professional experience. The ideal candidate will have excellent writing, public speaking, and presentation skills in English; an outgoing personality; the ability to engage with and motivate a variety of audiences, especially adults; and the desire and ability to work collaboratively in a dynamic and evolving environment. A valid Michigan driver’s license with satisfactory driving record is required.

Cranbrook offers competitive compensation and benefits that include medical, dental, life insurance, long-term and short-term disability, and retirement. We also offer generous paid time off, 10 paid holidays and 3 optional holidays, employee discounts, and a unique environment in an educational setting that values collaboration.

For consideration, please submit a cover letter, resume and completed Cranbrook Employee Application to: Cranbrook HR, Cranbrook Art Museum Search Committee, P.O. Box 801, Bloomfield Hills, MI  48303-0801, or fax (248) 645-3014, or email humanresources@cranbrook.edu.  Our Employee Application can be downloaded from the Employment page on our website at www.cranbrook.edu.