Director of Curatorial Affairs

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The Joan Mitchell Foundation’s Legacy department supports and cultivates the study of Joan Mitchell’s life and work. Our team manages the Foundation’s artwork and archival collections and activates these collections for scholarly and general audiences. We further knowledge and appreciation of Mitchell’s work through research, publications, exhibitions, digital resources, and collaborative projects.

As a key member of the Legacy team in this newly-created role, the Director of Curatorial Affairs will be responsible for advancing the Foundation’s strategic priorities for its artwork collection (including exhibition and loan initiatives) and managing scholarly projects focused on Mitchell’s artwork, materials, and techniques. The ideal candidate for this position is eager to develop expertise on Mitchell; to cultivate relationships in the museum and scholarly communities; to plan, initiate, and manage focused research projects; and to incorporate the Foundation’s commitment to equity in every aspect of their work. They will supervise the Collection Manager and will be a member, with all cross-department Directors, of the Foundation’s Senior Team, responsible for ensuring values and mission alignment of the Foundation’s work.

Over the next five years, the Director of Curatorial Affairs will focus on these strategic priorities:

Expand documentation and research on Mitchell’s works on paper: Assess and expand object files for works on paper in public and private collections, doing database cleanup as needed. Develop expertise in media and techniques. Cultivate scholarly interest, with the long-term objective of a dedicated exhibition and/or publication of these works.
Define strategy for the Foundation’s print collection: Conduct research on Mitchell’s editioned works and develop comprehensive reference files for each edition. Add and update information about prints and artist’s books on Foundation website. Define exhibition strategies that are productive collaborations with other institutions, and consider eventual placement in museum collections.
Define strategy for research on Mitchell’s materials and techniques: Manage materials analysis pilot project, in collaboration with conservators, scientists, and Legacy colleagues. Establish short- and long-term plans for conservation research, in dialogue with broader professional community. Organize convenings and publish research findings as appropriate.
Long-term plan for Foundation’s art collection: Build on current internal planning to further develop strategic loans, sales, and placement of artwork. Collaborate on long-term object-by-object planning for paintings, works on paper, and prints, considering each work’s condition, exhibition potential, and scholarly use.