Director of Curatorial Affairs

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Published on 29 May 2024

Museum Overview

The Brooklyn Museum is a renowned cultural institution focused on preserving and showcasing art, history, and heritage. The mission is to bring people together through art and experiences that inspire celebration, compassion, courage, and action. The vision is to be a place where art fosters personal transformation and social change. Celebrating differences and learning about diverse communities through collections, exhibitions, and programming is core to the Museum’s activities. The Museum is dedicated to creating a diverse community of talented, passionate people who make it a key community hub and global destination. Staff members have opportunities to grow professionally and work collaboratively with respected colleagues.

About the Role

The Director of Curatorial Affairs (DCA) shapes the Museum’s celebrated collections and acclaimed exhibition program, attracting and inspiring local, national, and international visitors. Reporting to the Deputy Director for Art (DDA), the DCA leads and advocates for the Curatorial team, including Libraries & Archives. The role involves ensuring the Museum remains a leader in exhibitions and collections with a brand-aligned, integrated approach to the visitor experience, strong interpretive and design strategies, and fresh perspectives on curatorial programs and planning processes.

The DCA, while having their own curatorial expertise, primarily guides and supports curators in building, refining, displaying, and interpreting their collections and special exhibitions.

Responsibilities

Curatorial Program:

Assess, refine, and build upon the Museum’s collections, including over 500,000 objects spanning 5,500 years.
Guide curators in making strategic acquisitions, conducting provenance research, and managing deaccessions for ideal storage conditions and intellectual control.
Work with the Director, DDA, and curators on a 3-year exhibition calendar to achieve national and international recognition and align with exhibition and social action strategies.
Align institutional priorities with curatorial efforts, establishing specific project goals and deliverables.
Play a key role in capital planning and gallery renovations.
Foster innovation in exhibitions and collections with a visitor-centered approach.
Oversee curatorial strategies, including gallery interpretation, digital content, and public programs.
Lead partnerships with outside scholars and thought leaders for interdisciplinary research and relevant exhibit topics.
Represent the Museum at major conferences and with the press, establishing it as a leader in the field.
Oversee the outgoing-loan program to maintain relationships and forge new partnerships for future projects.
Establish conservation priorities for exhibitions, collection activations, and loans.

Board, Donor Relations, and Fundraising:

Organize Collections Committee meetings of the Board of Trustees, leading discussions on collections management, best practices, industry standards, scholarship, digital engagement, and acquisitions.
Collaborate with the Director, DDA, and Development team to cultivate donors and supporters for curatorial affairs, guiding fundraising and donor cultivation best practices.

Administration and Team Management:

Manage the Curatorial and Libraries & Archives departments, overseeing personnel, schedules, budgets, and contracts.
Lead evaluations of curators, set expectations, and ensure accountability on exhibitions, collection donations, digital engagement, and donor cultivation.
Continually improve policies and procedures to create a supportive, inclusive work culture.

Qualifications

Minimum of 10 years of relevant curatorial experience with a strong record of important exhibitions and publications.
At least 3 years of significant supervisory experience, including collaboration with HR, Finance, and Legal departments.
High-level donor cultivation and grant development experience, with proven success in generating support for major projects.
Strong leadership, communication, and collaboration skills with a wide range of stakeholders.
Proven track record in promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
Ability to balance creative and strategic thinking with administrative and financial responsibilities.
Management skills fostering high-functioning, self-sufficient teams.
High level of integrity and alignment with institutional values.

Start Date: July 2024
Department: Art Division
Reports to: Deputy Director for Art
Position Type: Full-time
Salary: $163,200
Union Status: Non-union
FLSA Status: Exempt
Schedule: 35 hours per week, Monday–Friday, 9 am–5 pm
Contact: job.applicationquestions@brooklynmuseum.org