Kenneth E. Tyler Curator, International Prints and Draw

ABOUT THE GALLERY 

The National Gallery is one of Australia’s leading visual arts institutions. The National Gallery is based in Canberra and is a vital part of the Australian cultural landscape. Our Purpose is to collect, preserve, promote and share the national collection of art. The Vision of the National Gallery is to be the international reference point for art in Australia, inspiring all people to explore, experience and learn. Our Values include Boldness, Integrity, Respect and Excellence. 

WORKING AT THE GALLERY

When you work at the National Gallery you will be exposed to some of the world’s leading Australian and international art and artists. We are located in the National triangle on the waterfront and your lunchtimes can be spent in our beautiful sculpture garden or around Lake Burley Griffin. 

We support flexible working practices, including working from home, and you will have access to low-cost, onsite car parking. 

The National Gallery is committed to the health, safety and wellbeing of our people and we expect our people to share this commitment and work safely at all times. 

We value the contribution that a diverse workforce brings and encourage people from a diverse background to apply. This might include identifying as First Nations peoples, people with a disability, culturally and linguistically diverse people and LGBTQIA+ people.

OVERVIEW OF THE ROLE

The International Art department is seeking an experienced curator to join a vibrant and ambitious team. Reporting to the Senior Curator of Prints and Drawings and working alongside a team of subject specialist experts, this role is responsible for the planning and co-ordination of activities related to a collection of over 35 000 international prints, drawings and illustrated books; contributing to exhibition making and programs, as well as other departmental projects. This is a full-time, ongoing employment opportunity available within the Artistic Programs Portfolio. 

The Artistic Programs Portfolio is responsible for the care, loan, and presentation of the National collection along with the development and delivery of the exhibition, touring, publishing, and commissioning program at the National Gallery. The International Art Department is responsible for researching and delivering loan exhibitions, commissioning projects for the program, as well as researching, building, interpreting, and publishing on the National Gallery’s collection and preparing collection displays.  

Prints and Drawings is a stand-alone collection, which reflects the importance printmaking and drawing have played in the history of visual culture across the globe. The collection of international prints, drawings and illustrated books numbers over 36,000 works and includes deep holdings of French modern art, Russian and Western European avant-garde art, and European and North American Pop and Conceptual art. The collection includes the Kenneth E. Tyler Collection and Archive of prints and printmaking, which charts a history of post war American printmaking through the work of master printer Ken Tyler.   

The department of Prints and Drawings seeks to make available, through display and publication, the collection to the broadest number of people.  The National Gallery is seeking an experienced curator of prints and drawings to join a team who work within a vibrant and rewarding environment stewarding and developing the National Collection. 

THE KEY DUTIES OF THE POSITION – WHAT WILL YOU DO? 

In accordance with the APS  6 work level standards, and working to the Senior Curator, Print and Drawings you will have the following key responsibilities: 

You will: 

• assist with and develop exhibitions – this includes collections displays, exhibitions that include loans and touring exhibitions
• assist with the development of the collection of international prints and drawings – this includes the acquisition of works of art and writing acquisition proposals
• present talks, lectures and programs activating the collection and making it as widely accessible as possible
• perform collection management activities including cataloguing to a high standard and maintaining information across various databases
• carry out provenance research
• liaise with the Conservation and Registration Teams in relation to the care and storage of works of art
• work with the Exhibition, Publication and Public Programs Teams in relation to exhibition development and delivery
• help manage workflows related to the department’s busy program 
• administer loan requests
• answer collection inquiries from the public and represent the Department and Gallery as required
• assisting with the management of the Kenneth E. Tyler Collection – this includes the management of curatorial staff, exhibition development and the delivery of print and online publications

ELIGIBILITY: 

Citizenship – To be eligible for employment with the Gallery, you must be an Australian citizen. 

Police Check – to be eligible for this role you must complete a police check.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION – Qualifications, Certifications and Registrations

Role specific mandatory qualifications certification and/or registrations include:

• Relevant qualifications in art history and experience in an Art Gallery/Museum environment is essential
• Professional certification and/or membership of relevant professional associations is desirable

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for this role please go to the National Gallery’s Careers portal.

You should provide a tailored CV (maximum of three pages) along with a statement or pitch of no more than two pages that outlines your skills, capabilities and experience, against the “Our Ideal Candidate” information above

In your statement response you should keep in mind the capabilities and behaviours required to be successful for this role, as identified in the information above.  Try not to duplicate information that can be found in your CV but do highlight any specific examples or achievements that demonstrate your ability to perform the role.

An order of merit may be established from this selection process and may be used to fill future identical vacancies over the next 12 months. Selection may be based on application and referee reports only. If you do not wish to be added to an order of merit, please notify us in your application.

*Curators Dr Rebecca Edwards and Dr Deborah Hart behind the scenes in painting storage, 2021, National Gallery of Australia, Kamberri/Canberra