Senior Curator

HOTA, Home of the Arts; Gold Coast City; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Exclusive discounts

Empowerment time: four paid days per

Paid parental leave

Wellbeing support

Professional development: Learning Lab

Job summary

HOTA, Home of the Arts in Surfers Paradise is seeking a Senior Curator to lead the development and delivery of a dynamic visual arts program within a public gallery context.

You will shape exhibition narratives from the HOTA Collection, develop opportunities for national and international collaborations, and work across multiple artforms with artists and institutions both in Australia and abroad.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification in art history, curation, arts administration, or museum studies.
• 5–10 years' curatorial experience.
• Strong knowledge of Australian and international contemporary art.
• Experience with collections research and provenance.
• Experience using Vernon CMS.
• Proven team leadership and project delivery.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver an innovative exhibitions program.
• Provide leadership to the Curator/s.
• Contribute to Gallery Collection development and acquisitions.
• Identify funding through grants and sponsorship.
• Prepare research and writing for catalogues and panels.

Skills

Curatorial leadership

Stakeholder management

Written & verbal communication

Team management

Research & provenance

Education

Art history or museum studies degree

Tools

Vernon Collections Management system

Job description

HOTA, Home of the Arts – Surfers Paradise QLD

Experience Gold Coast (EGC) brings together HOTA, Destination Gold Coast, Study Gold Coast and Major Events Gold Coast, driving growth across tourism, events, arts, culture and education to position the Gold Coast as Australia’s lifestyle capital.

About the Opportunity

Reporting to the Curatorial & Engagement Manager, the Senior Curator will play a key role in developing and delivering an exceptional visual arts program. This includes shaping meaningful exhibition narratives using works from the HOTA Collection, alongside identifying and developing opportunities for engaging with national and international art and design. You will work across multiple artforms, collaborating with artists to realise exhibitions, commissions, and projects, and liaising with arts institutions both in Australia and abroad. You will possess strong curatorial skills in writing for publications, collection development, and audience engagement within a public gallery context.

You will also work closely with colleagues across the HOTA precinct and Experience Gold Coast (EGC) to deliver outstanding visual arts experiences which will contribute towards growing new audiences. Above all you will be a champion of arts and culture on the Gold Coast and embrace the growing ambition of HOTA and EGC, supporting the delivery of the strategic objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Work closely with the Curatorial & Engagement Manager, Exhibitions and Collections teams to develop and deliver an innovative exhibitions program.

Provide strong leadership and management to the Curator/s.

Contribute to the development of the HOTA Gallery Collection through identification and advice of appropriate purchases, gifts and donations to the institution including those under the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program, as well as identifying works for deaccession.

Identify, develop and implement commissioning opportunities and longer-term creative partnerships, including contract management and identifying funding through appropriate grant platforms and sponsorship.

Prepare high level researched and original written material on both the collection and exhibitions for catalogues, reports, didactic panels and acquisition proposals, as well as contributing to policy development.

Deliver public talks and moderate discussions with artists and industry specialists.

About You

Tertiary qualification in art history, curation, arts administration, or museum studies.

A minimum of 5-10 years' experience in a curatorial role.

Strong knowledge of Australian and international contemporary art.

Demonstrated experience in collections research and administration, including acquisitions and provenance research.

Experience using the Vernon Collections Management system.

Experience in managing a team to deliver projects on-time and on-budget.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate curatorial and art-historical ideas into engaging, accessible content for diverse audiences.

Demonstrated ability to build and maintain productive relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders, with proven skills in negotiation, collaboration, and stakeholder management.

Demonstrated cultural competency and experience working respectfully and collaboratively with First Nations peoples and communities, including understanding and application of Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) principles.

A flexible, collegial and reliable work ethic.

Join us in creating unforgettable experiences at Experience Gold Coast!

• Be Part of the Action: Work at the heart of the Gold Coast’s thriving arts and culture scene, where creativity and community come together.
• Exclusive Discounts: Enjoy discounts at all Food and Beverage outlets across the HOTA precinct, plus discounted tickets to cinema screenings, events, and activities.
• Empowerment Time: Take four paid days per year dedicated to personal growth and wellbeing.
• Paid Parental Leave: We support our team members with paid leave during this important life stage.
• Wellbeing Support : Access Sonder, our comprehensive team member care and wellbeing service.
• Professional Development: Unlock learning opportunities through our Learning Lab, offering up to 1,000 courses to help you grow and thrive.

HOTA values diversity and inclusion and welcomes applications from people of all cultures, genders, ages, First Nations peoples, LGBTIQ+ communities and people with disability.