CITY CURATOR

Board of Water Supply; Honolulu (HI); On-site; USD 35,000 - 45,000; Part time

Job summary

Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts (MOCA) in Honolulu seeks a part-time City Curator to serve as Arts Coordinator and liaison to the Commission on Culture and the Arts. You will manage the city’s public art collection, ensuring documentation, stewardship, and lifecycle management for about 1,100 works across civic spaces and displays.

The role reports to MOCA’s Executive Director, aligns priorities with statutory requirements, and supports reporting to the Mayor, City Council, and City

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Art History, Museum Studies, Arts Administration, or related field.
• Two (2) years of professional work in museum collections, curatorial work, public art, or collections management.
• Knowledge of artwork inventory, documentation, accessioning, and collections databases.
• Adept in coordinating the ongoing stewardship and lifecycle of an art collection including installation, conservation, maintenance, relocation, or related activities.
• Strong organizational, recordkeeping, and written communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaborate effectively with artists, contractors, consultants, and City leadership and staff.

Responsibilities

• Conduct annual inspection and inventory of all City-owned movable and permanent works of art.
• Maintain accurate records for approximately 1,100 artworks, including location, condition, and status.
• Prepare biennial reports for the City Clerk documenting inspections and inventory updates.
• Prepare annual submissions to the Mayor and City Council on maintenance, preservation, and restoration planning, including program needs, accomplishments, and budget requirements.
• Oversee lifecycle management and coordination of collection-related activities with consultants, contractors, and artists.

Skills

Organizational skills

Written communication

Independent work

Collaborative teamwork

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Art History, Museum Studies, Arts Administration, or related field

Master’s degree (preferred)

Tools

Collections management databases

Inventory tracking software

Job description

$35,000 – $45,000
Job Type:Part-Time Temporary
Location:Honolulu Hale
Department:Office of the Managing Director
Apply Before:Continuous

Position: City Curator

Department: Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts (MOCA)

Location: City and County of Honolulu

Classification / Salary: Part-time, Appointee | $35,000 – 45,000 annually

Organization Description

The Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts (MOCA) advances arts, culture, and community connection across Oʻahu through public art, cultural programs, creative partnerships, and community engagement rooted in Hawaiʻi’s values and traditions. MOCA works with artists, residents, organizations, and City partners to strengthen neighborhoods, expand access to the arts, and support civic participation throughout the City and County of Honolulu.

Position Description

The City Curator serves as the City’s Arts Coordinator and liaison to the Commission on Culture and the Arts, reporting to the MOCA Executive Director under duties established by City ordinance governing the City and County of Honolulu’s public art collection.

The position serves as professional steward of approximately 1,100 artworks located in civic buildings, public spaces, and storage or rotating display sites, ensuring collection integrity, documentation, and lifecycle management. Working under the direction of the MOCA Executive Director, the City Curator implements annual work priorities based on statutory requirements, collection needs, and departmental priorities, exercising independent professional judgment within established priorities and available resources.

Responsibilities include coordination with artists, consultants, contractors, and City departments on fabrication, installation, conservation, relocation, and maintenance of artworks; defining scope and logistics; authorizing collection actions; and maintaining accurate inventory records. Oversees full lifecycle management of the collection, including accessioning, gift acceptance, placement, relocation, storage, and deaccessioning.

Supports reporting to the Mayor, City Council, and City Clerk, including maintenance and preservation planning, budget submissions, and biennial reporting. Serves as liaison to the Commission on Culture and the Arts.

Programming, exhibition development, public engagement, and interpretive functions are outside the scope of this position and are administered by the Culture and Arts Program Coordinator. Coordination occurs as needed to align community engagement with installations and acquisitions.

This position is part-time (approximately 0.5 FTE), reflecting episodic collection activity, statutory reporting cycles, and project-based work, while maintaining full responsibility for collection stewardship. Work is cyclical, with peak activity during annual inventory, reporting cycles, Capital Improvement Program (CIP) milestones, and collection transitions.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct annual inspection and inventory of all City-owned movable and permanent works of art.
• Maintain accurate records for approximately 1,100 artworks, including location, condition, and status.
• Prepare biennial reports for the City Clerk documenting inspections and inventory updates.
• Prepare annual submissions to the Mayor and City Council on maintenance, preservation, and restoration planning, including program needs, accomplishments, and budget requirements.

Maintenance & Preservation Planning

• Develop the annual maintenance, preservation, and restoration program for the collection.
• Identify priorities for conservation, repair, and relocation in coordination with City departments, contractors, consultants, and artists.
• Develop associated budget recommendations for inclusion in the City’s operating budget.
• Coordinate execution of approved work through qualified consultants, contractors, and artists.

Capital Improvement Program (CIP) / 1% for Art

• Oversee public art requirements associated with Capital Improvement Program projects under the City’s 1% for art framework.
• Coordinate with commissioned artists, design teams, and project stakeholders throughout fabrication and installation of CIP-funded artworks.
• Track project status, deliverables, and compliance requirements for active CIP-related projects.
• Ensure completed CIP artworks are properly accessioned and integrated into the City’s collection inventory system.

Collection Stewardship & Lifecycle Management

• Serve as designated City Curator responsible for stewardship of the City’s public art collection.
• Oversee accessioning, gift acceptance, placement, relocation, storage, and deaccessioning.
• Ensure all lifecycle changes are accurately reflected in the City’s inventory system.
• Maintain consistency, integrity, and continuity of collection records.
• Engage and coordinate consultants, conservators, fabricators, contractors, and artists as required for installation, conservation, relocation, and maintenance of artworks.
• Define scope, schedule, site requirements, and logistical coordination for collection-related work, including commissioned or artist-led projects.
• Serve as the City’s primary point of contact for contracted artists during fabrication, installation, and post-installation phases.
• Monitor completion of work and ensure deliverables are documented and reflected in collection records.

Commission & Governance Support

• Support the Commission on Culture and the Arts through meeting preparation, reporting, and implementation of Commission actions.
• Ensure alignment between Commission direction and collection stewardship activities.
• Maintain compliance with public records and transparency requirements.

Acquisitions & Gifts

• Administer calls-to-artists and related selection documentation processes, ensuring coordination with review bodies and proper integration of outcomes into the City’s collection and CIP records.
• Coordinate gift acceptance processes for artworks offered to the City.
• Evaluate proposed acquisitions for alignment with collection policy and operational capacity.
• Ensure proper accessioning and documentation following acceptance.

Program Coordination Interface

• Coordinate with MOCA programming staff on newly acquired or installed works.
• Facilitate handoff of artworks to Program Coordinator for exhibition, interpretation, and public engagement.
• Maintain clear delineation between stewardship and programming responsibilities.

Documentation & System Integrity

• Maintain the City’s official inventory and collections database as the system of record.
• Ensure all collection data is current, accurate, and audit-ready.
• Translate legacy or informal information into structured documentation.
• Support ongoing improvement of collection tracking and workflow processes.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Art History, Museum Studies, Arts Administration, or a related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience).
• Two (2) years of professional work in museum collections, curatorial work, public art, or collections management.
• Knowledge of artwork inventory, documentation, accessioning, and collections databases.
• Adept in coordinating the ongoing stewardship and lifecycle of an art collection including installation, conservation, maintenance, relocation, or related activities.
• Strong organizational, recordkeeping, and written communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaborate effectively with artists, contractors, consultants, and City leadership and staff.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel to artwork sites throughout Oʻahu.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a related field.
• Work with public art collections or municipal arts programs.
• Familiarity with Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for 1% for Art projects.
• Support of boards, commissions, public agencies, and cultural or artistic non-profit organizations
• Knowledge of Hawaiʻi’s arts, culture, and public art landscape.

Schedule & Classification

This is a part-time position expected to average approximately 20 hours per week (0.5 FTE) over the course of the year. Weekly hours may fluctuate depending on reporting cycles, collection activities, CIP milestones, and conservation projects.

Work is primarily event-driven and aligned with collection changes, statutory reporting requirements, and stewardship activities. Additional hours may be required during periods of active inventory, reporting cycles, conservation projects, or significant collection transitions.