Curatorial Assistant January 2027 start

Walker Art Center; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 41,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

403(b) retirement plan

Paid vacation, sick time, and holidays

Job summary

The Walker Art Center invites a Curatorial Assistant to join the Visual Arts department in Minneapolis. The role supports exhibitions, acquisitions, and related activities, including research, catalog preparation, and staff liaison with artists and donors.

Responsibilities span research, writing, lending coordination, and preparing exhibition materials, with opportunities to contribute to programs and travel for field work. Start date: January 11, 2027.

Qualifications

• Minimum B.A. in art history, museum studies, or a related field.
• Specialization in contemporary (post-1960) art preferred.
• Excellent research skills with the ability to conduct both directed and independent research.
• Strong written and verbal skills; demonstrated ability to write for and speak to general audiences.
• Strong interpersonal skills and a willingness to be part of a team and work across multiple departments.
• Ability to work on multiple projects in a demanding and fast-paced environment; meet deadlines.
• Well-organized, detail oriented, proactive, with high accuracy and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work with staff, trustees, artists, and the public.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Outlook, Teams, Sketchup, and related programs.

Responsibilities

• Provide curatorial assistance in planning and organizing exhibitions, including research and logistics.
• Serve as curatorial liaison with artists and Walker staff.
• Support collection presentations and traveling exhibitions.
• Travel for field work and research on exhibitions.
• Participate in budget and planning meetings for exhibitions.
• Make presentations on exhibitions to staff and board.
• Present tours, lectures, trainings related to exhibitions and the Permanent Collection.
• Lead on selected Collections presentations as assigned.
• Oversee presentation of collection works in office or public spaces.

Skills

Excellent research

Strong written/verbal skills

Interpersonal skills

Multi-project management

Microsoft Office proficiency

Flexibility with hours

Fluency in English

Education

B.A. in art history / museum studies

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Teams

SketchUp

Job description

The Walker Art Center empowers people to experience the transformative possibilities of the art and ideas of our time and to imagine the world in new ways. In our over 125-year history, we have become one of the most celebrated art museums in the country, and we are known for our innovative presentations and acclaimed collections of contemporary art across the spectrum of the visual, performing, and media arts.

The CURATORIAL ASSISTANT is a vital member of the Visual Arts department team, supporting exhibitions, acquisitions, and other department activities. The Curatorial Assistant is responsible for a range of curatorial and support tasks including assisting curators with exhibition research, planning, programs and events; managing exhibition related correspondence and image rights; assisting with the coordination of catalogues, didactic materials, and exhibition documentation; writing and editing exhibition-related copy; and loan requests. In addition, the Curatorial Assistant may have the opportunity to periodically generate original programs and exhibitions, and will act as a liaison, on behalf of the institution, with artists, collectors, dealers, lenders, and staff involved in exhibition planning and production. The start date for this position is January 11, 2027.

WHAT YOU GET TO DO

Exhibition Support

• Provide curatorial assistance to curators in the planning and organization of exhibitions, including scholarly research and logistical support in the preparation of checklists; loan requests; image rights; exhibition catalogues; didactic materials; interpretive labels; grants and fundraising narratives; and other exhibition-related materials.
• Serve as curatorial liaison with artists and Walker staff about exhibition progress, sharing information, coordinating plans, and attending relevant meetings.
• Provide coordination and support to collection presentations and traveling exhibitions organized by other institutions.
• Conduct periodic travel for general work in the field and research on exhibitions and acquisitions as assigned.
• Participate in budget and planning processes and meetings related to exhibitions.
• Make presentations on exhibitions to staff and board.
• Present tours, lectures, trainings and other presentations related to exhibitions and the Permanent Collection to Educators, donors, touring groups, professionals, and special guests.
• Periodically lead on selected Collections presentations from conceptualization to realization, as assigned.
• Periodically oversee presentation of collection works in office or public spaces, as assigned.
• Participate in donor and community relations through attendance at Walker events, including receptions, public programs, collector events, and openings.

Acquisitions and Collections Support

• Participate in acquisition discussions with the Executive Director, Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs and Visual Arts curatorial team. Make periodic presentations of proposed acquisitions at Acquisitions Committee Meetings, as assigned.
• Support curators by contributing research on incoming works of art, drafting acquisition write ups, and assisting with administrative details around the incoming acquisitions process.
• Support curators with deaccessions research, write deaccession rationales on works being proposed by curators for deaccession from the collection. Support Curator of Visual Arts and Collections Strategy and Visual Arts Administrator on the administration of Acquisitions meetings and follow up.
• Assist in the details of the presentation of our collection online (including image coordination, planned projects, online collections records and related texts).
• Participate in meetings with Marketing and Social Media colleagues related to use of Permanent Collection works in Walker social media channels.

Departmental Support

• Assist, as needed, with coordination and hosting for artist/curator visits.
• Conduct general research on artists, as assigned.
• Contribute online content related to the Visual Arts program for the Walker’s Reader.
• Participate with regular attendance at local arts events, conduct studio visits with local artists.

WHAT WE NEED IN YOU

Minimum Requirements

• Minimum B.A. in art history, museum studies, or a related field, some experience in the field, such as at a museum or nonprofit preferred.
• Specialization in contemporary (post-1960) art preferred. Passion for contemporary art and culture.
• Excellent research skills with the ability to conduct both directed and independent research.
• Strong written and verbal skills; demonstrated ability to write for and speak to general audiences.
• Strong interpersonal skills and a willingness to be part of a team and work across multiple departments.
• Ability to work simultaneously on multiple projects in a demanding and fast-paced work environment; flexibility in meeting shifting demands and priorities with proven ability to meet multiple deadlines.
• Well-organized, detail oriented, and proactive, with high level of accuracy, and strong problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively with staff, trustees, artists, arts professionals, and the public.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Teams, Sketchup, and other standard computer programs.
• Availability to work flexible hours including evenings and weekends as appropriate.
• Fluency in English. Foreign language skills (written and verbal) are also desirable.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Must be able to stand for long periods of time.
• Must be able to sit at a desk for long periods of time.

JOB SPECIFICATIONS

This position is considered full-time, exempt. As an exempt position, it is not eligible for overtime pay. The salary for this role $45,000 annually. The start date for this position is January 11, 2027.

BENEFITS

Medical, dental, and vision insurance; 403(b) retirement plan with employer contribution; paid vacation, sick time, and holidays.

This position is not eligible for relocation assistance.

All applicants must be eligible to work in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship.

Walker’s DEI commitment

The Walker is committed to being an employer with a staff who, at all job levels, reflects the rich diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We are dedicated to ensuring inclusion and equity in all our employment practices. We deeply value and welcome all the unique lived experiences in our applicants and encourage anyone meeting the minimum requirements to apply.

Recruitment Timeline

All positions are open until filled.

E-Verify Participation Notice

Walker Art Center participates in E-Verify to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

For more information, please review the following notices:

• E-Verify Participation Poster (English/Spanish)
• Right to Work Poster (English/Spanish)