Wornick Assistant Curator of Contemporary Decorative Arts

ADP, Inc.; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

MFA Boston is seeking the Ronald C. and Anita L. Wornick Assistant Curator of Contemporary Decorative Arts. The role develops exhibitions, enhances the collection, and deepens donor ties while championing diverse audiences.

The successful candidate will manage installations, collaborate across departments, and advance the field through research, publications, and public talks within a global, transhistorical framework.

Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD in Art History or related field with a focus on Contemporary Craft, Decorative Art, and/or Design.
• 3 to 5 years of curatorial experience in the craft, decorative arts, or design field.
• Scholarly research and publishing track record with exhibitions and related publications.
• National and international perspectives with commitment to the museum's city and community.
• Established contacts with national and international colleagues, artists, dealers, and museum professionals.
• Demonstrated ability to attract and cultivate donors.
• Strong planning and project management skills to manage multiple projects.
• Ability to partner with leadership to develop the artistic vision and growth.

Responsibilities

• Develop, plan, and organize installations in the permanent collection galleries.
• Propose and execute exhibition ideas; oversee related activities, including publications and labels.
• Advance the scope of contemporary craft, decorative art, and design within the collection.
• Engage Boston’s community and a diverse range of visitors.
• Cultivate donor relationships and assist with grant applications.
• Collaborate to research and document the collection in The Museum System (TMS).
• Identify objects and assess provenance; arrange loans and authenticity checks.
• Deliver talks on the permanent collection and special projects.

Skills

Project management

Donor cultivation

Public speaking

Collaborative work

Scholarly communication

Education

Master’s or PhD in Art History

Tools

The Museum System (TMS)

Job description

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Wornick Assistant Curator of Contemporary Decorative Arts

2 days ago Requisition ID: 1831

Position Summary:

At an exciting moment for the Museum's Department of Contemporary Art, the MFA Boston seeks the Ronald C. and Anita L. Wornick Assistant Curator of Contemporary Decorative Arts. The Wornick Assistant Curator represents a dynamic, emerging voice at the intersection of contemporary art and craft and a wide-ranging thinker with great promise. Reporting to the Chair of Contemporary Art, they have the curiosity and vision to grow and care for the contemporary craft, decorative art, and design collection; develop engaging exhibitions and gallery displays; and deepen donor relationships as well as forge new ones.

They must be committed to exploring the changing nature of art museums and their relationship to the public while developing exhibitions and programs that embrace the transhistorical and global nature of the Museum and the consequent diversity of our holdings. They will champion through their work the Museum’s core values, namely that the experience of our visitor is paramount to our mission, strategies, and achievements.

They will have the primary responsibility for managing installations, exhibitions, conducting research, and handling acquisition matters related to the field of contemporary craft, from 1955 to the present. They will remain fluent in current discourse in the field and have a proven capacity to generate further scholarship.

With the guidance of the Chair and other, more senior department colleagues, the Wornick Assistant Curator will have the ability to organize ambitious and innovative exhibitions and publications, and to integrate contemporary craft, decorative arts, and design into our gallery displays. An interdisciplinary and highly collaborative approach to conceptualizing and carrying out projects will be essential to developing an overall vision, with the additional capacity and diplomacy to engage colleagues across a variety of other departments, including other, adjacent curatorial areas.

Essential Functions:

• As directed by the Department Chair, participate in Contemporary and interdisciplinary exhibitions with other curatorial departments. Develop, plan, and organize installations in the permanent collection galleries.
• Within the scope of the Museum’s approval process and with the guidance of the Chair, propose and execute exhibition ideas. Direct and oversee related activities, including presentation in galleries, publications, brochures, labels, text, and other interpretive materials.
• Further develop an overall vision for the scope and role of contemporary craft, decorative art, and design in relation to the broader collection of contemporary art and the Museum’s global and transhistorical collection.
• Actively seek out opportunities to engage with Boston’s community and beyond with the goal to deliver on the institution’s promise to be a meeting place of world cultures and to welcome and deeply engage a diverse range of visitors.
• Collaborate with the Museum’s Development team to cultivate and steward relationships with important collectors and donors, and to seek and act upon opportunities that connect new and existing donors with the Museum. As necessary, partake in the process of grant applications.
• In collaboration with the Chair, Director, and the Museum’s Leadership Team, discover, research, recommend and present objects for acquisition. Refine the collection through proposal of thoughtful de-accessioning.
• Work with Communications staff in marketing and public relations on endeavors that support exhibition projects or initiatives.
• Share expertise, and maintain extensive contacts with colleagues, scholars, artists, collectors, dealers, and consultants, as appropriate.
• Work closely with Conservation and Collections Management, Exhibitions Strategy and Gallery Displays, Facilities, Protective Services, contractors, and others partaking in art installations to ensure proper conditions and protocols are applied.
• Collaborate with departmental and Museum-wide colleagues to research and document the collection in the Museum’s collections database, The Museum System (TMS). Evaluate and arrange for loans of objects to and from the collection.
• Identify objects and consult with provenance curator, conservation, and scientific staff to establish the history and authenticity of art objects.
• Deliver talks on the permanent collection and special projects or exhibitions.
• Travel and serve as an art courier, attend conferences and seminars, visit other Museums, maintain professional affiliations in appropriate organizations.

Minimum Qualifications, Experience, Qualities:

• Master’s or PhD in Art History or related field with a proven focus on Contemporary Craft, Decorative Art, and/or Design, or a related discipline.
• 3 to 5 years of curatorial experience in the craft, decorative arts, or design field.
• Proven record of scholarly research and publishing in area(s) of specialty including a portfolio of exhibitions and publications that have advanced scholarship and connected visitors to contemporary art in engaging ways.
• Possess national and international perspectives while personally and professionally committed to an institution’s city, people and artistic community.
• Superior ability to present and defend ideas and projects that earn the respect of colleagues and Museum’s leadership and builds credibility for the department and institution.
• Established contacts with national and international network of colleagues, artists, dealers, and other museum professionals with the desire and ability to cultivate new relationships intended to enhance the collection and programming.
• Demonstrated track record of attracting and cultivating donors.
• Strong planning and project management skills with the ability to manage various projects simultaneously and collaborating with colleagues across the institution to achieve the best outcome.
• Strong sense of accountability for achieving stated objectives.
• Must have the ability to partner with the Chair, Director, and curatorial colleagues in developing the artistic vision and growth of a contemporary craft, decorative art, and design collection that suitably aligns with the Museum’s encyclopedic collection and overall mission.
• Committed to supporting and contributing to the success of the Museum’s financial endeavors and initiatives.

Personal Qualities and Attributes:

• Must exhibit a generous and collaborative team spirit
• Superior judgment, tact, and diplomacy

Salary Range:

Full-Time, 35 hours per week

This position is affiliated with the United Auto Workers Union.

The MFA is an equal opportunity employer. The community and audience we serve is diverse, and we wish to foster that diversity in our workplace. Toward that end, the MFA does not discriminate against individuals in hiring, employment or promotion on the basis of race, religion, color, sex/gender, gender identity and gender expression, age, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, citizenship, handicap or disability, veteran or military status, political belief, pregnancy, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law.