The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) seeks a dynamic and energetic museum curator to become the inaugural Schiller Family Assistant Curator of Indigenous American Art at one of the world’s finest museums.
VMFA has a longstanding commitment to Virginia’s Indigenous American communities, and recently unveiled signage in the building and on our website acknowledging the presence of indigenous peoples on the land where the museum stands. The Schiller Family Assistant Curator of Indigenous American Art will help shape the museum’s commitment to Indigenous American art and will be responsible for gallery displays, exhibitions, publications, public programs, and research related to VMFA’s growing collection of more than 800 works of art. Reporting to the Curator of American art, this position will also play a key role in the reinstallation of Indigenous American art in the new wing as part of the museum’s upcoming expansion and renovation project.
This is a restricted position gift funded by the Schiller Family.
The anticipated hire date for this position is July 2023.
This is a salaried, faculty exempt position that offers Commonwealth of Virginia employee benefits such as 12 paid holidays, health benefits and more. VMFA staff also enjoy museum benefits like free admission to special exhibitions, previews of special exhibitions, employee pricing for select museum programs and classes, and discounts at Amuse Restaurant, Best Café, and VMFA Shop.
Specific responsibilities include: organize exhibitions with catalogues; build Indigenous American collection through purchases and donor stewardship; maintain regular art rotations; contribute scholarship to the field in the form of publications and presentations at national conferences; work across departments to achieve museum’s strategic plan; develop and update area collection plan; engage with local and regional tribes for acquisitions and educational programming; update records in TMS; work with public, volunteers, and staff in program and educational training; work with American art curators on installations, exhibitions, and programs; and facilitate advancement initiatives, patron development, and grant-writing.
About the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts:
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Virginia, is one of the largest comprehensive art museums in the United States. VMFA, which opened in 1936, is a state agency and privately endowed educational institution. Its purpose is to collect, preserve, exhibit and interpret art, and to encourage the study of the arts. Through the Office of Statewide Partnerships program, the museum offers curated exhibitions, arts-related audiovisual programs, symposia, lectures, conferences, and workshops by visual and performing artists. In addition to presenting a wide array of special exhibitions, the museum provides visitors with the opportunity to experience a global collection of art that spans more than 6,000 years. VMFA’s permanent holdings encompass nearly 50,000 artworks, including the largest public collection of Fabergé outside of Russia, the finest collection of Art Nouveau outside of Paris, and one of the nation’s finest collections of American art. VMFA is also home to important collections of Chinese art, English silver, and French Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, British sporting and modern and contemporary art, as well as renowned South Asian, Himalayan and African art. In May 2010, VMFA opened its doors to the public after a transformative expansion, the largest in its history.
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts recently began a new expansion and renovation project led by the international architecture firm SmithGroup. Tentatively scheduled for completion in Fall 2027, the project consists of adding a new wing of nearly 170,000 square feet and renovating 45,000 square feet of existing spaces, while maintaining four acres of green space in the Sculpture Garden. Visitors will experience a seamless journey through the collections in the new wing, which will house American and Indigenous American art, African art, 21stcentury art, and a new suite of galleries for rotating special exhibitions and a special events space.
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is the only art museum in the United States open 365 days a year with free general admission.
Minimum Qualifications
Good communication and organizational skills are necessary for this position, as is the ability to work in a highly collaborative, team-based environment.
Candidates should be able to multitask and work well under pressure to meet deadlines and manage multiple projects concurrently.
Candidates should also have strong public speaking skills and engage with the community, donors, and supporters of the museum.
Preferred Qualifications
A Ph.D. in Art History or a related discipline is preferred, but not required.
Museum experience is preferred, but not required.
