Job Details

Curator Of Exhibitions

The Curator Of Exhibitions oversees the development of exhibitions, programming, publications, and the collection of the Hilliard Art Museum. This position reports to the Director and serves as a strong administrative and creative partner. The Curator engages the campus community, the local creative community of Acadiana, as well as the larger regional and national art communities in the creation of a program that reinforces the museum's roles as an educational resource for the university, a center for community engagement, and a cultural hub in the southeast region.

The Hilliard Art Museum (HAM) is located at the edge of the campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL). The museum is comprised of two buildings, the original 1967 A. Hays Town plantation-style house (3,100 sq. ft.) and the newer state-of-the-art Eskew Dumez + Ripple building with four exhibition galleries (over 10,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space) and a gift shop featuring crafts by local artists. The museum's collection features more than 2,000 objects including European and American painting, Japanese prints, folk art, and a collection of Egyptian art. The museum works collaboratively with the university's nine colleges including the College of Arts - as well as with local, national, and international partners to present exhibitions and programs on the art of our time. With a student population of approximately 18,000 and the culturally-rich community of Acadiana around us, we celebrate the creative spirit that infuses every aspect of life here from food and drink to music, art, and dance.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Work with the Director on implementing a vision to establish the museum as a center for community engagement and prioritizing the educational mission while promoting strong campus and community collaborations, and building a regional and national reputation.
• Manages the Collections Manager and one Graduate Assistant. Preparator reports to Collections Manager.
• Develop and coordinate exhibitions and programs in alignment with museum's vision and educational mission.
• Direct collaborative efforts among the exhibitions and programs staff and serve as an articulate and persuasive spokesperson to collectors, funding sources, press, and the public.
• Develop and manage exhibitions budget and manage staffing needs.
• Collaborate with Educator on the development of educational materials and interpretation of the museum collection and exhibitions.
• Work with the Marketing Manager to ensure that exhibitions and programs are marketed effectively.
• Work with the Director, Collections Manager, and Collection Committee on collection development. Collection committee is overseen by the Collections Manager.
• Collaboratively work with the Director and oversee the Graduate Assistant to develop and implement public programming.
• Support the Director in the areas of strategic planning, budgeting, and policy development as it relates to the exhibitions, programs, and collections.
• Work with the Director and the university development department in conceptualizing and organizing funding proposals for collections management issues and exhibitions.
• Research and write publications that promote new scholarship on the collection and exhibitions.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications:

• Masters degree in relevant field is required
• Five years professional experience in an art museum

Preferred Qualifications:

• PhD
• Demonstrated publishing record
• Knowledge of best practices and procedures involved in the operation of a museum, including proper care and management of collections; standards of documentation and ethics; exhibition organization and implementation; preparation of exhibition-related publications; and scholarship.
• Demonstrated skill in organizing and implementing art exhibitions, performing art historical research, working with other curators and registration staff in managing diverse curatorial and administrative duties.
• Must be able to work effectively with museum colleagues, volunteers, faculty and students, board members, and the general public.
• Strong management skills, flexible problem-solver and good work ethic.
• Leadership skills, financial and strategic planning skills and technical literacy, programmatic creativity, passion for art, and significant knowledge of the art museum world.