Assistant/Associate Curator
About the role
The Albany Museum of Art is seeking a thoughtful, collaborative, and intellectually engaged museum professional to join our staff as Curator of African Collections and African Diasporic Art. This full-time, curatorial position reports to the Director of Curatorial Affairs and works closely with the Executive Director, the Director of Education & Public Programming, and the rest of the AMA team.
Responsibilities
Research, interpret, document, and help steward the AMA’s African collection with attention to historical context, artistic significance, provenance, cultural meaning, and contemporary interpretation.
Develop and help organize exhibitions drawn from the AMA’s permanent collection as well as exhibitions involving borrowed works, including object research, artist and lender research, image selection, interpretive planning, and exhibition writing.
Contribute to the museum’s expanding interpretation of African, African American, and African diasporic art through exhibitions, installations, public programs, publications, digital content, and community-centered initiatives.
Shape exhibition concepts, themes, narratives, and interpretive goals in collaboration with curatorial, education, collections, communications, and development staff.
Draft, edit, and fact-check exhibition labels, didactic texts, catalogue essays, gallery guides, web content, marketing copy, grant language, donor materials, and other public-facing interpretive materials as needed.
Support the development of media, film, audio, digital, and interactive interpretation for exhibitions and collection-based projects.
Assist with collections care, documentation, cataloguing, condition reporting, object handling, storage, and research related to the museum’s African collection and other works in the permanent collection as assigned.
Work collaboratively with the Education & Public Programming department to develop tours, curricula, lectures, gallery programs, community conversations, school resources, and other forms of audience engagement.
Build and maintain relationships with artists, scholars, lenders, collectors, cultural partners, educators, community members, and peer institutions.
Coordinate with exhibition consultants, artists, lenders, preparators, designers, conservators, photographers, and contractors as assigned.
Assist with exhibition installation and deinstallation, including gallery preparation, object handling, label placement, condition checks, and related logistical support.
Conduct and support original research on African, African American, and African diasporic art, history, material culture, and visual culture, as well as related topics that align with the museum’s mission and strategic priorities.
Help identify opportunities for exhibitions, acquisitions, publications, partnerships, grants, public programs, and collection-based research that strengthen the AMA’s curatorial program and public impact.
Represent the museum, as appropriate, through gallery talks, public programs, donor conversations, media opportunities, professional conferences, written materials, and community events.
Assist in shaping a long-term vision for the museum’s exhibition program, with emphasis on strong scholarship, visitor experience, community relevance, accessibility, and meaningful relationships with artists, scholars, educators, lenders, and the public.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have a Master’s degree in Art History, Museum Studies, or a related field, along with a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in a museum setting. A background in African art, African American art, and/or African diasporic art is preferred. Strong research, writing, and communication skills are essential, as is the ability to work collaboratively and independently.