Curatorial Assistant Modern and Contemporary Art

About the role

The Curatorial Assistant will work with and support the Modern & Contemporary Curatorial Department on a wide range of activities to support exhibitions, collection management, scholarly research, community engagement, fund raising, and other related administrative requirements based upon given needs.

Responsibilities

• Aid in the development, planning, and implementation of curatorial strategies and activities that relate all aspects of collection management and development, departmental and special exhibitions, research, and public service.
• Work closely with colleagues across the museum, including but not limited to the departments of Learning and Interpretation, Registration, Exhibitions and Exhibition Design, Preparations, Graphics, Visitor Services, Development, and Marketing to help promote and contextualize the collections, exhibitions, special events, and board meetings, as well as on our website and in fundraising and marketing materials.
• Assist in the hiring and supervision of interns, fellows, and volunteers.

Requirements

A willingness to learn the history of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and to engage with other arts organizations in the city.

Lead visiting scholars and dignitaries through the collection and offer informal talks;

May also be tasked with travel to view artworks, exhibitions, or visit artists’ studios as needed or requested by curator;

May represent department or Museum at functions, gatherings, and interviews.

Qualifications

• A M.A. in Art History
• A minimum of 2 years of museum or related curatorial experience required

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

• In-depth knowledge of the field, and a general knowledge of art history;
• Broad museum knowledge;
• Sophisticated research and writing skills;
• Attention to detail, strong organization skills, computer experience required (PC Word, Power Point, and Excel training are available);
• Highly developed administration and organizational skills, and demonstrated experience in project coordination, logistics, scheduling, project and expense tracking, and administration;
• Experience processing information and working to tight deadlines;
• Capable of setting priorities and working with minimal supervision;
• Strong interpersonal skills and proven ability to work effectively and positively with all staff, donors, artists, and collaborators in a highly collegial environment, and at times high volume organization;
• Reading knowledge of a language other than English;
• Knowledge of and experience with curatorial resource care and basic preservation practices for objects, multimedia, images, and documents;
• Interest and experience in cultural heritage work and community engagement;
• An enthusiasm for the museum profession, the ability to work collaboratively, and to approach a broad range of tasks with a positive outlook;

Other General Requirements

A willingness to learn the history of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and to engage with other arts organizations in the city.

May also be tasked with travel to view artworks, exhibitions, or visit artists’ studios as needed or requested by curator;

May represent department or Museum at functions, gatherings, and interviews.

Compensation

Salary will be commensurate with the applicant's experience and the needs and requirements expressed in the job description. The MFAH has set the pay range for this job and level as a general guideline and not a guarantee of the compensation amount or salary. A salary range for this role has been set but we know additional factors may be considered in extending an offer including (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, candidate experience and unique qualifications, knowledge, skills, and abilities, the needs and requirements expressed in the job description, as well as internal equity, and alignment with market data, and any related regulations or other laws.