The New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) was founded in 1910 when Isaac Delgado offered a gift to the City Park Commission to create a “temple of art for rich and poor alike.” The Museum, a neoclassical building, designed by Samuel Marx, opened as the Isaac Delgado Museum of Art to the public in 1911. Today, NOMA has become the premier art museum in the Gulf South. An expansion in the 1970’s tripled the size of the Museum and in mid-1980 the Museum expanded once again. In 1971, the Board of Trustees voted to change the Museum’s name to the New Orleans Museum of Art. In 1986 a capital campaign was started and the Trustees raised $23 million dollars to add to the building. In 1993 the” new” NOMA, a state of-the-art-facility of 130,850 square feet reopened to the public. The permanent collection has nearly 40,000 works of art including objects from the Italian Renaissance to the modern era. The Museum is known for its collections of European and American Art, African art, Japanese Edo-period painting and Central American art from the pre-Columbian and Spanish eras.

One of NOMA’s great strengths is the collection of modern and contemporary art; including important works by early 20th century European artists, such as Miro, Braques, Dubuffet, Giacometti, Picasso and Modigliani. The Surrealists are strongly represented with works by Ernst, Magritte, Matta, Baziotes, Hare and an extraordinary group of works by Joseph Cornell. Important holdings in the field of modern and contemporary American art include works by Benglis, Hoffman, Katz, Krasner, Le Witt, Lichtenstein, Pollock, Rauschenberg, Rosenquist, Warhol and others.

Also under the purview of the curator of modern and contemporary art is the 5-acre Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture garden which opened in 2003 with 50 works of art; it is now home to over 60 sculptures by Henry Moore, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, George Segal, Claes Oldenburg, Do Ho Suh, Louise Bourgeois, Anish Kapoor, and others. The garden is free to Museum visitors and symbolizes the central role the Museum plays in the city of New Orleans.

The Museum’s exhibition program is active and versatile, bringing significant national touring exhibitions to New Orleans and distinguished exhibitions organized by the curatorial staff. Dedicated gallery space for the presentation of contemporary Louisiana art is integral to the museum’s exhibition strategy and has recently been the venue for Robert Rauschenberg and the “Five from Louisiana,” and Camille Henrot: The City of Ys.

Governed by a Board of Trustees, the Museum is a private institution created for the public good. NOMA serves nearly 250,000 visitors annually and employs approximately 75 full time and 15 part time staff. It operates with a budget of over $8 million.

As a nexus for the arts in New Orleans, NOMA is committed to preserving, presenting, and enriching its collections and renowned sculpture garden; offering innovative experiences for learning and interpretation; and uniting, inspiring, and engaging diverse communities and cultures.

New Orleans Museum of Art seeks a dynamic, accomplished curator of modern and contemporary art who will oversee and manage the museum’s collections, establish priorities for collections research and acquisition, and develop exhibitions and related programming. Additionally, the candidate will be expected to participate in a full range of scholarly and public programming activities, and engage with the vibrant community of artists and collectors in the city and region. It is anticipated that the curator of modern and contemporary art will expand the collection in areas of strength and define the future collection and exhibition directions for the museum as it enters its second century.

The successful candidate will have:
5-7 years of curatorial experience
A distinguished record of exhibitions, acquisitions, scholarly achievement and collaborative programming
Expertise in areas that parallel and enhance the collection’s strengths
His/her experience should include extensive stewardship and cultivation of donors and collectors with a capacity to engage a variety of constituencies in this collecting area.
A minimum of a Master’s degree with a specialization in the history of modern and contemporary art

COMPENSATION:
The position will offer a competitive salary and benefit package

START DATE:
Until position is filled

PROCEDURE FOR APPLICATION:
Please see our job posting at http://www.noma.org/pages/detail/34/Employment.

Your resume and cover letter indicating interest, list of references and publications should be sent to:
Donna Dunn
Human Resources Manager
New Orleans Museum of Art
#1 Collins Diboll Circle
New Orleans, LA 70124
504-658-4146
ddunn@noma.org