Chief Curator [Maine Historical Society]

Applications are due by October 31.

The Maine Historical Society (MHS), founded in 1822, seeks a creative, forward-looking Chief Curator to provide leadership and management of Maine Historical Society’s curatorial program, including design and implementation of innovative exhibition strategies; care, management, and development of artifact collections; and oversight of the Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Garden.

MHS is a progressive statewide cultural organization recognized for its innovation and leadership. MHS includes a small but growing museum (including the Wadsworth-Longfellow House), the Brown Research Library, and the Maine Memory Network (www.mainememory.net), our nationally-recognized statewide digital museum. MHS is located in the heart of downtown Portland, ME—a city known for its creative spirit, great food, connections to the outdoors, and quality of life—in the center of a growing arts and culture district. Come be a contributor!

Building on a decade of institutional growth, accomplishment, and new ideas, MHS is keenly focused on the development of its museum program and facility. Recent accomplishments include the restoration of the Wadsworth-Longfellow House (2002), the development of Maine Memory and its network of 270+ local partners as a nexus of collaboration and creativity (2000-present), the $9.5 million renovation and expansion of our research library (2010), and the recent purchase and development of an offsite collections management facility with Portland Public Library that will free up nearly 17,000 square feet of space on our campus for programmatic use (2013). We see tremendous opportunity to help new audiences explore and connect with Maine through its history, and are preparing to turn our campus and institution into a laboratory where we test the ideas, principles, and activities that will drive MHS into the community and into the future.

The Chief Curator will help lead this charge. The successful candidate will be driven to connect new audiences to history and to help foster a strong sense of place in Maine through exhibit experiences that create wonder and delight; that are substantive, challenging, and relevant; and that reflect the spirit, voice, experiences, and perspectives of diverse Maine people and communities. This position offers an opportunity to lead, innovate, and be a major contributor to our institution, community, and new ways of thinking in the field.

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Chief Curator is a member of MHS’s senior management team. S/he is responsible for providing vision and leadership for MHS’s exhibition program, and for the care, management, and development of its artifact collections, including the Wadsworth-Longfellow House.  The Chief Curator supervises a small team, including the collections manager, project curators, and exhibit support staff. S/he collaborates with MHS staff and partners to develop and implement an ongoing series of exhibitions that create public engagement with Maine history, attract, entertain, and enrich new audiences, and help MHS achieve its strategic objectives.

Working with the Executive Director and Director of Institutional Advancement, the Chief Curator contributes to raising funds for exhibitions, developing relationships with the press, and broadly promoting MHS exhibitions. The Chief Curator also acts as a spokesperson for MHS and supports the activities of the Executive Director and the Advancement team in cultivating collectors and donors in Maine and beyond.

MHS offers a competitive salary and benefits package and a supportive and flexible work environment. All inquiries and conversations will remain strictly confidential.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Please send a cover letter, resume, and a list of three references to: kfinnell@mainehistory.org. Applications are due by October 31.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE WILL:

• Provide strong curatorial leadership.
• Possess a creative, forward-looking vision for exhibition development.
• Develop, organize, and install exhibits.
• Manage, care for, and develop artifact collections, including the Wadsworth-Longfellow House.
• Be driven to engage diverse audiences and produce memorable visitor experiences.
• Be committed to providing our constituents with intimate access to collections.
• Be an enthusiastic champion of MHS who is skilled at communicating and connecting with donors and the public.
• Actively and effectively engage in fundraising and cultivation activities.
• Be a strong collaborator who empowers and supports colleagues, teammates, and partners.
• Be strategic, entrepreneurial, and driven to help MHS reach ambitious growth goals.
• Effectively manage people, finances, and resources.
• Exhibit the highest standards of integrity.
• Be outgoing, self-starting, well-organized, personable, and capable of working under pressure and meeting deadlines.
• Possess extensive knowledge of history, museum practice, exhibition techniques, and collections care.
• Have at least five years senior curatorial experience.
• M.A. in history, museum studies, or equivalent required.