Princeton University seeks a Curator of Interpretation and Academic Engagement to integrate the Art Museum into the curriculum and the academic environment at Princeton University and develop strategies and opportunities for engagement and interpretation in collections galleries and exhibitions. Reporting to and working closely with the Associate Director for Education, s/he will collaborate with curators, faculty, students, and guest scholars to develop and present new research and new layers of understanding to the University community in compelling and impactful ways.

 

Duties and Responsibilities:

 

Collections Interpretation and Academic Engagement

Working closely with the Museum’s associate directors and curators, the Curator of Interpretation and Academic Engagement will coordinate collections engagement projects, synchronizing and facilitating multiple vantage points to create intellectually rich yet accessible interpretive approaches built around the Museum’s robust collections. S/he will serve as project manager for installations and exhibitions drawn from or building on the collections. Such projects should appeal to a diverse range of undergraduate and graduate students and encourage exploration and foster connections across disciplines. S/he will shape interpretive strategies for exhibitions and collection rotations, collaborating with curators, faculty, and Museum editors to envision and develop gallery didactics in print and digital forms. The Curator will shape meaningful opportunities for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars to deepen their engagement with the Museum through substantive original research and, ultimately, the presentation of their findings through wide ranging gallery-based tools.

 

Faculty Engagement in the Galleries

The Curator of Interpretation and Academic Engagement will work with members of the Princeton faculty and other experts broadly across disciplines to build specialized interpretive materials for collections galleries and exhibitions. S/he will build and sustain relationships with faculty of all ranks. S/he will coordinate and convene the Museum Voices Colloquium to invite faculty into the galleries for interdisciplinary explorations of works of art and will collaborate with Museum curators to convene colloquia that engage faculty on topics related to special exhibitions and interpretive strategy.

 

Curricular Connections

To bring the Museum’s collections to the heart of the Princeton University curriculum, the Curator of Interpretation and Academic Engagement will solicit proposals campus-wide for innovative courses that make deep use of the collections, thus encouraging interdisciplinary faculty engagement. With the Curatorial Assistant for Academic Programs, the Curator will facilitate faculty research of the collections in support of courses and research, and will work with curators, registrars, the tour coordinator, and preparators to facilitate and support class visits to the Museum.

Supervision

The Curator of Interpretation and Academic Engagement will supervise the Mellon Curatorial Assistant for Academic Programs in his/her work as a liaison to Princeton University faculty, assisting with faculty research of the collections and support and expansion of their curricular work; training of PUAM Student Guides; and management of  the Museum’s summer and academic year internship programs.

Job Requirements

Qualifications:

This position requires:

  • Ph.D. in art history or related field;
  • 5-7 years experience in museum work and/or higher education;
  • superb verbal and written communication skills;
  • strong interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, cross cultural competence, and professionalism; and
  • a demonstrated ability to work individually and in a team environment.

It is preferred that candidates also have:

  • familiarity with the Princeton University academic environment;
  • supervisory experience; and
  • experience developing cross platform interpretive materials in a museum setting.

To apply, please go to https://jobs.princeton.edu, requisition #1400856, and submit a cover letter, CV, and contact information for three references.

Princeton University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. This position is subject to the University’s background check policy.

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