Chief Curator [C.M. Russell Museum, Great Falls, MT]

The C.M. Russell Museum is seeking a Chief Curator who is passionate about American western art in general and the life and art about Charles M. Russell in particular. This is a leadership position with several direct reports and responsibility for six museum functions/departments, including collections, exhibitions, library, archives, education and programming. In addition to taking the lead in research, writing, collection development and management, exhibitions and programming, the Chief Curator will be charged with reintroducing Charlie Russell to a broad, world-wide audience via social and electronic media platforms. The museum is seeking an individual who is interested in grasping the opportunity to be the next great Russell scholar.

This position also is responsible for professional practices such as acquisitions, deaccessioning, preservation, research interpretation and presentation. The Chief Curator also guides, supervises and evaluates all full-time and part-time staff assigned to the curatorial, exhibitions and programs departments. As part of the museum’s senior management team, the Chief Curator reports to the Executive Director. The Chief Curator has the opportunity to make important contributions to the field of historic and contemporary American art and the art of the American West through new scholarship and publications that help new audiences discover both the significance and the joy that comes from an appreciation of Charles Marion Russell and his contemporaries and the artists currently working in the tradition of Russell.

• Advanced degree in American Art History and art of the American West with excellence in scholarship, exhibitions, publications, collection development and education programming.
• Sound knowledge of museum practices and excellent organizational skills and the ability to prepare and manage departmental budgets for multiple projects in development over a five-year timeline.
• Self-motivated, creative thinker with strong written and verbal communication, interpersonal skills and proven managerial abilities.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and to work well with others in team situations.

• Provide all content and specialization in direction and planning of all activities relating to C.M. Russell and western art, including the permanent collection.
• Responsible for designing, developing, planning and providing direction for all exhibitions and programming.
• Ability to work with development, marketing and special events staff to cultivate donors and collectors of western art and artifacts for acquisitions and loans to the museum.

• Oversee evaluation, registration, protection, preservation and special activities, including research related to cultural collections.
• Initiate and maintain mechanisms for regularly informing the Board of Directors of all significant matters affecting the collection and programming departments of the Museum.
• Manage and provide various administration duties assigned to the department along with develop and monitor departmental budget.
• Complete other duties as assigned.

About The Museum

The mission of the C.M. Russell Museum is to collect, preserve, research, interpret and educate on the art and life of Charles M. Russell; the art and lives of his contemporaries; and the art of preceding and ensuing generations that depicts and focuses on the culture, life, and country of Russell’s West.

The C.M. Russell Museum is one of the nation’s finest museums of American Western art and the home of the most complete collection of Russell art and memorabilia in the world. The permanent collection of more than 12,000 objects also includes the works of other well-known artists: O. C. Seltzer, Winold Reiss, J. H. Sharp, E. E. Heikka, E. I. Couse, Olaf Wieghorst, Henry Farny, Frank Tenney Johnson, Maynard Dixon, Robert Scriver, Jay Contway and Gary Schlidt. Special collections and permanent exhibitions include the Browning Firearms Collection and The Bison: American Icon, Heart of Plains Indian Culture.

The museum opened in 1953 with a single small gallery housing the personal Russell collection of Josephine Trigg, a close friend and neighbor of the Russell family. Subsequently, the museum underwent expansions in 1969, 1985 and 2001, to reach its current capacity of more than 70,000 square feet. The museum complex now occupies a full city block that includes the C.M. Russell home and studio, which together were designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966. Also included is the Frederic G. Renner Library and Archives, one the preeminent collections of research materials associated with Charles Marion Russell. Additional holdings include the Joe DeYong archives and the Richard Flood Collection. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and a member of the Museums West consortium, the C.M. Russell Museum is one of the premier attractions in Montana.