Description

POSITION: Associate Curator DATE: October 29, 2013
DIVISION: Curatorial, Collections & Archives
REPORTS TO: Curator
APPROVED BY: Amy Carolus
MISSION: Provide relevant educational and entertaining opportunities within the region that exceed customer expectations, while preserving our community’s vibrant cultural history.
VISION: The Durham Museum will serve as a recognized, premier resource for education, entertainment, and historical preservation in our region. We will be the venue of choice in our market by providing a unique, engaging, and memorable experience professionally presented to every customer.
POSITION PURPOSE:
The Associate Curator promotes The Durham Museum’s mission and vision by ensuring the proper care and security of permanent and temporary exhibitions, professionally presented to our guests. The position functions as a role model for interactions with museum customers and promoting a keen awareness and understanding of the museum’s core values.
ENVIRONMENT:
Housed in Omaha’s historic Union Station, The Durham Museum serves as one of the region’s premier education centers and family destinations. The museum’s exhibitions and education programs explore a wide range of subjects, regional and national, in the fields of history, culture, science, and industry. Key to the museum’s strong emphasis on education is the distance learning program, which links museum visitors, schools, and other venues throughout the region with curriculum developed by our team and our partners nationwide.
The organization was founded in 1974 as the Western Heritage Museum. In 1995, Union Station was renovated as part of a $25 million capital campaign, and in 1997 the museum was renamed in honor of Charles and Margre Durham. In 2002, the museum became an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and has since built relationships with the Library of Congress, National Archives, Chicago’s Field Museum, and other renowned educational resources. In 2007, the museum completed a $1.5 million rejuvenation of its permanent exhibitions and opened the 266-seat Stanley and Dorothy Truhlsen Lecture Hall in the former 1899 boiler plant. Additional restorative work was completed in 2009 to preserve Union Station’s art deco architecture as well as to guarantee the long-term viability and preservation of the facility and the collections housed within its walls.
NATURE AND SCOPE:
The Associate Curator is responsible for the development, installation and upkeep of temporary and permanent exhibitions, and for developing and maintaining an intimate understanding and knowledge of the history of Omaha. The incumbent will work with external customers, responding to questions and concerns about the collection and potential donations. This position participates in conservation needs assessments, exhibition-related staging, installation, and de-installation. The incumbent is responsible for all research, text and label production, object selection, and installation of the scheduled exhibits. In addition, this position is responsible for the care and security of the museum’s permanent exhibitions, which includes monitoring condition of components, cleanliness of the galleries, and facilitating updates to those areas as appropriate. The Associate Curator works closely with other departments to best develop and maintain the exhibits, and prepares and disseminates information relevant to each exhibit to researchers, visitors, and other museum departments. The Associate Curator supervises, mentors, and coaches part-time photo archive associate, interns, and volunteers in the Curatorial department.

Requirements

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Contribute to the organization and interpretation of permanent and temporary exhibits through research, label writing, object selection and preparation, mount fabrication, installation, de-installation, and database maintenance, utilizing accepted historical research and museum practices.
2. Solicit, process, and track incoming and outgoing loans, including location, dates, requirements and ownership, as well as transport artifacts for donation and/or loan pickup and return.
3. Respond to correspondence relating to the museum’s permanent collection, as well as evaluate potential acquisitions/donations and make recommendations to the Curator.
4. Facilitate and supervise access to the museum collection, library, and archive for a wide-range of users, including museum staff, researchers, interns, and the general public.
5. Develop and maintain a comprehensive institutional archive of The Durham Museum, including information/object acquisition, sorting, and generating finding aids.
6. Responsible for the general maintenance, care, and cleaning of the permanent and temporary exhibition galleries and collections storage areas, utilizing full and part-time staff and interns.
7. Work with the Curator in establishing and executing annual departmental goals.
8. Support the museum’s overall strategies and operational activities within the Curatorial, Collections and Archives division.
9. Participate in all mandatory training and safety programs required and provided by the museum.
10. Responsible for working within department and program budgets as approved by the Board of Directors of the museum for all areas of responsibility.
DISCLOSURE:
The Principal Responsibilities reflect the essential functions of the position, and are not to be considered a detailed description of all aspects and requirements of the position.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Experience
1-3 years of professional-level curatorial experience required. Familiarity with PastPerfect museum software desired.
Education
Master’s degree in Museum Studies required.
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities
This position requires excellent organizational skills with high attention to detail. The incumbent should have strong research, computer, and administrative skills. The position requires self-discipline and a high level of initiative as a self-starter with limited supervision. Collaboration and interpersonal communication are critical to the success of this leadership role, both with members of the museum team and with external customers. Knowledge of Omaha history preferred.
Working Conditions
Routine periods of sitting, standing, and walking are required. Must be able to climb ladders, lift up to 40 pounds, go up and down stairs, and sit or stand for extended periods.

Job Information
  • Omaha, Nebraska, 68108, United States
  • 27020894
  • February 24, 2016
  • Assistant Curator
  • The Durham Museum
  • Curator
  • No
  • Full-Time
  • Indefinite
  • Master’s Degree
  • 2-3 Years
  • 0-10%