Curator of American Decorative Arts [Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT]

Description

The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art seeks a Curator of American Decorative Arts to oversee a renowned collection of over 8,000 objects ranging from elaborately carved and painted seventeenth-century chests to modern masterpieces by Marcel Breuer and Frank Lloyd Wright. The collection comprises examples of American furniture, glass, ceramics, and metalwork from the 1600s to the present. Distinguished areas of the museum’s holdings include: The Wallace Nutting Collection of Colonial American Furniture and Ironwork; the Samuel and Elizabeth Colt Collection of Firearms and Family Heirlooms; the Philip Hammerslough Silver Collection; the Stephen Gray Collection of Arts and Crafts; and a broad representation of furniture, ceramics, glass, and metalwork that embodies the history of material design in New England and America.  The Curator of American Decorative Arts will manage the collection, make acquisitions, conduct cross-disciplinary research, develop exhibitions and permanent collection installations, and expand the interpretation of the decorative arts.

Requirements

A Master’s degree in American Material Culture, American Art History, (Ph.D. preferred); or equivalent knowledge and experience is required for this position; as well as a minimum of 5 years’ experience in a museum environment.  The successful candidate will have a record of scholarly publications and exhibitions in the American Decorative Arts field.

Skills and abilities required include an in-depth knowledge of the American Decorative Arts field; excellent writing and public speaking skills; knowledge of the care of decorative arts; excellent interpersonal and communications skills; ability to work independently and collaboratively; and aptitude in Microsoft Office as well as museum collections databases.  The position also requires periodic travel for research, as a courier for art, or for development purposes.

To apply, please send cover letter, resume, 2 – 3 writing samples,

and salary requirements to:

Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art

Attn: HR Department

600 Main Street, Hartford, CT 06103

Or Email HR@wadsworthatheneum.org

(No phone calls please.)

Deadline for applications:  April 22, 2016

The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer.