Haskell Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art

Full time / $100,000–$130,000 annually / Princeton University Art Museum / Princeton, NJ

The Haskell Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art (Haskell Curator) will be an experienced, visionary, collaborative professional who will lead the Museum’s program in global modern and contemporary art. With responsibility for the Museum’s collections and activities in postwar art with a particular focus on global art after 1980, the Haskell Curator will also collaborate with curators from a range of collections areas to ensure that art after 1913 is well represented in galleries, collections, and programs. At a time of unprecedented growth for the Museum as it prepares to enter a dramatic new building, the Haskell Curator will shape collections displays, originate exhibitions, conduct research, and care for, research, and interpret the collections. Teaching in galleries, study rooms, and classrooms, as well as partnerships across campus, will foster engagement among faculty and students. The Haskell Curator will support the Museum’s dynamic program of engagement through public programs and will contribute to the accessibility of the Museum and its collections and exhibitions. Substantial purchase endowments will allow the Haskell Curator to continue to build the collections intentionally, as well as through gifts cultivated from a philanthropic alumni community.

As a member of Princeton University’s Campus Art Steering Committee, the Haskell Curator will lead curatorial planning for art commissions for the campus. They will engage a dynamic network of curators, collectors, artists, galleries, dealers, and benefactors. Working within a team environment, the Haskell Curator will partner with Museum conservators and educators, supervise researchers, and mentor interns and students. The Haskell Curator will also have the opportunity to develop and deliver their own courses, whether within the Department of Art & Archaeology or in other related fields. The ideal candidate will be attuned to dynamic changes in the museum field, will embrace the possibilities of a public facing campus-based museum, and will communicate effectively with scholarly and broad audiences.

Roles and Responsibilities
Curation, Collections Management, and Acquisitions
• Curate wide-ranging rotations and installations of modern and contemporary art in dedicated galleries and throughout the building.
• Curate special exhibitions, ranging from ambitious loan-based, multiple venue exhibitions with book-length publications to more focused displays within the new building.
• Support exhibitions in Art@Bainbridge, the Museum’s gallery space in downtown Princeton, which is largely focused on the work of emerging artists.
• Collaborate with other curators in areas such as Asian art, African art, American art, Photography, and Prints and Drawings on gallery installations, exhibitions, and/or publications.
• Produce interpretive materials with a larger cross-departmental team for works in the galleries and online.
• Partner with conservators to assess and ensure care for works in the collections, including evaluating prospective gifts and purchases.
• Contribute to knowledge about the collections and increase access to the objects in the collections through deep research and cataloguing, including provenance research and accessibility.
• Formulate a collecting strategy and grow the modern and contemporary collections, in collaboration with the Museum Director, supported by substantial endowments, the cultivation of donors and collectors, and the evaluation of proposed gifts.
• Supervise interns, students, researchers, and other curatorial staff.

Campus and Community Engagement
• Support the University’s teaching needs in modern and contemporary art, including teaching or co-teaching courses, gallery-based class visits, and study room teaching.
• Participate in and lead curatorial planning for the University’s Campus Art program, including the shaping and development of new commissions for both the Museum and the wider campus.
• Develop and contribute to public and campus-based programs, lectures, and other special events, including programs for and with students and faculty; with particular attention to expanding and diversifying Museum audiences.
• Represent the Museum and contribute to the field through participation in conferences, public lectures, publications, and institutional and scholarly partnerships.

Fundraising, Public Relations, and Publishing
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with donors, collectors, and other alumni, including cultivating and soliciting potential gifts in close partnership with the Director and the Museum’s development team.
• Serve as a key voice for modern and contemporary art for the Museum in the press and media, including social media activities.
• Inspire members of communities in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and beyond to engage with the Museum’s collections, exhibitions, events, and other activities.
• Publish regularly in the Museum’s quarterly magazine, its annual Record, its book-length publications (co-published or distributed by Princeton University Press), and other national and international publications, as appropriate.

Traits and Characteristics
The Haskell Curator will be a charismatic, thoughtful, intellectual, and visible leader on campus, in the greater Princeton community, and across the wider field. An individual with an appetite for informed and productive risk taking and receptive to new projects and ideas, the Haskell Curator will collaborate with students, faculty, artists, and curators within the Museum and beyond to communicate and activate the Museum’s vision. The Haskell Curator will foster curiosity and continuous learning in the ever-evolving fields of modern and contemporary art.

Other key competencies include:
• Innovation and Conceptual Thinking – The capacity to creatively envision, plan, and actualize exhibits, collections acquisitions, and themes that are in alignment with the mission and vision of the Museum.
• Excellence in Communications – The clarity to communicate effectively internally and externally in print, formal presentation, and informal discussion.
• Teamwork and Diplomacy – The ability to engage with multiple constituents, involve them in decision-making, and listen carefully to multiple points of view while maintaining a leadership role.
• Time, Priority, and Project Management – The dexterity to develop realistic timelines, maintain schedules, multitask, and ensure that activities are well planned and presented and delivered on a timely basis. Expectations around productivity—in undertaking exhibitions, acquisitions, scholarly production, and more—are high.
• Personal and Professional Accountability – The reliability to uphold policies, develop and maintain positive relationships, apply lessons learned, and adapt to the present while preparing for the future.

Compensation and Benefits
Princeton University will provide a competitive and equitable compensation package in the range of $100,000 to $130,000 with generous benefits that include but are not limited to retirement contributions, medical and mental health plans, dental and vision insurance, prescription drug coverage, a wellness center, parental resources such as a childcare center and education plan, commuter benefits, continuing education, flexible work arrangements (including one day of remote work a week), and life and long-term care insurance. For more information about the Princeton University benefits, please click visit https://hr.princeton.edu/.

Requirements

An MA in art history or a related field is required, with a preference for a PhD, along with a track record of scholarly publication and achievements. Significant curatorial experience is essential, including as a lead or co-curator for multiple collections gallery installations and major loan exhibitions. Demonstrable knowledge of commissioning works of art, a track record of collaborating with living artists, and a network of gallerists and collectors. Experience making acquisitions aligned with a collecting strategy, operating and maintaining a departmental budget, and working within a complex organizational structure is critical. Familiarity with donor engagement, collections management, and demonstrated teaching capability are also required.

Application Instructions

To submit a cover letter, resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments, and preliminary references (electronic submissions preferred), please visit https://artsconsulting.com/opensearches/princeton-university-art-museum-haskell-curator-of-modern-and-contemporary-art/. This position is subject to the University’s independent application and background check policy. For questions or general inquiries about this job opportunity, please contact:

Bruce D. Thibodeau, President
Delilah Norris, Senior Advisor
292 Newbury Street, Suite 315
Boston, MA 02115-2801
Tel: (888) 234.4236 Ext. 201 (Thibodeau) or Ext. 230 (Norris)
Email: HaskellCurator@ArtsConsulting.com

At Princeton University, individuals with a diverse array of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences find unique opportunities to advance their academic passions while working with their peers and the broader Princeton community.