Title: Schiller Family Curator of Indigenous American Art
State Role Title: VMFA Senior
Hiring Range: $90,000 – $100,000
Pay Band: UG
Agency: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Location:MAIN MUSEUM
Agency Website:https://vmfa.museum/about/jobs/
Recruitment Type: General Public – G
Job Duties
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) seeks a dynamic and energetic individual to become the inaugural Schiller Family Curator of Indigenous American Art. VMFA has a longstanding commitment to Virginia’s Indigenous American communities, and recently unveiled signage in the building and on our website acknowledging the presence of indigenous peoples on the land where the museum stands. The Schiller Family Curator of Indigenous American Art will help shape the museum’s commitment to Indigenous American art and will be responsible for acquisitions, community research, exhibitions, gallery displays, publications, public programs, and research related to VMFA’s growing collection of nearly 1,000 works of art. Reporting to the Chief Curator and Deputy Director for Art and Education, this position will also play a key role in the reinstallation of Indigenous American art in the new wing as part of the museum’s upcoming expansion and renovation project.
Specific responsibilities include: organize exhibitions with scholarly catalogues; build the Indigenous American Art collection through gifts and purchases; organize regular rotating art installations; contribute scholarship to the field in the form of publications and presentations at conferences; work across departments to achieve museum’s strategic plan; develop and regularly update the Indigenous American Art collection plan; engage with local and regional tribes for acquisitions, community outreach, and educational programming; update records in TMS; handle all loans from the collection; work with public, volunteers, and staff in program and educational training; work with American art curators on collaborative installations, exhibitions, and programs; and facilitate advancement initiatives, patron development, and grant-writing.
This position comes with a salary of competitive salary plus benefits and is supported by a restricted position gift, funded by the Schiller Family.
The anticipated hire date for this position is July 2024 or sooner.
This is a salaried, faculty, exempt position that offers Commonwealth of Virginia employee benefits such as 12 paid holidays, health benefits and more. VMFA staff also enjoy museum benefits like free admission to special exhibitions, previews of special exhibitions, employee pricing for select museum programs and classes, and discounts at Amuse Restaurant, Best Café, and VMFA Shop.
About the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts:
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Virginia, is one of the largest comprehensive art museums in the United States. VMFA, which opened in 1936, is a state agency and privately endowed educational institution. Its purpose is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret art, and to encourage the study of the arts. Through the Office of Statewide Partnerships program, the museum offers curated exhibitions, arts-related audiovisual programs, symposia, lectures, conferences, and workshops by visual and performing artists. In addition to presenting a wide array of special exhibitions, the museum provides visitors with the opportunity to experience a global collection of art that spans more than 6,000 years. VMFA’s permanent holdings encompass nearly 50,000 artworks, including the largest public collection of Fabergé outside of Russia, the finest collection of Art Nouveau outside of Paris, and one of the nation’s finest collections of American art. VMFA is also home to important collections of Ancient Art, African Art, British Sporting Art, Chinese art, English silver, French Impressionism, Indigenous American Art, and Modern and Contemporary art, and South Asian art.
In May 2010, VMFA opened its doors to the public after a transformative expansion, the largest in its history. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts recently began plans for a new expansion and renovation project led by the international architecture firm SmithGroup. Tentatively scheduled for completion in May 2028, the project consists of adding a new wing of nearly 170,000 square feet and renovating 45,000 square feet of existing spaces, while maintaining four acres of green space in the Sculpture Garden. Visitors will experience a seamless journey through the collections in the new wing, which will house American and Indigenous American art, African art, 21stcentury art, and a new suite of galleries for rotating special exhibitions and a special events space.
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is the only art museum in the United States open 365 days a year with free general admission.
Minimum Qualifications
Good communication and organizational skills are necessary for this position, as is the ability to work in a highly collaborative, team-based environment.
Candidates should be able to multitask and work well under pressure to meet deadlines and manage multiple projects concurrently.
Candidates should also have strong public speaking skills and the ability to engage with the community, donors, and supporters of the museum.
Additional Considerations
A Ph.D. in Art History, Anthropology, or another related discipline with a focus on Indigenous American art is preferred, but not required.
The candidate should possess deep knowledge and understanding of NAGPRA (National Graves Protection and Repatriation Act).
Museum experience working with collections is preferred, but not required.
Special Instructions
You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.
You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.
The selected candidate must pass a criminal history background check.
Position requires successful employee to file a Statement of Economic Interests form annually.
Interested individuals must submit an online application. This posting will remain open until filled. Interested candidates are strongly encouraged to apply by December 13, 2023.
Please contact the HR office at recruitment@vmfa.museum if you need assistance.
VMFA is an EEO/AA and Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Certified Employer. Diverse and inclusive hiring practices are at the heart of what we do at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Contact Information
Name: Human Resource Services
Phone: Please email.
Email: recruitment@vmfa.museum
In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their Certificate of Disability (COD) provided by a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor within the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS/DBVI to get their Certificate of Disability. If you need to get a Certificate of Disability, use this link: Career Pathways for Individuals with Disabilities, or call DARS at 800-552-5019, or DBVI at 800-622-2155.