Reporting to the Chief Curator and supported by the Curatorial Department, the Curator, will hold the first endowed position in the museum’s history. The Curator will oversee the museum’s growing collection of African American and African diasporic works in all media, generate groundbreaking presentations of African Diasporic art in the form of temporary exhibitions and permanent collection displays, and help establish the curatorial approach to the museum’s $180-million capital project to build a new museum building in Downtown Memphis. The Curator will bring creativity and vision to present operations at the museum’s Overton Park location and to the development of the new building. As the largest majority-Black city in the United States, with African American history and culture that has impacted the nation, Memphis is a unique context for this curatorial position. The museum’s new location, which is in proximity to the National Civil Rights Museum, Beale Street, and historic sites that were pivotal to the Civil Rights Movement such as Clayborn Temple, will underscore connections to these storied locations.
Key to this position is working with the Curatorial team including the Chief Curator, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Assistant Curator of Photography, Art Bridges Fellow, and interns, to develop a dynamic program of exhibitions and publications that deepens and creates community embeddedness and raises the profile of the museum on a local, national, and international level. Emphasis is placed on cultivating close relationships with artists, local non-profits, and with grassroots organizations, supporting the development of their work as it aligns with the museum’s mission. In close collaboration with the Curatorial team, the Curator will make recommendations for accessions and deaccessions, recommendations for conservation, and help develop a strategic plan for collection development. The Curator will contribute expertise to the MBMA’s collection and program, working closely with the Collections & Exhibitions, Education, Earned Income, and Development Departments. Working collaboratively with the Development and Earned Income Departments, the Curator will cultivate and strengthen relationships with donor groups–in particular the museum’s Black Arts Collective, a group of donors focused on supporting the museum’s programming around work by Black artists, individuals, and community partners. The curator will be an exemplary collaborator, possess knowledge in one or more areas related to African American Art or Art of the African Diaspora, and have a sincere interest in creating a more equitable museum.
The curator joins the museum’s Curatorial staff at a pivotal moment for the museum. The Pritzker Prize-winning firm Herzog & de Meuron (Basel/New York), is designing, with Memphis-based architect of record archimania, a $180-million new facility overlooking the Mississippi River in the heart of Downtown Memphis. The new museum building will be at the center of a newly animated and accessible Memphis riverfront, with plans to connect six miles of the riverfront with parks, walking paths, and civic and recreational structures, as conceived by the Chicago-based firm Studio Gang, as well as numerous other developments. The Curator will spearhead the curatorial vision for the museum’s African diasporic holdings in the new Downtown location and will work collaboratively with the museum’s curatorial team on the curatorial concept for the new building as a whole. The Curator will drive the museum’s programming representing African Diasporic art, with the ambitious goal of building up the new museum as a center of national importance for the study of African American and African Diasporic Art, through exhibitions, acquisitions, and programming.
Founded in 1916 and located in historic Overton Park, the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is the oldest and largest art museum in Tennessee and a cultural anchor for the tri-State area that includes Arkansas and Mississippi. The museum holds over 10,000 works spanning 5,000 years of global human history with strengths in European, American, African diaspora, and global contemporary art, and with a particular strength in photography. The Brooks Museum enriches the lives of our diverse community through the museum's expanding collection, varied exhibitions, and dynamic programs that reflect the art of world cultures from antiquity to the present.
Responsibilities:
- Responsibility for the care, display, and interpretation of the museum’s permanent collection of African American and Black diasporic art
- Generate and facilitate exhibitions, permanent collection displays, and commissions of African American and Black diasporic art, as well as relevant accompanying catalogues
- Contribute to the curatorial vision and planning for the museum’s new facility Downtown across all galleries, project spaces, and commission spaces
- Participate in activities pertaining to Curatorial committees, advisory groups, and donor groups
- Lead and participate in public programs and other events as needed
- Mentor junior staff
- Train and mentor interns, volunteers, and docents
- Build and maintain relationships with curators, artists, dealers, directors, critics, writers, collectors, donors, and community stakeholders
- Ensure that diversity, equity, access, and inclusion are primary considerations across all work
- Other duties as assigned
Requirements:
- MA or above in Art History or related field
- 3+ years museum experience or experience in other arts non-profit preferred
- Demonstrable knowledge of art history pertaining to African American Art or Art of the African Diaspora
- Strong research skills
- Strong planning, scheduling, and administrative skills, with the ability to prioritize and meet multiple deadlines
- Focused, with keen attention to detail
- Excellent written and spoken communication, with the ability to adapt to multiple types of audience
- The ability to work independently and collaboratively across departments
- Interest in developing authentic community relationships
- Openness to engage with a variety of stakeholders including but not limited to staff, visitors, trustees, artists, community partners, donors, funders, and academic institutions
- Demonstrable interest in creating a more equitable museum and/or interest in social justice and/or knowledge of critical theories including but not limited to race, class, ability, gender, and sexuality
- Ability and willingness to attend out-of-hours functions as necessary
Salary: $60,000 (assistant), $70,000 (associate), $80,000 (full) for 40 hours/week + benefits. Level according to experience.
Benefits: (i) A cafeteria plan that includes optional health, dental, vision, additional life insurance and supplemental policies, and a flexible spending account. The museum contributes toward the employee portion of premiums related to your choice of health insurance options. (ii) A 401(k) retirement plan. The museum matches up to 4% of your salary annually. (iii) Employment category, combined with years of service to the museum, determines the amount of time off (OPTO) that each employee receives in addition to regular paid holidays.
Not sure you meet 100% of our qualifications? Recent studies show that men apply for jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, yet women and other people who are systematically marginalized tend to only apply if they meet every requirement. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds.
The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or marital or veteran status. We actively encourage minority candidates to apply for open positions.
Qualified candidates are invited to apply by emailing a cover letter and a CV to rosamund.garrett@brooksmuseum.org with “Blackmon Perry Curator” as the subject line.