Head of Curatorial Affairs and Curator of Indian Arts and Culture

THIS POSTING WILL BE USED FOR ONGOING RECRUITMENT AND MAY CLOSE AT ANY TIME. APPLICANT LISTS MAY BE SCREENED MORE THAN ONCE.

Please visit us at www.IndianArtsandCulture.org

Created in 1978 by the New Mexico Legislature, the Department of Cultural Affairs represents New Mexico's dedication to preserving and celebrating the cultural integrity and diversity of our state. The Department oversees a broad range of New Mexico's arts and cultural heritage agencies. These include 15 divisions representing a variety of programs and services.

The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (MIAC) is a center of stewardship, knowledge, and understanding of the artistic, cultural, and intellectual achievements of the diverse Indigenous peoples of the Greater Southwest. MIAC's mission is achieved by inspiring the public to learn more about the vibrant cultures of the Southwest, caring for and interpreting the collection, and collaboration with the Indigenous people of the Southwest. The Museum collection includes nearly 75,000 catalogued objects and the Archaeological Research Collections contains an estimated 8 million artifacts and samples cataloged by container. With the diversity of the collection in mind, this position is open to multiple disciplines of expertise within the field of Southwest Studies.

The Head of Curatorial Affairs is a supervisory position and provides leadership in the strategic operation of the museum, including the Laboratory of Anthropology and the Archaeological Research Collections. The Curator directs the development and intellectual access to the collection through acquisition, evaluation, exhibition, presentation, publication, and research of the collections. The Curator will work closely with the Museum's Indian Advisory Panel to set priorities, review policy, and maintain productive relationships with Native Nations of the Southwest. Working collaboratively, the Curator supports and helps create educational programs to engage the public in learning about the diverse people of the Greater Southwest. This position requires participation in fundraising for and promotion of exhibitions and programs, which may include the writing and reviewing of grant proposals and publicity materials, and donor and constituent relations. The Curator reports to the Executive Director.

The Head of Curatorial Affairs is responsible for all aspects of the exhibition program and oversees the planning of the program, including budgets, contracts, and schedules at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture and Center for New Mexico Archaeology, and other venues as appropriately in line with Museum mission. The position is responsible for intellectual access to exhibitions, collections, and displays and creates and oversees the implementation of an interpretative plan for exhibits; the development of collections; and leads the curatorial team in the development and revision of the Museum's collections plan. The Head of Curatorial Affairs manages the Curatorial staff, interns, volunteers, department projects; and contributes to management of the Museum by representing the curatorial team at supervisory team meetings with the Executive Director, contributing to the development of overall policy, strategy and financial planning, and working effectively and collegially with other supervisors on the team.

Museum visitors include local, national, and international learners of all ages.

Preference for Master's or Doctoral Degree in Art History, Anthropology, American Studies, Archaeology, Culture Studies, History, Humanities, or Interdisciplinary Studies, with an emphasis on Indigenous people in the Southwest. Curator should have five (5) years of experience in exhibit development, scholarly writing, and/or conducting research in the area of Southwest Indigenous arts and culture, of which one (1) year must be supervisory with budget and schedule oversight. The ideal candidate has demonstrated experience working closely with Native communities, including community curating, collaborative writing, collaborative research, and creating policy and procedures for collaboration or co-management of research data or collections. The Head of Curatorial Affairs requires excellent communication and organizational skills, and a passion to share the benefits of art/culture and museums with a wider public.

Bachelor's degree in Museum Studies, Museology, Art, Art History, Art Administration, Anthropology, American Studies, Archaeology, Curatorial Studies, History, Humanities, Interdisciplinary Studies, Liberal Arts, Public History, or Paleontology and four (4) years of experience in exhibit development, collections management, curation, creative writing, conducting research in specialty area of a museum, and working with historical concepts. Substitutions Apply. See Substitution Table below.

Employment is subject to a pre-employment background investigation and is conditional pending results. Must possess and maintain a current Defensive Driving Course Certificate from the State of New Mexico or must pass and receive Defensive Driving Course Certification as a condition of continued employment. Must possess and maintain a valid New Mexico Driver's License.

Work is performed in an office setting with exposure to Visual/Video Display Terminal (VDT) and dust. There is extensive computer and phone use, and regular interaction with the public. Requires extended periods of standing, walking, and lifting. Limited travel expected. Must be able to lift up to 40 lbs.

This position is not covered by a collective bargaining agreement.