CODART, Dutch and Flemish art in museums worldwide

North Carolina Museum of Art Seeks Curator of European Art

The North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) seeks a curator of European art before 1900 with preferred expertise in either northern European painting or eighteenth- and nineteenth-century European art. The successful candidate will help to oversee an internationally respected collection of more than 400 works of European art before 1900. A demonstrated interest in working beyond one discipline is essential, and administrative experience and capabilities are required. The position offers opportunities for publishing, curating, and producing exhibitions.

The associate curator/curator researches, interprets, and presents the collection, assists with collection development and acquisitions, organizes and/or coordinates special exhibitions and participates in department-wide exhibition development, produces and publishes scholarship on the collection, cultivates donors and fundraising opportunities, performs reference services, creates or revises collection records, and participates in a wide variety of educational programs, including public lectures, gallery talks and tours, and docent training. The position reports to the Chief Curator.

The NCMA is one of the premier cultural institutions in the Southeast and has an internationally renowned art collection, primarily focused on European and American painting and sculpture, with significant and growing collections of modern and contemporary art, and African art, as well as smaller collections of ancient Egyptian, classical Mediterranean, ancient American, and Judaic art.

The collection of European art at the NCMA comprises paintings and sculpture representing both northern and southern Europe and dating from the 13th through the 19th century. Thanks in large part to a donation of a significant Samuel H. Kress Collection in 1960, the NCMA’s holdings in Italian painting, especially from the fourteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries, are particularly strong. A systematic catalogue of the entire Italian collection is well underway. The substantial collection of Dutch and Flemish seventeenth century paintings has been recently published in a systematic catalogue (Dennis Weller, 2009). The French holdings begin with early medieval sculpture and conclude with paintings by Claude Lorraine, Boucher, Vigée-Lebrun, Peyron, Millet, Carpeaux, Monet, and a group of thirty bronzes by Rodin. The collections of Spanish and British paintings include outstanding works by Murillo, Meléndez, van Dyck, Wilson, and Beechey.

Qualifications

  • Ph.D. in European art history, with an emphasis on northern European painting and/or eighteenth- and nineteenth-century European art.
  • A minimum of three years of progressively responsible experience in museum work and/or the academic field of art history; curatorial experience in European art preferred.
  • A broad-based knowledge of European art is essential.
  • Proven ability to conceptualize, research, direct, and organize multifaceted and complex exhibitions and publications.
  • Ability to communicate and deal with a broad range of people in promoting the department’s collection, including scholars, students, collectors, patrons, board members, and the public.
  • A record of independent scholarly research and publications of the highest standards; excellent writing skills.
  • Ability to work collaboratively with museum staff and curatorial colleagues.
  • Working knowledge of the legal and ethical aspects of collecting and exhibiting 17th-19th century European art, including conducting provenance research.
  • Familiarity with conservation techniques and practices.
  • Familiarity with art market for 17th-19th century European art.
  • Knowledge of and established relationships with, institutions and individuals with related collections or programs.
  • Must be fluent in at least one modern foreign language and be proficient in the languages required for active scholarship in his/her chosen area of specialization.
  •  Knowledge of sources of funding for research and exhibitions, with demonstrated ability to pursue such funding.
  • Ability to work some weekends and evenings as needed, and to travel on behalf of the Museum as necessary.

Compensation: Salary commensurate with experience.

The position has a flexible start date, preferably May/June 2019. Select candidates will be asked to supply writing samples and references. All inquiries regarding the position should be addressed to Linda Dougherty, Chief Curator, NCMA, at:  linda.dougherty@ncdcr.gov. Please note that due to the high volume of applicants, we are only able to contact those candidates whose skills and background best fit our needs.

To apply

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume by 5:00 pm on the closing date of February 22, 2019 to Jenny Crow, Business & Personnel Officer, NCMA, at: jennifer.crow@ncdcr.gov