Assistant Curator of Humanities

Title: Assistant Curator of Humanities—Creating Together
Division: Strategic Engagement
Classification: Two-year position, salaried, full-time exempt
Directly supported by: Assistant Director of Strategic Engagement
Directly supports: N/A
Salary Range: $50,000 per year

About us

The High Desert Museum opened in Bend, Oregon in 1982. As an interdisciplinary museum, it shares the stories of the High Desert region through cultures, art, history and the natural world to convey the wonder of the High Desert region, which spans across 11 states of the Intermountain West. The Museum features 100,000 square feet of indoor space, which includes two permanent exhibitions and three changing galleries, and outdoor exhibits beyond the main building that include the Autzen Otter Exhibit, the Donald M. Kerr Birds of Prey Center and the 1904 High Desert Ranch. The Museum also offers a range of programs, from summer Kids Camps to wildlife photography workshops. In FY2023-24, which ended on June 30, 2024, the Museum welcomed nearly 225,000 visitors, more than double the size of Bend.

The Museum is a private, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. It has become the largest cultural institution in Oregon east of the Cascades over the last four decades and today is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, is a Smithsonian Affiliate, was the 2019 recipient of the Western Museums Association’s Charles Redd Award for Exhibition Excellence and was a 2021 recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service.

About this job and what you’ll do

Creating Together is bringing together Native knowledge holders and other experts to renovate the permanent exhibition on the Indigenous Plateau at the High Desert Museum, resulting in an innovative approach to exhibition content and design. This two-year position will have the unique opportunity to support the final stages of this renovation, including conducting research, helping to coordinate production schedules, and assisting with the exhibition installation. In addition, the position will be responsible for launching a robust schedule of programming and educational resources following the opening of the new exhibition. From public programs to interpretive and educational resources, this position will foster excitement and meaningful engagement among broad audiences through new approaches to sharing Indigenous knowledge and worldviews in a museum setting.

In addition to our strong health and welfare benefits, the museum also provides full-time employees with 10.5 paid holidays and four personal days per calendar year (this will be prorated based on hire date). You will also accrue two weeks of paid vacation per year for the first year of employment.

About who you are

You have completed your MA or PhD in a humanities discipline, such as History, American Studies, Native American Studies, Literature, or Museum Studies (degree must have been completed in the past 5 years). You are above all passionate about the Museum’s mission, have knowledge of Indigenous cultures and have proven experience conducting research. You’re comfortable in collaborative settings, like to try new things and will regularly bring ideas to the table.

Want to learn more?

Importantly, we recognize and honor that the qualifications required to excel in this position can come from a range of both professional and lived experiences. In the job description we describe what we believe to be important qualifications for a candidate to have while remaining open to the diversity of experiences that can lead to these skill sets. Position descriptions are at times presented in a way that leaves qualified candidates feeling unwelcome, intimidated, uncomfortable and/or unqualified to apply. Recognizing that, we strongly encourage anyone who feels passionate about this work and believes they have what it takes to thrive in this role to apply.

Want to apply?

Please email PDFs of your resume & cover letter to: jobs@highdesertmuseum.org

The Museum provides an equal employment opportunity to all persons without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/transgender status, age, disability, veteran or marital status, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Mission

The High Desert Museum wildly excites and responsibly teaches through innovative, interdisciplinary experiences, creating connection to and dialogue about the High Desert.

jobs@highdesertmuseum.org

highdesertmuseum.org/job-opportunities