What are the responsibilities and job description for the Museum Curator (Art) (IS-105-09) position at Smithsonian Institution?

Museum Curator (Art) (IS-105-09)

Application Deadline : 15 March 2025

Department : National Museum of the American Indian

Employment Type : Part Time

Location : Washington, DC

Reporting To : Assistant Director, History and Culture

Compensation : $69,923 - $90,898 / year

Description

OPEN DATE : February 21, 2025

CLOSING DATE : March 15, 2025 (This job will close once 100 applications are received which may be sooner than the closing date.)

POSITION TYPE : Trust Fund

APPOINTMENT TYPE : Temporary Not to Exceed One (1) Year

SCHEDULE : Part Time

DUTY LOCATION : Washington, DC

Position sensitivity and risk : Non-sensitive (NS) / Low Risk

Open to all Qualified Applicants

What are Trust Fund Positions?

Trust Fund positions are unique to the Smithsonian. They are paid for from a variety of sources, including the Smithsonian endowment, revenue from our business activities, donations, grants and contracts. Trust employees are not part of the civil service, nor does trust fund employment lead to Federal status. The salary ranges for trust positions are generally the same as for federal positions and in many cases trust and federal employees work side by side. Trust employees have their own benefit program, which may include Health, Dental & Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Transit / Commuter Benefits, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Annual and Sick Leave, Family Friendly Leave, 403b Retirement Plan, Discounts for Smithsonian Memberships, Museum Stores and Restaurants, Credit Union, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (Child Care), Flexible Spending Account (Health & Dependent Care).

Conditions of Employment

Pass Pre-employment Background Check and Subsequent Background Investigation for position designated.
Complete a Probationary Period.
Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit / Electronic Transfer.
The position is open to all candidates eligible to work in the United States. Proof of eligibility to work in U.S. is not required to apply.
Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

OVERVIEW

The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) seeks experienced and highly motivated candidates to fill the position of Museum Curator (Art) for an initial term of one year. The initial term may or may not be extended. The purpose of the position is to carry out assigned and approved projects in the four areas of curation : research, exhibits, development & management of collections, and public service, and to initiate and propose related projects for review by the curators and senior staff. The incumbent of this position will perform duties and create work products in support of NMAI's Museum Research and Scholarship department.

The NMAI is responsible for affirming to Native communities and the non-Native public, the historical and contemporary culture and cultural achievements of the Indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere by advancing, in consultation, collaboration and cooperation with them, a knowledge and understanding of their cultures, including art, history, and language, and by recognizing the Museum's special responsibility, through innovative public programming, research, and collections, to protect, support, and enhance the development, maintenance, and perpetuation of Indigenous culture and community.

This position is located at the National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall in Washington, DC.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Conducts research on the permanent collection to help establish a complete database on each work. In the course of work, develops an in-depth understanding of the objects and their place in Native American art in a wide context.

Uses knowledge of collections and museum exhibitions to locate and organize information for incorporation into popular publications, articles and NMAI brochures.

Works with curators and senior staff to develop exhibition topics. Participates in the preparation and staging of exhibitions and exhibition catalogs. Incumbent independently directs all aspects of the project under supervision of the Associate Director for Museum Research and Scholarship.

May serve as NMAI liaison to guest curators, lenders, other offices and Bureaus and outside institutions for the purpose of coordinating the preparation, staging and touring of exhibitions.

Reviews work in regard to loan requests. Examines collections for conditions requiring conservation and performs cataloging of collections.

Presents gallery talks and lectures related to the museum collections. Responds to routine inquiries from the public.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Incumbent must be knowledgeable in the field of Native American art history and its source sand will further specialize in one or more areas of expertise within that field. Should be familiar with the principles and methods of art historical research and the organization and preparation of exhibitions and publications. Such knowledge is typically acquired through completion of at least a MA program or through equivalent experience.

Must be familiar with the NMAI collections, museum activities and procedures. Should be familiar with the basics of museum practice and understand the interrelationships between museum offices and responsibilities.

Incumbent must show evidence of the ability to write clearly. Grammar, spelling, punctuation and sentence structure should require little or no editing.

Incumbent should grasp conceptual ideas well.

Incumbent must have a solid grounding within the broad field of NMAI art but will specialize in one or more areas within that field. This document describes only the overall requirement for knowledge of Native American art; individual specializations will be noted in each employee's performance plan.

Any false statement in your application may result in rejection of your application and may also result in termination after employment begins.

Join us in "Inspiring Generations through Knowledge and Discovery."

Resumes should include a description of your paid and non-paid work experience that is related to this job; starting and ending dates of job (month and year); and average number of hours worked per week.

What To Expect Next : Once the vacancy announcement closes, a review of your resume will be compared against the qualification and experience requirements related to this job. After review of applicant resumes is complete, qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager.

Relocation expenses are not paid.

The Smithsonian Institution provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation should contact NMAI-HR-STAFF@SI.EDU . Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. To learn more, please review the Smithsonian's Accommodation Procedures.

The Smithsonian Institution is an Equal Opportunity Employer . We believe that a workforce comprising a variety of educational, cultural, and experiential backgrounds support and enhance our daily work life and contribute to the richness of our exhibitions and programs. See Smithsonian EEO program information : https : / / www.si.edu / oeesd.

Salary : $69,923 - $90,898

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