Description

The Cahoon Museum of American Art in Cotuit, MA on Cape Cod seeks an imaginative, knowledgeable, and highly organized Curator and Head of Collections Management to shape the museum's exhibition program and lead the care, interpretation, documentation, and accessibility of its permanent collection.

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Curator develops a multiyear program of original, traveling, guest-curated, and collection-based exhibitions exploring American art from the 18th century to the present. Working closely with artists, lenders, scholars, donors, community partners, and museum colleagues, the Curator creates exhibitions that are visually compelling, intellectually engaging, and relevant to local and regional audiences.

This is a hands-on position combining curatorial leadership with collections management, registration, exhibition production, research, interpretation, and public engagement. The successful candidate will be equally comfortable developing an exhibition concept, researching an object, coordinating a loan or installation, writing accessible interpretation, and engaging visitors and supporters.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities

Curatorial and Exhibition Development

• Develop and implement a multiyear schedule of original, traveling, guest-curated, and collection-based exhibitions, permanent collection rotations, commissions, and site-specific installations.
• Research artists, objects, exhibitions, and areas of the museum's collection and develop exhibition concepts, checklists, interpretive plans, schedules, and installation plans.
• Identify and secure loans from museums, galleries, artists, collectors, and other lenders and manage relationships with guest curators and organizing institutions.
• Develop engaging and accessible interpretive materials, including labels, gallery texts, publications, digital content, and related communications.
• Collaborate with museum colleagues on exhibition-related programs, audience engagement, education, communications, and marketing.
• Build productive relationships with artists, scholars, collectors, lenders, museums, galleries, and other partners.

Collections, Registration, and Exhibition Management

• Oversee the care, documentation, storage, movement, and accessibility of the permanent collection in accordance with accepted professional standards.
• Maintain accurate collection and exhibition records, including object files, provenance, loan agreements, condition reports, insurance documentation, rights and reproduction information, and digital images.
• Manage the collections management database and support online access to collection information.
• Coordinate exhibition preparation, installation, deinstallation, packing, transportation, fabrication, and specialized vendors.
• Oversee collection storage and gallery environments and establish priorities for conservation, framing, preventive care, digitization, and related projects.
• Support the evaluation and documentation of proposed acquisitions and deaccessions in accordance with museum policies and professional standards.

Interpretation and Public Engagement

• Present talks, tours, lectures, gallery conversations, and other programs for visitors, members, donors, volunteers, students, educators, and community groups.
• Serve as a knowledgeable and engaging spokesperson for the museum's exhibitions and collection.
• Develop interpretive approaches that make art accessible and meaningful to audiences with varied backgrounds, experiences, and levels of familiarity with art.
• Contribute curatorial expertise to publications, grants, donor communications, press materials, newsletters, social media, and the museum's website.
• Support the training of staff, interns, volunteers, and guides on exhibition content and interpretation.

Planning and Institutional Advancement

• Develop and manage exhibition, collections, conservation, installation, shipping, and project budgets.
• Work with the Executive Director and museum colleagues to align exhibitions and collections initiatives with institutional priorities, audience goals, and available resources.
• Contribute curatorial and collections expertise to grant applications, sponsorship proposals, donor reports, and fundraising initiatives.
• Participate in the cultivation and stewardship of exhibition sponsors, art donors, lenders, collectors, and other museum supporters.
• Represent the Cahoon at professional gatherings, community events, and meetings with partner organizations and remain current with scholarship, ethical standards, and emerging museum practices.

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree in art history or a related field, or equivalent advanced study and curatorial experience.
• At least four years of progressively responsible museum experience in exhibition development and collections care.
• Demonstrated knowledge of American art and experience developing exhibitions from concept and research through loans, installation, and interpretation.
• Working knowledge of museum registration, collections documentation, art handling, preventive conservation, and professional collections standards.
• Excellent research, writing, public speaking, project management, and organizational skills, with the ability to make scholarly information accessible to varied audiences.
• Strong collaborative skills and experience working with colleagues, artists, lenders, vendors, donors, volunteers, and community partners.
• Commitment to creating welcoming museum experiences and proficiency with Microsoft Office and related workplace technology.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with PastPerfect or another collections management system.
• Experience with areas represented in the Cahoon's collection, particularly American art, folk art, decorative arts, or contemporary art, and knowledge of Cape Cod or New England art.
• Experience with traveling exhibitions, major loans, digitization, rights and reproductions, or online collections access.
• Experience in a small or mid-sized museum, including grant writing, fundraising, or donor engagement.