Curator

Curator

Litchfield Historical Society – Litchfield, CT, US

Salary Range: $50,000-$55,000 + benefits

Position Title: Curator

Status: Full-Time (40 hrs/week)

Supervisor: Executive Director

Purpose:

The Curator of the Litchfield Historical Society (LHS) oversees the organization’s exhibition program, as well as the physical and intellectual management, development, and processing of the organization’s object collection. They ensure public access to collection materials, as well as community history, stories, and memory through the development of engaging exhibitions and the management of the organization’s object database. They will support teammates in activating collections and content through use in programming, research, and other initiatives.

Qualifications:

Education, Experience, and Knowledge:

• Degree in Public History, Museum Studies, History, or related field of study.
• At least 4 years of experience in exhibitions and collections work.
• Alternative combination of degree and experience will be considered so long as proficiency and aptitude in exhibition development and collections management can be demonstrated.
• Knowledge of trends, theory, standards, and best practices related to museum collections.
• Understanding the importance of activating collections for their use in storytelling, interpretation, and mission fulfillment.
• Experience in exhibition development and project management; including proven success in moving exhibits from concept, through research, design, and installation.
• Experience with registration and collections management tasks.

Skills and Abilities:

• High level of initiative, independence, flexibility, and aptitude to work as a team player with colleagues, volunteers, interns, and community members.
• Excellent research and communication skills – written, verbal, and interpersonal.
• Proven success with label writing, and familiarity with exhibit graphic design.
• Ability to work in Collection Management Systems and design programs. Familiarity with CollectionSpace, Photoshop, and InDesign a plus.
• Appreciation of the organization’s mission and desire to play an active role in achieving it.
• Ability to successfully manage time, priorities, and simultaneous projects, both short- and long-term.
• Willingness to attend and assist with occasional evening and weekend events.
• Ability to handle the physical installation of exhibitry and objects, and move throughout multi-level facilities.
• Lifelong learner desiring to stay abreast of museum theory and best practices.

Key Responsibilities:

As a small non-profit, LHS is team-oriented and collaborative. All staff contribute to the overall success of the organization and its daily operations. To that end, all positions are expected to:

• Achieve the organization’s purpose by demonstrating LHS’s mission, impact, values, and goals.
• Help others achieve the organization’s purpose through collaboration and teamwork.
• Carry out job functions through ensuring completion of the following essential job duties.

Job Responsibilities:

• Oversee the organization’s exhibition program. Lead the research, development, design, fabrication, and installation of exhibits that engage and challenge LHS’s audiences.
• Manage the planning and implementation of the organization’s future-looking exhibition schedule in coordination with Executive Director and full-time staff.
• Encourage a collaborative environment for staff, community, and advisors in the creation of exhibits that share authority and meet organizational mission, impact, and priorities.
• Handle all registration and cataloging duties for object materials, including, but not limited to, temporary receipts, accessioning, deaccessioning, incoming and outgoing loans, deeds of gift, and maintaining paperwork and files, physical and digital.
• Identify and evaluate objects for acquisition, retention, deaccession, and conservation.
• Maintain and implement object specific collection plans, policies, and procedures in collaboration with LHS Executive Director, Archivist, and Collections Committee.
• Fulfill image requests for object materials, and support researchers by providing access to object collection when appropriate.
• Provide oversight and management of object storage areas and curatorial supplies.
• Lead environmental monitoring efforts for the organization.
• Work with Executive Director to identify potential grants and implement grant projects. Support grant writing when appropriate.
• Support the LHS Head of Education in program development through the identification of potential materials and resources.
• Provide occasional delivery of public programming, gallery talks, and lectures.
• Support the LHS Manager of Community Connections in the publicity of new donations and delivery of collection-based content.
• Work with LHS Archivist and Collections Committee Chair to coordinate quarterly collections committee meetings.
• Maintain and develop donor relationships.
• Supervise volunteers and interns.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

About the Litchfield Historical Society:

The Litchfield Historical Society (LHS) is an American Alliance of Museums accredited organization dedicated to sharing the history and culture of the Town of Litchfield, Connecticut, through dynamic exhibits, diverse programs and events, representative collections, and publicly accessible resources. LHS comprises the Litchfield History Museum, Helga J. Ingraham Memorial Library, Tapping Reeve House and Litchfield Law School, and Tapping Reeve Meadow.  Our work centers on our Mission to make the past usable, connecting our community and audiences with their history and culture to chart a way forward.

LHS’s diverse collections are both nationally and locally significant and are at the heart of the organization’s work. The object collection contains approximately 20,000 items. It consists of, but is not limited to, fine art, with works by such artists as Ralph Earl, John Vanderlyn, Ammi Phillips, Ezra Ames, George Catlin, and Anson Dickinson; decorative arts; textiles and clothing; personal artifacts; household goods; furnishings; samplers and pictorial needlework, most made by students of the Litchfield Female Academy;  flags; and military collections dating from the Revolutionary War through the Korean War. Mission fulfillment is achieved through exhibitions, educational programming, public events, community collaboration, and publicly accessible collections.

LHS is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin or ancestry, disability status, marital or civil union status, protected veteran status, status as a victim of domestic violence, erased criminal records or any other characteristic protected by law.