Chief Curator

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The Chief Curator performs specialized, professional work involving the vision, care,

selection, presentation, and interpretation of works of art; supervises installation;

performs research; meets with collection owners, artists, boards, and the public

concerning art acquisition, care, and the stories it will provide for our guests.

About the Museum

Opened in January 2015, the Museum is housed in an architecturally distinctive and

LEED Gold certified building built in the heart of Old Scottdale’s arts district. The

building, exhibits and programs are presented with a mission to boldly immerse

Museum visitors in the unique story of the American West. Its vision is to celebrate the

West by offering world-class exhibitions, educational programs, and community

outreach. It seeks to address regional history, particularly as reflected by the art and the

dynamic cultural exchanges that have marked the transition of the Old West into the

New West. TripAdvisor, Facebook, and Yahoo rank it as a 4.5 visitor experience and

True West Magazine has recently named Western Spirit the #1 Western Museum in the

United States. The potential is great for the Museum with Scottsdale visited by more

than 11 million people annually.

The Museum’s exhibits include first-rate works of art including sculpture, paintings,

photographs, and other western artifacts in the Museum’s seven major galleries within

its 43,000-square foot, award-winning designed building. Plans are underway for an

additional 11,000 square feet of gallery space and the groundbreaking took place on

January 10, 2024, with completion scheduled in the fall of 2025. The Museum expects

to add several major collections of western art and artifacts during 2024 including the

highly acclaimed Eddie Basha Western Art Collection. The City of Scottsdale owns the

museum’s building, and the Museum is operated under a long-term management

agreement with the City.

The Museum is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization and a Smithsonian Affiliate

museum.

The Museum’s web site can be found at https://scottsdalemuseumwest.org/

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Create the vision for the thematic layout of the Museum’s artwork without

showing preference to any political viewpoint or philosophy.

• Implement western art exhibitions, including loan exhibitions. Plan, research,

propose and meet budget, schedule, design and produce catalogues for these

exhibitions. Provide appropriate exhibition information for funding and publicity.

Prepare budget recommendations and cost estimates for specialized programs;

review and approve expenditures.Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West – Chief Curator Page 2

• Provide research and information on Western art for the museum files, publicity,

publications, and educational programs. Advise staff and Collections Committee

on the quality, importance and relative value of gifts and proposed purchases of

art.

• Participate in the Museum’s educational programs through lectures to the

Docents, other organizations, and schools. Provide special groups with Museum

tours and serve as a guide to Museum members on art-related trips. Promote the

Museum’s educational and cultural goals at professional association meetings

and other outside activities.

• Assist the Registrar in shipment and conservation. Attend regular curatorial

meetings to help coordinate exhibition schedules, budgeting, and staff allocation

necessary to complete activities.

• Train, supervise, and coordinates activities of fellow teammates and volunteers.

• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge of:

• Art museums and their role in the educational and cultural life of the community.

• Organization and practices of a modern art museum, including budgeting,

purchasing, administration, supervision, and performance evaluation.

• Art history; thorough knowledge of Western Art (including indigenous art).

• The functioning of the art market.

Skills in:

• Effective oral and written presentation.

• Techniques in presentation, selection, evaluation, preservation, and conservation

of works of art.

• Soliciting donations of art and funds.

• Use of computers and computer applications and software.

• Grant writing.

Ability to:

• Initiate, plan, coordinate, supervise, and evaluate various activities of an art

museum.

• Prepare clear, concise, and comprehensive reports and correspondence.

• Prepare budget recommendations.

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with other Museums, Co-

Trustees, community groups, artists, and employees.

• Supervise, train, and evaluate subordinates.Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West – Chief Curator Page 3

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

Any combination of education and experience that would provide the required

knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities

would be:

Experience:

Minimum of six years of professional curatorial experience in a museum or art gallery,

with at least three of the six years serving in a supervisory capacity.

Education:

Candidates should have a Ph.D. or be working on a Ph.D. in a related subject or

relevant equivalent experience and publications. A minimum of six years of curatorial

experience, a distinguished body of publications and exhibitions or/and gallery

development, experience working with donors, collectors, Board members, volunteers

and members of the public, and strong administrative skills are all requirements.

WORK SCHEDULE

The work schedule generally is Monday through Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm. The

Museum’s open schedule is all 7 days from October through April and a flexible work

schedule or additional work hours may be necessary to meet the requirements of this

job position, which could encompass evening hours and weekend work because of the

pivotal events the Museum is offering. The responsibilities and required interactions of

this position are not conducive to virtual work arrangements.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a

Chief Curator encounters while performing the essential functions of the role:

Climate controlled art museum with display galleries, standard offices, museum shop,

and other non-public spaces. Work is performed primarily indoors and occasionally

outdoors at the Museum, however there will be occasions where work is performed

outside the Museum in public spaces such as restaurants, event venues, private

homes, offices, and meeting rooms.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to receive

oral and written instructions in English and to clearly communicate in English in person,

over the telephone, through email and through other electronic means. The employee is

required to move about their work area, between galleries and storage areas, ascend

and descend stairs; and stand and/or sit for extended periods of time. The employee is

occasionally required to lift, drag and/or move up to 15 pounds unassisted. The

employee is required to identify, observe, and assess visually and comply with Museum

health and safety-related protocols.Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West – Chief Curator Page 4

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with different

abilities to perform the essential functions to the extent that Western Spirit may do so

without undue hardship. The term “qualified individual with different abilities ” means an

individual who with or without reasonable accommodation can perform the essential

functions of the position.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

Reports to Museum’s CEO/Executive Director

SALARY

The salary range for this position is $95,000 - $125,000 based on experience.

BENEFITS

The Museum provides a comprehensive program of benefits that includes:

• Paid time-off and holidays

• Medical, dental & vision insurance

• Short Term/Long Term Disability insurances

• Retirement Plan

INTERESTED APPLICANTS:

We are committed to an inclusive workplace and actively seek to employ a diverse

group of people who embody our organizational values. We welcome and encourage

individuals of all backgrounds to apply and are proud to be an equal opportunity

employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without

regard to age, ancestry, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender identity and/or

expression, genetic information, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex

(including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other protected status.

TO APPLY:

Please send a resume and cover letter addressed to Shannon Barrett, Director of

Human Resources at sbarrett@westernspirit.org. Submissions will be reviewed and

considered as received.