Position Summary

The Curatorial Fellow for European Art will work closely with the Curator of European Paintings, Sculpture and Drawings on all aspects of the department’s purview and primarily to advance two concurrent projects: an touring exhibition drawn from the museum’s collection of 19 th and early-20 th -century European paintings and sculpture, and a reinstallation of the museum’s galleries of 19 th and early-20 th -century European art. Combined, the two projects entail an ambitious revaluation, reinterpretation and restaging of the museum’s holdings in these areas, which consist of several thousand works of art collected over almost a century and a half.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities (to assist the planning and execution of a large loan exhibition from the museum’s collections and the related reinstallation of a suite of galleries) will include:

Conducting primary-source research (including provenance and biography), scholarly synthesis, basic cataloguing and discursive writing for European paintings, sculptures and drawings, circa 1800-1950.
Collaborating with conservators to understand artwork facture and condition and to present technical analysis.
Collaborating with educators on visitor-facing interpretation and programming.
Consulting with curators and designers on checklists, installation groupings, narratives and gallery design.
Writing and work-flow management for an exhibition catalogue.
Collaborating with museum staff on collections-management projects within the position scope, including planning and coordinating related meetings and activities.
Responding to public, scholarly, and intramural collection inquiries within the position scope.
Updating cataloguing information in the collections database; preparing research for publication.
Participating in fundraising and community education events pertaining to the projects.

Responsibilities

Secondary responsibilities (to help ensure the smooth functioning of the department during the extended period of preparation and execution of the collection loan exhibition and gallery reinstallation process) may include:

Working with the museum’s Conservation, Registration, Design & Installation, Learning & Interpretation, Marketing, Photographic Services, Information Technology and others to ensure the proper care and presentation of the collections.
Conducting research on objects in the collection and on related topics in consultation with the curator; amending and completing cataloguing information in the collections database.
Assisting the curator in the development, planning, and installation of temporary exhibitions and rotations within the permanent collections and or/with travelling exhibitions.
Supporting the curator in the acquisition of objects for the permanent collections, by purchase and gift, including research and cataloging, liaising with conservators and external stakeholders.
Supporting curator, conservators and registrars in the review and coordination of loans from the museum collection.
Assisting curator with organizing talks, lectures, scholarly symposia, study days and related programs as needed.
Facilitating and participating in scholar/collector/artist visits to work with collections, capturing new information as appropriate.
Educating docents and volunteers about the department’s collections and exhibitions.
Researching and responding to public, scholarly, and intramural collection inquiries.
Attending internal standing and ad-hoc meetings; attending special events related to curatorial division activities.
Other special projects or departmental duties, as required.

Minimum Requirements

MA in Art History or a closely related field. ABD in a PhD program preferred.
Reading knowledge of French. Knowledge of additional European languages and/or Japanese preferred.
Demonstrated scholarly excellence, intellectual curiosity, and interest in object-based research and/or a museum-sector career.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
Strong organizational skills; capacity to address simultaneous time-sensitive projects in a professional setting; ability to work both independently and in groups to achieve team goals.
A commitment to equity and inclusion in professional and scholarly practice.

Cincinnati Art Museum

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Curatorial Fellow for European Art