The Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art leads one of the Blanton Museum's key curatorial areas and is an important part of the senior management team, reporting to the Deputy Director for Curatorial Affairs. The position will oversee research, exhibitions, collecting strategy, and rotating gallery displays in all areas of international and American modern and contemporary art (excluding Latin American art). Work closely with a small, collaborative team, and especially with the curators of Latin American Art and of Prints and Drawings, areas which have significant overlap. This curator is responsible for maintaining long-standing relationships with key donors and collectors in Texas and beyond, and with developing new relationships, especially as the city of Austin continues to grow and its community of artists, gallerists, philanthropists and collectors expands. As the city of Austin's main art museum, the Blanton must keep building its relevance and appeal to local communities, and helping it to do so is an especially important aspect of this curatorial role. It is crucial the curator be a local ambassador while maintaining and strengthening the Museum's nationally-recognized programs, research and scholarship. Their network will also include important supporters in Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio. Essential to the position is the ability to work with colleagues both internally and externally to develop projects that meaningfully contribute to the overall mission of the museum and align the modern and contemporary art program closely with larger institutional goals.

Responsibilities

Collection. Responsible for developing and implementing a cohesive vision and strategy for the Blanton’s collection of modern and contemporary art (1900-present). Manage rotating permanent collection displays in dedicated galleries. The collection's strength is in art of the United States but is international in scope. Curator will develop a detailed, long-term collection strategy.
Exhibitions. Propose and organize exhibitions for the Museum's rotating spaces as well as larger exhibitions, both collection-based and loan shows, for the main temporary exhibition space. Manage and develop commissions for the Museum's forthcoming outdoor Butler Sound Gallery. Develop related publications, interpretive materials, and public programs as necessary.
Research and scholarship. Show leadership in areas of expertise and keep abreast of current scholarship. Interpret the Blanton's collection accordingly through print and digital publishing, label writing, programming and gallery displays. Facilitate the research of Blanton curatorial fellows and interns, as well as outside scholars and curators, as it relates to the collection.
Education. Collaborate with the Director of Education and Academic Affairs and other museum staff in the creation of program content and participate in program activities as related to the modern and contemporary art collection. Assist in training docents and gallery assistants in specific content areas and museum practices. Engage with University faculty, students, and graduate students and teach from the collection as necessary. Encourage and facilitate use of Blanton resources across campus.
Fundraising and donor cultivation. Working with development staff, maintain important current relationships with longstanding supporters as well as with a wider network of donors and collectors locally, throughout Texas, and nationally; actively cultivate new relationships.
Engage artists and related communities in the field of contemporary art. Maintain and foster relationships with living artists as well as related networks of gallerists, dealers and other curators in the field.
Budgets and administration. Perform administrative duties related to the functions of the position, including the management of budgets for department and exhibitions.
Other duties as assigned.