Career and Education

Schiller Family Curator of Indigenous American Art

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) seeks a dynamic and energetic
individual to become the inaugural Schiller Family Curator of Indigenous
American Art. VMFA has a longstanding commitment to Virginia’s Indigenous
American communities, and recently unveiled signage in the building and on our
website acknowledging the presence of indigenous peoples on the land where
the museum stands. The Schiller Family Curator of Indigenous American Art will
help shape the museum’s commitment to Indigenous American art and will be
responsible for acquisitions, community research, exhibitions, gallery displays,
publications, public programs, and research related to VMFA’s growing collection
of nearly 1,000 works of art. Reporting to the Chief Curator and Deputy Director
for Art and Education, this position will also play a key role in the reinstallation of
Indigenous American art in the new wing as part of the museum’s upcoming
expansion and renovation project.

Specific responsibilities include: organize exhibitions with scholarly catalogues;
build the Indigenous American Art collection through gifts and purchases;
organize regular rotating art installations; contribute scholarship to the field in the
form of publications and presentations at conferences; work across departments
to achieve museum’s strategic plan; develop and regularly update the
Indigenous American Art collection plan; engage with local and regional tribes
for acquisitions, community outreach, and educational programming; update
records in TMS; handle all loans from the collection; work with public, volunteers,
and staff in program and educational training; work with American art curators
on collaborative installations, exhibitions, and programs; and facilitate
advancement initiatives, patron development, and grant-writing.
This position comes with a salary of competitive salary plus benefits and is
supported by a restricted position gift, funded by the Schiller Family.
The anticipated hire date for this position is July 2024 or sooner.

This is a salaried, faculty, exempt position that offers Commonwealth of Virginia
employee benefits such as 12 paid holidays, health benefits and more. VMFA staff
also enjoy museum benefits like free admission to special exhibitions, previews of
special exhibitions, employee pricing for select museum programs and classes,
and discounts at Amuse Restaurant, Best Café, and VMFA Shop.

About the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts:

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Virginia, is one of the largest
comprehensive art museums in the United States. VMFA, which opened in 1936, is
a state agency and privately endowed educational institution. Its purpose is to
collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret art, and to encourage the study of the
arts. Through the Office of Statewide Partnerships program, the museum offers
curated exhibitions, arts-related audiovisual programs, symposia, lectures,
conferences, and workshops by visual and performing artists. In addition to
presenting a wide array of special exhibitions, the museum provides visitors with
the opportunity to experience a global collection of art that spans more than
6,000 years. VMFA’s permanent holdings encompass nearly 50,000 artworks,
including the largest public collection of Fabergé outside of Russia, the finest
collection of Art Nouveau outside of Paris, and one of the nation’s finest
collections of American art. VMFA is also home to important collections of
Ancient Art, African Art, British Sporting Art, Chinese art, English silver, French
Impressionism, Indigenous American Art, and Modern and Contemporary art, and
South Asian art.

In May 2010, VMFA opened its doors to the public after a transformative
expansion, the largest in its history. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts recently
began plans for a new expansion and renovation project led by the international
architecture firm SmithGroup. Tentatively scheduled for completion in May 2028,
the project consists of adding a new wing of nearly 170,000 square feet and
renovating 45,000 square feet of existing spaces, while maintaining four acres of
green space in the Sculpture Garden. Visitors will experience a seamless journey
through the collections in the new wing, which will house American and
Indigenous American art, African art, 21stcentury art, and a new suite of galleries
for rotating special exhibitions and a special events space.
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is the only art museum in the United States open
365 days a year with free general admission.

Minimum Qualifications:
• Good communication and organizational skills are necessary for this
position, as is the ability to work in a highly collaborative, team-based
environment.
• Candidates should be able to multitask and work well under pressure to
meet deadlines and manage multiple projects concurrently.
• Candidates should also have strong public speaking skills and the ability to
engage with the community, donors, and supporters of the museum.
Preferred Qualifications:
• A Ph.D. in Art History, Anthropology, or another related discipline with a
focus on Indigenous American art is preferred, but not required.
• The candidate should possess deep knowledge and understanding of
NAGPRA (National Graves Protection and Repatriation Act).
• Museum experience working with collections is preferred, but not required.
Special Requirements:
• You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application
and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application”
in your account to check the status of your application for this position.
• The selected candidate must pass a criminal history background check.
• Position requires successful employee to file a Statement of Economic
Interests form annually.