DESCRIPTION
Classification: Full-time, Teams Exempt
POSITION SUMMARY
The Harn Museum of Art at the University of Florida seeks a Senior-level curator to serve as the Cofrin Curator of Asian Art which is a fully endowed position. The Cofrin Curator of Asian Art leads the development and interpretation of the Museum’s Asian art collection which includes more than 3,500 works of art in various media from China, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Tibet, Vietnam, India, Thailand, and Indonesia. Strengths of the collection include Neolithic to Qing Chinese ceramics, modern Indian paintings, contemporary Japanese ceramics, and masterpieces of Korean painting and sculpture. The University provides many rich opportunities for scholarly interaction with professional colleagues and collaborative educational programming. A 26,000-square-foot wing, the David A. Cofrin Asian Art Wing, is dedicated to the exhibition, storage and conservation of the museum’s extensive collection of Asian art. Display space includes a 1,000 square-foot gallery dedicated to Korean art and an additional 5,300 square feet for changing exhibitions of Asian art.
The Cofrin Curator of Asian Art must be an accomplished professional in Asian art with a record of distinguished scholarship, publications, acquisitions, exhibitions, and collaborative programming. The Cofrin Curator will manage and develop the Asian art collection, programs and the Asian art acquisition endowments in consultation with the Chief Curator and Museum Director. In developing exhibitions and related programs and publications, the curator will seek to collaborate with other curators and museum staff, as well as University of Florida faculty and students, the Gainesville community, and other museum colleagues nationally and internationally.
Primary responsibilities include curating exhibitions within the Museum and for travel to other institutions; interpretation of the permanent collection of Asian art through exhibitions and publications in a variety of formats such as catalogue essays, wall texts, articles for the Museum’s magazine, and website; oversight of the David A. Cofrin Asian Art Manuscript Series; original research for publication and presentation for academic audiences and the general public; refining the collection and making recommendations for acquisitions and deaccessions; contributing to the development of the Museum’s overall strategic planning initiatives; cultivation and stewardship of donor relationships and conception and development of grants projects in collaboration with the museum director, director of development, and other museum staff.
Additional responsibilities include participating in national and international conferences and symposia; providing lectures and tours to staff, docents, UF classes and the public; attending Museum events and collection visits out of hours as necessary; supervising Museum interns as may be required; responding to queries from museum colleagues and the general public; and other duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS
- PhD in Art History preferred
- At least 5 years of curatorial experience strongly preferred
- Master’s degree in Art History and at least five years of curatorial experience required
- Demonstrated expertise in one of more of the following areas: Chinese art, Japanese art, Korean art, Southeast Asian art
- Accomplished professional in Asian art with a record of distinguished scholarship, publications, acquisitions, exhibitions, public speaking, and collaborative programming
- Passion for the role of the visual arts and for developing new audiences
- Excellent organizational, interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills
- Strong public speaking and written presentation skills
- Eagerness to work collaboratively and in an innovative manner
- Experience in donor cultivation
- Experience in grant writing
This position requires a criminal background check.
The position requires time working outside the museum; a considerable time sitting or standing; and some climbing of stairs and reaching.
The position requires a substantial amount of time communicating by phone, email and in person.
Some travel will be required.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Indoors in climate-controlled office environment with light background noise.
About the Harn Museum of Art (http://www.harn.ufl.edu/)
The Harn Museum of Art at the University of Florida is one of the nation’s leading university art museums employing approximately 50 full and part-time staff. The Museum is an 112,800-square-foot-facility, which includes 40,400 square feet of exhibition space, 5 garden spaces, a 250-seat auditorium, study center, museum store, café and classroom spaces. The Harn’s collection totals more than 11,500 objects including African, Asian, modern and contemporary art, and photography with significant representations of Ancient American and oceanic art, as well as a growing collection of natural history works on paper.
The Asian art collection includes more than 3,500 works of art in various media from China, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Tibet, Vietnam, India, Thailand, and Indonesia. The strengths of the Asian collection are evident in ceramics, jades, and metal works and are further augmented by stone sculptures, paintings, and prints. The variety and quality of the works provide the opportunity to explore regional and transnational trends in Asian art, ranging from ceramic traditions to the spread of Buddhism to the relationships between Asia and the West via artistic visions and creations. A 26,000-square-foot wing, the David A. Cofrin Asian Art Wing, is dedicated to the exhibition, storage and conservation of the museum’s extensive collection of Asian art. Display space includes a 1,000 square-foot gallery dedicated to Korean art and an additional 5,300 square feet for changing exhibitions of Asian art.
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