The Chazen Museum of Art, University of Wisconsin-Madison, seeks an energetic, hardworking, and engaged professional for the position of Curator of Glass and Ceramics. The Curator of Glass and Ceramics is responsible for the Chazen’s collection of contemporary and historic art glass and ceramics. The Chazen’s collection of glass and ceramics spans many cultures and time periods; the Curator will be expected to evaluate gift offers, make purchase proposals, and research and curate items of glass or ceramic within all areas that the museum collects. American highlights within the collection include a growing collection of contemporary studio glass and a large unique collection of contemporary figurative ceramics from the collection of Steven and Pamela Hootkin. International highlights include contemporary ceramics by important Japanese artists. Historic highlights include over 100 pieces of Lalique glass, a strong and expansive collection of Chinese export porcelain, and a small but important group of Austrian glass from the early twentieth century.
The Curator will continue to develop the Chazen’s collection in line with the museum’s goals and acquisition priorities, particularly with an eye toward diversity and inclusion. The Curator will find ways to link the Chazen’s collection of contemporary glass and ceramics to UW–Madison’s history and expand the collection to tell this history more fully, underscoring the important role that the university played in the development of the studio glass movement under former Professor of ceramics Harvey Littleton. The Curator will conduct research on the collection, which is expected to result in special exhibitions and the regular publication of scholarship. In tandem with museum colleagues, they will develop and coordinate the display of glass and ceramics from the collection in galleries and temporary exhibitions. They will advise on preservation of the collection and play an active role in institutional conservation planning. The Curator will mentor, teach, and guide the work of student employees.
Additionally, the Curator will be essential to the assessment and acquisition of an extensive collection of nineteenth-century mold-made British ceramics, a recent bequest by the late Frank Horlbeck that will make the Chazen one of the finest American institutions for the study of this material.
Qualifications: BA required; MA or PhD in Art History or a closely related field preferred. Excellent writing skills and ability to tailor writing to various audiences required. Excellent time management and organizational skills to meet deadlines and manage personal projects required. At least 3 years of curatorial experience in an art museum, gallery, arts nonprofit, or studio setting preferred. Familiarity with both contemporary and historic art glass and/or ceramic production is preferred. Demonstrated experience evaluating and assessing artworks and curating exhibitions is preferred. Active participation in the field through professional organization membership and conference panel presentation or publication history is expected. Reading proficiency in languages relevant to specialization is preferred.
For more information and application: Applications can only be taken online through the following link:
https://jobs.hr.wisc.edu/en-us/job/512956/curator-of-glass-and-ceramics
About the Collection: The Chazen Museum of Art makes its home between two lakes on the beautiful campus of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. UW–Madison occupies ancestral Ho-Chunk land, a place their nation has called Teejop (day-JOPE) since time immemorial. In an 1832 treaty, the Ho-Chunk were forced to cede this territory. Decades of ethnic cleansing followed when both the federal and state government repeatedly, but unsuccessfully, sought to forcibly remove the Ho-Chunk from Wisconsin.
This history of colonization informs our shared future of collaboration and innovation. Today, UW–
Madison respects the inherent sovereignty of the Ho-Chunk Nation, along with the eleven other First
Nations of Wisconsin.
Within walking distance of the state capitol, the Chazen sits squarely in the heart of a vibrant college
town. The Chazen’s expansive two-building site holds the second-largest collection of art in Wisconsin
and is the largest collecting museum in the Big 10. Within its 176,000 square feet of museum space is a
collection of approximately 24,000 works of art covering diverse historical periods, cultures and
geographic locations, from ancient Greece, Western Europe and the Soviet Empire to Moghul India,
18th-century Japan and modern Africa.
Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW–Madison. We value the contributions
of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status,
abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence
in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals. The University of Wisconsin–
Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from
every background—people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.
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