Chief Curator

Art and Wellness Enterprises•Bentonville, AR

35d

About The Position

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art seeks a new Chief Curator to lead its curatorial team into an ambitious new chapter, catalyzed by the museum’s landmark reinstallation and 114,000 square foot expansion opening June 6, 2026. As Crystal Bridges deepens its commitment to expanding storytelling through American art and broadens its national and global impact, the Chief Curator will play a pivotal role in shaping the museum’s curatorial direction, guiding exhibitions, acquisitions, and scholarship that will shape the field. This is a rare opportunity to steward a dynamic curatorial program at an institution with access as its north star. Situated on a 134-acre campus including the Heartland Whole Health Institute, the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, the Ozark Discovery Canopy and art throughout the grounds, Crystal Bridges is part of a multifaceted cultural ecosystem where art, architecture, nature, education and wellness intersect. The Chief Curator for Crystal Bridges and The Momentary provides strategic vision, leadership and management for the museum’s curatorial team. With a collection spanning five centuries of American art plus extensive engagement with contemporary art and artists, Crystal Bridges seeks a Chief Curator who is a specialist in contemporary art. Reporting to the Deputy Director, Curatorial Affairs, the Chief Curator plays an essential role in advancing the institution's curatorial program, driving innovation in curatorial work and with artists, and contributing to the implementation of a distinguished art collection, exhibition and installation program. The Chief Curator is responsible for advancing curatorial activities, including artist initiatives, collection development and care, exhibitions, installations, outdoor sculpture, publications, and strategic partnerships. The Chief Curator contributes to cultivation of gifts of art, and advances efforts to achieve recognition for curatorial excellence, advocating for the institution's mission broadly. When appropriate, the Chief Curator will curate exhibitions to contribute to the museum’s program and the field at large. Direct reports include the Curator of Contemporary Art, Windgate Curator of Craft, Curator of Indigenous Art and NAGPRA Officer, Curator of Artists-in-Residence and Performance, Consulting Curator of Architecture, Assistant Curator of American Art, Assistant Curator of Modern Art, Head of Exhibition Design, and Curatorial Coordinator. This position requires a seasoned curatorial leader with significant art museum experience leading, managing and mentoring teams, a successful track record in curatorial scholarship and innovation, and a demonstrated commitment to creating a distinctive and differentiated museum experience in a dynamic cultural environment.

Requirements

Masters degree in art history or related field
Expert in contemporary American art; experience with historical and modern American art and architecture, including craft and Indigenous art, a significant plus
Applied knowledge of professional museum principles, practices and procedures.
Knowledge of research tools and methodology
Mission-driven
Results-driven
Very flexible and adaptable; evening and weekend hours often required
Minimum of 3 years of demonstrated experience managing staff, projects and budgets.
Minimum of 5 years curatorial experience, with a proven track record of curatorial achievement in exhibitions, installations, and scholarship
Valid driver’s license
Valid passport
Demonstrated empathetic leadership and commitment to a culture of collaboration, trust, and respect
Demonstrated organizational planning, problem-solving and collaboration skills, including understanding and use of cultural competencies
Demonstrated experience with acquisitions, commissions, and collection development
Demonstrated experience organizing exhibitions and installations
Demonstrated experience working with artists
Self-directed, able to work independently and effectively
Able to maintain highest levels of confidentiality and discretion including ability to understand and maintain highest ethical standards related to organizational responsibilities and public accountability
Able to create and successfully manage an annual budget
Able to interpret the American art and architecture in a manner that is relevant and inspiring to broad audiences
Highly-developed public speaking and communications skills
Excellent writing and editorial abilities
Able to perform scholarly research in the field
Proficient computer skills in Microsoft Office, project management software (such as Asana); AI tools (such as CoPilot); additional software knowledge such as collection databases (such as TMS), Workday and similar tools a plus

Responsibilities

Lead, manage and supervise the museum’s curators and guest curators in the fields of historical, modern and contemporary American art, including craft, Indigenous art, performance, and architecture.
Lead and supervise the Head of Exhibition Design, fostering creative and collaborative concepting, planning and design, and execution of exhibition and installation design for the museum’s collection and exhibition program.
Ensure that design processes and implementation are aligned with museum-wide goals and objectives for the collection and exhibition program.
In partnership with the Deputy Director, Curatorial Affairs, lead the collection development process through strategic review of collection assessments, acquisitions, commissions and gifts developed by the curatorial team for the museum’s Art Committee.
Serve as ex-officio member of the Crystal Bridges Art Committee.
Serve on the Museum’s Executive Council to align curatorial objectives with the museum’s strategic plan.
Lead the curatorial team through exhibition research and development and exhibition implementation, from sourcing and evaluation to creative ideation and oversight of exhibition projects.
Guide implementation of content generated by curatorial, interpretation, and external contributors through review of exhibition and collection texts and materials to ensure excellence, alignment with mission, vision, and voice as well as accessibility and relevance to the broadest audiences.
Collaboratively guide and evaluate the identification, implementation and monitoring of standards of care for museum collection, loans, and borrowed art works.
Routinely assess art in storage to identify collection activation opportunities.
When appropriate, curate exhibitions, conduct research, write exhibition texts and articles to contribute to the museum’s program and the field at large.
When appropriate, engage in professional development, attend conferences, and contribute to scholarly publications.
Collaborate closely with leadership in Library and Archives, Learning and Engagement and Brand Experience and Activation as well as with leaders in Development, Operations and Data Strategy to advance curatorial collaborations and collective endeavors, especially Tyson Scholars of American Art, Artists-in-Residence programs, and Fisk University
Lead the partnership with the University of Arkansas School of Art, partnering with the Director of the School of Art to advance the strategic relationship and parameters of Alice Walton’s foundational gift.
Contribute to budget development and oversee management of approved curatorial budgets and allocation of resources for department.
Contribute to strategic planning, impact and fundraising efforts through donor cultivation, prospect identification, and grant writing to support revenue generation for the institution.
Model and promote arts integration and multidisciplinary engagement with peer professionals across the Crystal Bridges campus, including the Heartland Whole Health Institute, Alice L Walton School of Medicine, and especially Art Bridges Foundation.