Museum Curator (Shirley Z. Johnson Curator of Japanese Art) IS-1015-11/12/13/14

Smithsonian Institution • Washington, DC

1d • $85,447 - $143,913 • Onsite

About The Position

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art opened in 1923 as America’s first national art museum and the first Asian art museum in the United States. It now stewards one of the world’s most important collections of Asian art, with works dating from antiquity to the present. The museum also hosts an unparalleled collection of 19th- and early 20th-century American art.

Through an ambitious program of collecting, conservation, exhibitions, programming and research, both onsite and online, the museum serves as a global and national resource for understanding the arts and cultures of Asia and their interaction with America, past and present. By presenting the arts and cultures of Asia in their extraordinary richness, the museum furthers cross-cultural understanding and aims to exemplify foundational ideals of curiosity, creativity and respect.

Located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the museum is free and open 364 days a year (closed Dec. 25). The Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum, education and research complex and welcomes millions of visitors yearly. For more information about the National Museum of Asian Art, visit asia.si.edu

With more than fifteen thousand objects dating from Neolithic times to the present, NMAA has one of the finest museum holdings of Japanese art outside Japan. The collections reflect all major periods, genres, and materials of artistic production. Special strengths include paintings and calligraphy, Buddhist sculpture, prints, ceramics, lacquer, and metalwork. The museum also has a growing collection of modern and contemporary art across genres and media.

NMAA celebrates the art and culture of Japan through exhibitions, scholarly and public programming, and publications. As the museum enters its second century, it is growing and transforming. The candidate will join the museum at this moment of transition as it expands its engagement with Japanese and Japanese American communities in the U.S. and abroad and as it seeks to be a leader in ethical collecting practices.

The Shirley Z. Johnson Curator of Japanese Art will be a member of the Curatorial Department, shaping decisions about the care, identification, acquisition, preservation, cataloging, exhibition, and interpretation of works of art. The candidate will be a national and international leader in the study and presentation of Japanese art and culture. The candidate will perform scholarly research for publication and will furnish authoritative information about works in their field. They will develop original exhibitions and collaborate on cross-departmental projects and research initiatives. The curator will also shape and implement engaging scholarly and public programs.

Requirements

• Basic Education Requirement: A) Degree: museum work; or in an applicable subject-matter field. OR B) Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience (described below) or additional education. OR C) Four years of experience (described below) that provided knowledge comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of the 4-year course of study as shown in A above.
• To qualify at the IS-11 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the IS-9 level in the Federal service or comparable experience outside the Federal government. Specialized experience is defined as experience such as: - Assisting with the research, cataloging, documentation, and interpretation of museum collections in Japanese art or a related field; - Supporting exhibitions, gallery rotations, publications, or other curatorial projects; - Conducting object-based research and preparing written materials for scholarly or public audiences; - Assisting with collections stewardship activities, including provenance research, acquisitions support, or collections documentation; and - Working with internal staff and external scholars, lenders, artists, or community stakeholders on curatorial or programmatic initiatives.
• To qualify at the IS-12 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the IS-11 level in the Federal service or comparable experience outside the Federal government. Specialized experience is defined as experience such as: - Conducting independent research in Japanese art or a related field and producing scholarly or interpretive work; - Planning and executing curatorial projects, including exhibitions, installations, publications, and collections-based initiatives; - Cataloging, interpreting, and managing works of art within a museum collection; - Contributing substantively to acquisitions, provenance research, and ethical collections stewardship; and - Developing professional relationships with scholars, lenders, collectors, artists, and community stakeholders.
• To qualify at the IS-13 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the IS-12 level in the Federal service or comparable experience outside the Federal government. Specialized experience is defined as experience such as: - Serving as an independent curator or subject-matter expert in Japanese art or a closely related field; - Leading significant research, exhibition, publication, or interpretive projects from conception through implementation; - Providing authoritative expertise on collections, acquisitions, provenance, and scholarly interpretation; - Representing an institution in professional collaborations with national and international scholars, collectors, lenders, artists, and peer institutions; and - Contributing to advancement, donor engagement, strategic initiatives, and cross-departmental institutional projects.
• To qualify at the IS-14 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the IS-13 level in the Federal service or comparable experience outside the Federal government. Specialized experience is defined as experience such as: - Serving as a senior curator or recognized subject-matter expert in Japanese art or a closely related field; - Leading major scholarly, exhibition, publication, or interpretive initiatives with institutional or field-wide impact; - Providing advanced authoritative expertise on collections, acquisitions, provenance, and scholarly interpretation; - Building and sustaining significant professional collaborations with national and international scholars, collectors, lenders, artists, and peer institutions; - Advising senior leadership on curatorial priorities, strategic opportunities, and matters affecting collections stewardship and interpretation; and - Advancing institutional goals through donor engagement, cross-departmental leadership, and major strategic initiatives.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with provenance research and collecting standards;
• Strong interpersonal skills and experience engaging with the public;
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with diverse national and international constituencies;
• Outstanding analytical, verbal, and written communication skills, including the ability to convey complex ideas in an engaging manner to a range of audiences;
• Familiarity with museum collections databases, such as The Museum System (TMS);
• Experience working with artworks from other cultural areas, such as China, Korea, or Southeast Asia;
• Demonstrated expertise in three-dimensional objects, such as ceramics, metalwork, or lacquer, in any period; and
• Demonstrated ability to work with modern and contemporary art and artists.

Responsibilities

• Creating innovative research projects that contribute to the international understanding and appreciation of Japanese art and culture.
• Providing leadership in the field of Japanese art and culture through projects, collaborations, and regular communication with specialists.
• Studying, cataloging, displaying, publishing, and expanding the museum’s collections of Japanese art.
• Developing and maintaining relationships with local, national, and international communities.
• Researching provenance on existing collections objects.
• Working with advancement teams to develop and strengthen donor relationships.
• Serving on museum- and Smithsonian-wide committees and working groups.

Benefits

• Health, Dental & Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Transit/Commuter Benefits
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance
• Annual and Sick Leave
• Family Friendly Leave
• 403b Retirement Plan
• Discounts for Smithsonian Memberships, Museum Stores and Restaurants
• Credit Union
• Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (Child Care)
• Flexible Spending Account (Health & Dependent Care)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees