Job Description

Job Description

Job Description

The Curator-in-Charge will oversee the Fine Arts Museums’ collection of European decorative arts and sculpture, which spans the thirteenth to twentieth century and includes outstanding holdings in porcelain, furniture, and period rooms. Specialized knowledge of 18th-century French, German, and/or British decorative art is required.

This role includes wide-ranging research, interpretation, and collection care responsibilities, with special emphasis on the curator’s area(s) of specialty: proposing and developing original exhibition projects and gallery installations; drafting related interpretive text for multiple platforms (gallery, print, digital); offering lectures and gallery talks; and recommending works for acquisition and deaccession. The Curator-in-Charge will regularly serve as a venue curator for exhibitions involving European art developed at other institutions and presented at FAMSF; this aspect of the position requires a wide-ranging, synthetic knowledge of European art history and a degree of comfort working outside the curator’s immediate area of expertise. The Curator-in-Charge will oversee the digital cataloguing of the permanent collection via TMS and related administrative matters: assessing and tracking loan requests; responding to collection inquiries; facilitating research visits; orchestrating object movements; etc.

The Curator-in-Charge will supervise the Assistant Curator of European Decorative Arts and Sculpture and will work closely with colleagues in European Paintings, in other curatorial departments, and in departments throughout the museum—especially Objects Conservation, Exhibitions, Education, Development, Design, Publications, Registration, Digital, and Technical Production—communicating clearly and consistently about shared projects and timelines. The Curator-in-Charge will play a key role in cultivating and stewarding institutional relationships with collectors, donors, and trustees and will work closely with the co-chairs of the European Decorative Arts Council to plan an ambitious schedule of programming and to identify projects—from conservation treatments to acquisitions—in need of support by this focused patron group.

The Curator-in-Charge of European Decorative Arts and Sculpture will report to the Curator-in-Charge of European Art, collaborating closely on a strategic vision for the European collections: helping to enhance the Museums’ visibility and scholarly reputation; building and documenting the collection to the highest standards of quality; telling richer and more complex stories in the galleries; and cultivating broader community interest and investment in the Legion of Honor as part of the overall mission of FAMSF. This role will embrace an active role in FAMSF’s ongoing efforts to become an equitable, inclusive, and welcoming environment for a diverse staff and public.

1. Work with Curator-in-Charge of European Art and Assistant Curator of European Decorative Arts and Sculpture to plan the installation of the Museums’ European decorative arts and sculpture collection, with particular focus on eighteenth-century porcelain, furniture, silver, and decorative objects.
2. Propose and develop original exhibition projects, conducting research, corresponding with lenders, soliciting funding, planning installation, and producing associated catalogues, labels, and other didactic materials.
3. Research, document, and interpret works in the permanent collection across multiple platforms (in gallery texts, print publications, and online content).
4. Cultivate and steward institutional relationships with collectors, donors, trustees, and other constituents, working closely with the co-chairs of the European Decorative Arts Council to plan the support group’s programming and identify projects in need of support.
5. Work with other Museum departments to develop public programming and educational initiatives, offering lectures and gallery talks for docents, staff, students, and the general public.
6. Recommend works for potential acquisition and deaccession; research new European decorative arts and sculpture acquisitions and spearhead associated fundraising efforts.
7. Consult with Objects Conservation on the treatment of European sculpture and decorative arts objects.
8. Serve as a venue curator for exhibitions involving European art, developed at other institutions and presented at FAMSF.
9. Participate in the digital cataloguing of the permanent collection (TMS) and oversee related administrative matters: assessing and tracking loan requests; responding to collection inquiries; facilitating research visits; orchestrating gallery movements; etc.
10. Correspond and confer with scholars, specialists, and the public.

Educations: An advanced degree in art history from an accredited university; PhD preferred.

Experience: At least 10 years of experience working with European art before 1800 in museum curatorial departments, commercial art galleries, and/or auction houses. Specialized knowledge of 18th-century European decorative art. Fluency in at least one European language and proficiency in another; one of these must be French.

• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills; an ability to convey (and a personal investment in conveying) complex scholarly content to non-specialist audiences.
• Ability to communicate with the public with tact and courtesy. Ability to deal with sensitive issues related to museum collections.
• Knowledge of museological methods and practices, including proper handling, storage, documentation, and general collections care.
• Flexibility and strong follow-through on work assignments and related deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal skills and an appetite for collaboration.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective and appropriate working relationships with staff, volunteers, the general public, donors, collectors, and outside agencies, organizations, and groups.
• Flexibility to work after hours and on weekends for special programs and events.
• Ability to work simultaneously on multiple projects in a highly demanding and fast-paced work environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google suites; working knowledge of museum-specific collections database (TMS) strongly preferred.

Benefits: This position includes a full benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, 401(k), and paid time off.

The estimated annual salary range for this position is $130,000-150,000. The final offer amount within this range will be based on experience and internal equity.

Application Deadline: Open until filled

If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact [email protected].

We recommend all new COFAM employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 but it is not a requirement. Please contact [email protected] with any questions.

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COFAM is the Corporation of Fine Arts Museums and is the privately funded non-profit corporation which supports the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, a department of the City and County of San Francisco.

COFAM is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in all phases of employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Comprising the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, we are the largest public arts institution in the City of San Francisco and one of the largest art museums in the United States. The de Young, designed by Herzog & de Meuron and located in Golden Gate Park, showcases American art from the 17th through the 21st centuries, international contemporary art, textiles and costumes, and art from the Americas, the Pacific, and Africa. The Legion of Honor displays a collection of over 4,000 years of ancient and European art including Auguste Rodin's The Thinker and houses the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts in a Beaux-Arts style building overlooking Lincoln Park and the Golden Gate Bridge.

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