Tananbaum Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art

Tananbaum Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art

Northwestern University Block Museum Evanston, United States

Northwestern University's Block Museum of Art seeks a Steven and Lisa Munster Tananbaum Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art with a strong interest in diaspora, indigeneity, postcolonialism, and other shaping forces in art of the 20th and 21st centuries. They will contribute to the Museum's curatorial program through their work on exhibitions, acquisitions and collections research, programs and publications, and museum-based mentorship and teaching.

The curator will be motivated by the creative and educational potential for connecting modern and contemporary art to diverse academic disciplines within and beyond the humanities. The target hiring range for this position will be between $75,000-$87,500 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Job Summary:

As Northwestern University's campus art museum, The Block drives questioning, experimentation, and collaboration across fields of study with visual arts at the center. Fueled by diverse perspectives and ways of knowing, the museum activates art's power as a form of insight, research, and knowledge creation that makes human experience visible and material. The Block's programming emphasizes research, presentation, and acquisition of artworks, focusing on overlooked or under studied subjects and underrepresented artists, art, and art histories.

The Museum is committed to collaborative work and to including diverse visions and voices in its programming and institutional culture. The Block also draws upon and responds to Northwestern University's specific strengths and its emphases on global connections and interdisciplinary thinking, including its archival resources and collections, curriculum, and timely dialogue taking place within and beyond the University.

The Block has a history of field-changing scholarship and innovative exhibition-making informed by this context. Its work is grounded by its new  Strategic Plan that emphasizes activation of the Museum's collection and our sustained relationships with the Northwestern Libraries, the Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies (CNAIR), and Northwestern colleagues in the arts, including film, performance studies, theater, music, and the literary arts.

The successful candidate will have the capacity to center works of art in addressing challenging and complex issues for a broad range of constituencies and the flexibility and willingness to work across a range of curatorial practices in exhibition making guided by the content and goals of each project. They will also have a strong commitment to student mentorship; to working closely with Block staff, Northwestern faculty and students, and artists, scholars, and knowledge sharers beyond the University;

and to applying the values of diversity, equity, access, and inclusion at The Block (more about our approach is articulated in our guiding questions).

They may also teach through affiliation with one or more academic department or program.

This is a full-time position within the Curatorial Department and reports to the Associate Director of Curatorial Affairs.

* Note:

Not all aspects of the job are covered by this job description.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Exhibitions:
  Working closely with other Block staff, the curator will propose, conceive, and implement original exhibitions of various scope that connect to and enhance The Block's and Northwestern's commitments to interdisciplinary perspectives; community and global engagement; and curricular, research, and collection strengths. This position requires enthusiasm for thinking and working broadly, grounded by areas of personal expertise, while supporting the museum's varied artistic program and its collaborative institutional culture.
  
  The curator will also contribute to the ongoing development of the Block's exhibition schedule; at times adapt and implement travelling exhibitions for the museum; and assist in grant writing or other fundraising for curatorial initiatives.
• Acquisitions and Collection Research:
  The Block's collecting strategy supports the museum's mission and commitments, as well as those of Northwestern University. The museum's collection supports teaching and learning and has strong ties to other University collections. In addition to a strong focus on diaspora, postcolonialism, and other shaping forces of the 20th and 21st centuries, the curator will have some medium-specific expertise in photography and/or works on paper.
  
  They will also be prepared to contribute to expanding the museum's collection, including with time-based media and other areas of contemporary practice. The curator will actively follow the work of contemporary artists in alignment with The Block's collection strategy. They will propose and initiate purchases and interact with artists…