Curator of Asian Art

Newfields, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, seeks a dynamic and collaborative Curator of Asian Art to serve as a vital member of its curatorial team, providing vision, strategic direction, and stewardship of the Museum’s esteemed Asian Art collection, which encompasses significant holdings from East, Southeast, and South Asia. This role presents an exceptional opportunity to shape the interpretation, exhibitions, and acquisitions strategy of a collection of remarkable depth and quality during a dynamic period of renewal and institutional growth s is both a strategic and hands‑on role, requiring a blend of scholarly excellence, collaborative leadership, and a deep passion for making the rich and diverse story of Asian art accessible and meaningful.

Newfields is a distinctive cultural campus where art, nature, and people come together. Located on 152 acres in the Crown Hill neighborhood of Indianapolis, Newfields is home to the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the historic Lilly House, and The Virginia

B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park and the Miller House in Columbus, IN. Newfields provides exceptional experiences with art and nature that enrich lives and build community, offering a dynamic year‑round calendar of exhibitions, festivals, performances, and public programs. The institution has an annual operating budget of nearly $40 million and welcomes over 600,000 visitors each year.

The Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields (IMA) is one of the oldest and largest encyclopedic art museums in the United States, nationally significant for its historic legacy, the quality and breadth of its collections, and its innovative blending of art, architecture, and landscape. Founded in 1883 as the Art Association of Indianapolis, the Museum has grown from a civic art initiative into a leading cultural institution with a global reach.

Newfields’s expansive and diverse collection encompasses more than 40,000 works, spanning 5,000 years and a broad spectrum of cultures and media.

The Museum’s Asian Art collection is renowned for its depth and diversity, featuring significant holdings of approximately 5,000 objects in Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and South Asian art. Highlights include a significant collection of Japanese prints, Edo period paintings and screens, brilliant Ming and Qing dynasty ceramics, Chinese glass, crystal, jade, laquerware, and textiles, and a burgeoning contemporary ceramics program. The 24,000-square‑foot Asian Art galleries highlight both beloved masterworks and new acquisitions.

Featured objects include Geese and Reeds in Snow, a pair of Edo‑period folding screens by Mochizuki Gyokusen;
Composite Memories, a sculptural work by contemporary ceramicist Kishi Eiko; a 13th‑century celadon bowl from Korea’s Goryeo Dynasty; and ornate fittings for a pair of samurai swords.

The Museum presents approximately ten to fifteen exhibitions each year, ranging from major traveling shows to original exhibitions organized by its curators. Recent exhibitions in the department have celebrated the richness of Asian art traditions. "A Brush with Beauty:
Japanese Paintings in Ink, Color, and Gold" highlighted masterpieces across 700 years of Japanese painting, including works from the Edo period. The revitalized Japanese Art galleries, reopened in October 2023, highlight both beloved masterworks and new acquisitions.

Newfields is actively engaged in reimagining its role as a civic and cultural institution in the 21st century. In recent years, the institution has launched bold initiatives to expand community engagement, deepen its commitment to inclusion, and explore the intersections of art and the environment. Examples include its Community Engagement Fellowship program, which brings underrepresented voices into the Museum's planning and programming processes, and Winterlights, a seasonal nighttime experience that integrates contemporary art installations with immersive light displays in the gardens.

Curators at Newfields enjoy the collaboration of a dedicated team of registrars, conservators, exhibition specialists, educators, and scholars, as well as access to outstanding collections and…