Title: Jack and Mary Ann Frable Curator of Ancient Art

State Role Title: VMFA Senior

Hiring Range: $100,000 - $110,000

Pay Band: UG

Agency: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Location: MAIN MUSEUM

Agency Website: https://vmfa.museum/

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) invites applications for the position of Jack and Mary Ann Frable Curator of Ancient Art. This is a senior-level position at one of the world’s finest museums. We seek a curator with an international reputation in the field of Ancient Art to advance the curatorial vision for a collection of more than 1,500 works of Egyptian, Nubian, Greek, Etruscan, Roman and Byzantine art. The successful candidate will work through their own established international network of relationships in archaeology and the art world, including museums and galleries, to achieve curatorial goals. A critical need is a thorough review of the collection in terms of provenance and sharing this research with the public in a transparent way.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience in curatorial work focusing on Ancient Art with a distinguished track record in exhibitions, public speaking, provenance and scholarly research. Excellent writing, communication, organizational and interpersonal skills are required and the ability to work in a highly collaborative, team-based environment is essential.

Ability to provide overall vision for direction and growth of VMFA’s Ancient Art Collection, including setting acquisition strategies and developing stewardship models for the care and management of the collection.  Ability to maintain robust network with dealers, collectors, donors, and peers/colleagues in the Ancient Art field.

Ability to carry out provenance research on Ancient Art collection and new acquisitions in collaboration with VMFA's Conservation and Collections staff following AAMD and other guidelines on the responsible collecting of ancient art. Ability to communicate provenance history and information in an open and transparent way to all audiences.

Ability to produce new scholarship in the form of catalogues, exhibition labels, web features, or other publications. Ability to give talks and lectures on Ancient Art for scholarly and popular audiences. Ability to organize symposia or conferences at VMFA and seek out scholars and curators as speakers.

Ability to prepare materials for presentation of recommended acquisitions to the Art Acquisitions Subcommittee of the Board of Trustees. This includes skills in presentation software such as Microsoft PowerPoint.  Ability to assess importance, quality and price for acquisition proposals. Ability to organize in-house presentations from the permanent collection, private collectors, and other sources

Ability to provide guidance and oversight of Ancient Art digitization and other collection-based stewardship. Ability to implement new, best practices for the organization and display of the ancient art collection, including consolidation and relabeling of objects aligned with VMFA standards.

Ability to review and correct (as needed) cataloguing information in Collections Management Systems such as Gallery Systems' TMS Collections software. Skills with general business software such as Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, and Excel).

Additional Considerations

Extensive experience typically gained through a Ph.D. program in Art History and/or archaeology. Demonstrated experience with exhibitions and scholarly research, including provenance. Expertise in all periods and areas of Ancient Art, as well as proficiency in languages, especially Greek and Latin. Experience with Gallery Systems' TMS Collections software.

Special Instructions

You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.

Please submit three (3) references. Provide full name, phone number, and email address. References may be attached in a separate document in the “other” field in the portal; or they may be included with the resume or cover letter.

Professional references are preferred. Other reference types will also receive consideration. References should be able to attest to your knowledge, skills, and abilities, especially qualifications relevant to the position for which you are applying.

Selected candidates must pass a criminal history background check.  The selected candidate must complete the Statement of Economic Interest form and associated Conflict of Interest training as a condition of employment.

Interested individuals must submit an online application. This posting will close at 11:55 p.m. on the designated closing date.

Please contact the HR office at recruitment@vmfa.museum if you need assistance.

Contact Information

Name: Human Resources Services

Phone: please email

Email: recruitment@vmfa.museum

In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly COD) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Service-Connected Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS/DBVI to get their AHP Letter. Requesting an AHP Letter can be found at AHP Letter or by calling DARS at 800-552-5019.

Note: Applicants who received a Certificate of Disability from DARS or DBVI dated between April 1, 2022- February 29, 2024, can still use that COD as applicable documentation for the Alternative Hiring Process.

VMFA is a Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Certified Employer.