Associate Curator

The Pulitzer Arts Foundation presents contemporary and historical art from around the world in its celebrated Tadao Ando-designed museum and surrounding campus. The Curatorial Department oversees all exhibitions and artist commissions as well as a wide range of curatorial initiatives and public programs, from thought leader gatherings to interdisciplinary public programs connected to the art on view. 

The Associate Curator will play a key role in developing and realizing artist commissions, exhibitions, curatorial and public programs, and special projects that activate the Pulitzer’s campus, advance forward-looking museum practices, and hone institutional thought leadership. Reporting to the Senior Curator, the Associate Curator will help shape the museum’s public art initiatives, build convenings that engage exhibition themes and timely topics in the field, and develop a thoughtful array of public programs, from artist talks to performances. The Associate Curator will play a critical role in building a curatorial programmatic platform that engages global discourse as well as local constituencies, bringing a wide array of thinkers to engage in St. Louis’ cultural landscape. A core member of the curatorial team, this role is inherently collaborative and will build and sustain meaningful relationships both internally as well as with artists, partners, and other stakeholders.

How to Apply

Interested applicants should apply by submitting a cover letter and resume in one document at https://pulitzerarts.org/about/jobs/ .

Reports to: Senior Curator

Status: Full-time/ Exempt

Compensation, Benefits, and Perks

The Pulitzer Arts Foundation offers a competitive minimum annual salary of $75,000 commensurate with experience. The Pulitzer benefits package includes employer-paid Medical, Dental, Life Insurance, Employee Assistance Program, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability. Additional benefits include Voluntary Life Insurance, Health Reimbursement Account, Flexible Spending Account, SIMPLE IRA and employer match. The Pulitzer offers generous time off, including Observed Holidays, Vacation, Sick Leave / Paid Time Off, Paid Volunteer Time Off, and various leave policies (Parental Leave, etc.). Employees of the Pulitzer also benefit from access to a variety of cultural institutions, a hybrid work policy, and a stimulating and collegial work environment.

Position Responsibilities

• Conceives and develops artist commissions, exhibitions, and special projects. Works closely with the Senior Curator to develop public art initiatives for the Pulitzer’s campus, from installations to temporary activations.
• Co-conceives and manages curatorial convenings, symposia, and study days that bring together leading thinkers and stakeholders to advance discussions related to exhibition themes and field-relevant issues. 
• Develops a thoughtful set of interdisciplinary public programs tied to exhibitions and artist commissions, including talks, panels, performances, concerts, and screenings. 
• Performs and supervises research in support of exhibitions, artist commissions, convenings, and programs.
• Responsible for disseminating key information on artworks, ensuring the accuracy and relevance of content for tours, public programs, interpretive materials, and marketing and press collateral. 
• Manages budgets, timelines, and resources effectively in close collaboration with related internal departments.
• Assists with the development and implementation of annual curatorial objectives.
• Acts as a public-facing representative of the museum, fostering relationships with external curators, galleries, artists, and art historians to advance curatorial initiatives in collaboration with experts, stakeholders, community partners, and more. 
• Engages in the professional and intellectual discourse related to the museum profession; participates as an active member of professional organizations.
• Manages administrative responsibilities with a keen attention to detail. Coordinates logistics for site visits and select symposia and convenings including arranging travel and on-site hospitality. 
• Supervises Public Programs staff.

The above responsibilities are a summary of the position; other duties may be assigned.

Preferred Experience and Background Skills

• Minimum of five years of experience working in curatorial roles within museums or similar. Additional experience in non-curatorial roles within museums is a plus.
• Must have broad knowledge of contemporary art and an interest in making connections between the local and global. 
• Driven by a passion for works of art and a desire to bring critical perspectives to the current moment. 
• Willing to take intellectual risks and capitalize on the freedom to think across the boundaries of time, geography, and discipline.
• Must think proactively about the civic role of arts institutions and their capacity to act variously as spaces for enrichment, convening, and critical exchange. 
• Experience collaborating with artists to realize new works or site-specific commissions. 
• Experience developing and producing a responsive set of public programs.
• Exceptional oral and written communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage diverse audiences and stakeholders.
• Deep interest in visitor engagement; actively seeks information to understand and anticipate visitor expectations and needs. 
• Takes prompt and proactive actions to make changes as needed and to accomplish objectives and achieve goals.

About the Pulitzer Arts Foundation

The Pulitzer Arts Foundation is an art museum that presents art from around the world in the Grand Center Arts District in St. Louis, MO. Open and free to all, the Pulitzer is a cultural and civic asset to the St. Louis community and a popular destination for visitors from around the world.

The Pulitzer Arts Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. Our policy reflects and affirms the Pulitzer Arts Foundation’s commitment to the principles of fair employment and the elimination of all discriminatory practices.

We recognize that it is highly unlikely that an applicant meets 100% of the qualifications for a given role. If most of this job description describes you, we encourage you to apply for this role.