The Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College invites applications for the position of Assistant/Associate Curator of Academic Programs. This is a full-time, 12-month Administrative and Professional Staff position reporting to the Curator of Academic Programs.

The Assistant/Associate Curator of Academic Programs is responsible for strengthening the academic role of the museum within the College by conceptualizing and developing programs and activities across all disciplines taught at Oberlin.

The Allen is committed to enhancing students’ learning, engagement, and critical thinking skills through broad examination of the museum’s global art collection and integrating the museum into College curriculum through innovative and creative academic programs. As the primary liaison between the museum and faculty, the successful candidate must have highly developed administrative and organizational capabilities and be an excellent collaborator who thrives in an object-based learning environment. Outreach to colleagues in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Conservatory of Music enables faculty to develop courses and classes that use the collection in new and creative ways, both supporting faculty familiar with the collection and training faculty less familiar with how an art museum can be a springboard to curriculum and enhance innovative pedagogy. The successful candidate will be responsive to the museum’s strategic plan, committed to creative, interdisciplinary teaching, and capable of deploying a contextual, cross-disciplinary approach to works of art. The Associate Curator of Academic Programs reports to the Curator of Academic Programs, who establishes the priorities of the department. The Assistant Curator of Academic Programs works closely with the museum’s education and engagement team, while also liaising with collections curators regarding exhibitions and programs.

Responsibilities

At the Associate level:

● Meeting and working closely with faculty to facilitate use of collections

● Leading and co-facilitating discussion-based sessions for classes in the Allen’s galleries and study room

● Conducting faculty development initiatives, including new faculty orientation, curriculum development grants, and pedagogical workshops

● Helping develop teaching exhibitions that support courses and highlight current and new research

● Implementing new strategies that encourage faculty and student use of the museum in innovative ways

● Working closely with the Curator of Academic Programs to schedule class visits to the museum and manage the schedule for Oberlin College visits to the Print Study Room

● Supervising part-time student assistants and participating in their recruitment and training

● Supporting the museum’s strategic plan and executing tactics related to academic teaching and learning.

● Liaising with staff colleagues regarding art moves, teaching, and public programs

● Advising collection curators on curricular potential of prospective exhibitions and acquisitions

● Assisting with the assessment and evaluation of the work of the Office of Academic Programs, including keeping statistics relating to its work and gathering and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data

● Active membership in the larger museum community, including attending conferences and presenting and publishing on innovative programs and initiatives

● Other duties as assigned

At the Assistant level

● Meeting and working closely with faculty to facilitate use of collections

● Leading and co-facilitating discussion-based sessions for classes in the Allen’s galleries and Print Study Room

● Supporting faculty development initiatives, including new faculty orientation, curriculum development grants, and pedagogical workshops

● Helping develop teaching exhibitions that support courses and highlight current and new research

● Implementing new strategies that encourage faculty and student use of the museum in innovative ways

● Working closely with the Curator of Academic Programs to schedule class visits to the museum and manage the schedule for Oberlin College visits to the Print Study Room

● Supporting the museum’s strategic plan and executing tactics related to academic teaching and learning.

● Liaising with staff colleagues regarding art moves, teaching, and public programs

● Exploring curricular potential of prospective exhibitions and acquisitions, and co-facilitating project-specific faculty focus groups in collaboration with collection curators and educators

● Assisting with assessment and evaluation of the work of the Office of Academic Programs, including keeping statistics relating to its work and gathering and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data

● Active membership in the larger museum community, including attending conferences and presenting and publishing on innovative programs and initiatives

● Other duties as assigned

Desired Qualifications

● Art-handling experience, especially of works on paper

● Experience with TMS (The Museum System) and project management software

● Foreign language skills

● At the assistant level, Ph.D. in an object-focused field of study (such art history, studio art, history, anthropology, or archaeology)