The Arlene & Harold Schnitzer Curator of Asian Art provides scholarly expertise, curatorial leadership, and strategic stewardship of the Portland Art Museum’s Asian art collection, comprising more than 6,500 objects. The collection includes significant Japanese, Chinese, and Korean holdings, with particular strengths in more than 3,000 Japanese prints, Edo- and Meiji-period painting and decorative arts, and contemporary Japanese ceramics.

Reporting to the Director of Curatorial Affairs, the Curator advances research, interpretation, collection development, and public presentation through original exhibitions, permanent collection installations, publications, and acquisition recommendations. The Curator collaborates with Collections & Exhibitions, Learning, Development, and other departments to align scholarly priorities with institutional goals, operational capacity, and available resources.

The Curator cultivates relationships with artists, scholars, collectors, donors, cultural organizations, and Asian and Asian American communities; serves as the primary curatorial advisor to the Asian Art Council; and contributes to the Museum’s commitment to making art accessible and meaningful to diverse audiences. This is an endowed curatorial position bearing the names of Arlene and Harold Schnitzer in recognition of philanthropic support for Asian art at the Museum.

While this posting is for a full Curator role, candidates with 3–5 years of progressive curatorial experience are strongly encouraged to apply and will be considered for an Associate Curator position. The final title, salary grade, and scope of responsibilities will be aligned with the selected candidate’s experience level.

In this role, you will

Collection Stewardship & Research

• Conduct original research on the Asian art collection; maintain expertise in relevant scholarship, art markets, and professional networks.
• Develop and recommend collecting priorities, identify collection strengths and gaps, and evaluate prospective acquisitions and deaccessions in accordance with Museum policy.
• Present scholarly recommendations to the Director of Curatorial Affairs, Executive Director, and appropriate Board committees through established approval processes.
• Conduct and support provenance research and address ethical collection stewardship, cultural patrimony, and potential repatriation matters with relevant Museum partners.
• Collaborate with Registration, Conservation, and Collections & Exhibitions on collection documentation, conservation priorities, access, loans, and safe handling.

Exhibitions, Interpretation & Scholarship

• Conceptualize, research, and curate original exhibitions, permanent collection installations, and gallery rotations, including the Museum’s dedicated Asian art galleries.
• Act as assigned curator-in-charge for incoming or outgoing traveling exhibitions, coordinating scholarly content with exhibition project teams.
• Partner with the Director of Curatorial Affairs and Director of Collections & Exhibitions on exhibition planning, feasibility, schedules, budgets, object selection, and execution within approved institutional processes.
• Author and edit catalogues, essays, labels, gallery texts, digital interpretation, and other scholarly and public-facing materials.
• Present lectures, gallery talks, training, and professional papers; pursue publication and research that strengthen the Museum’s scholarly reputation.
• Collaborate with Learning and Visitor Services on accessible, culturally responsive interpretation and programs; respond to appropriate scholarly and public inquiries.
• Work with Library and Archives to strengthen research resources and documentation.

Community, Donor & Institutional Partnerships

• Build reciprocal professional and community relationships with Asian and Asian American artists, scholars, cultural organizations, and audiences relevant to the collection.
• Serve as primary curatorial advisor to the Asian Art Council, supporting programming, scholarly priorities, and recommendations concerning Council-funded acquisitions.
• Partner with Development on donor cultivation and stewardship, grants, acquisition support, exhibitions, and conservation fundraising; provide scholarly content and project updates as appropriate.
• Collaborate across curatorial and Museum departments on institutional initiatives, strategic priorities, and audience engagement.
• Represent the Museum through professional associations, conferences, symposia, and collaborations nationally and internationally.

Additional Responsibilities

• Occasional participation in national and international conferences and symposia.
• Serve on internal, cross-department committees.
• Perform other related duties and projects as assigned by the Director Curatorial Affairs, including those that fall outside the position's area of focus.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Oversee department fellows and interns as needed on project basis.
• Decision-making authority in collaboration with the Director of Curatorial Affairs.
• Assist the Director of Curatorial Affairs with department budget planning and oversight.
• Assist the Director of Curatorial Affairs on long term departmental planning.

To be successful in this role, you have these requirements

• M.A. or Ph.D. in Art History, Asian Studies, Museum Studies, or a closely related field.
• Curator: 5+ years of progressive curatorial experience managing collections, organizing exhibitions, and authoring scholarly publications within an art museum setting.
• Associate Curator: 3-5 years of curatorial experience assisting with collections stewardship, exhibition development, and scholarly research within an art museum setting.
• Active involvement in professional academic networks, demonstrated success building relationships with collectors and dealers, and proven community-facing experience (e.g., public speaking, community outreach, and cross-departmental collaboration).
• Demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following areas: Japanese art, Chinese Art, Korean Art
• Reading fluency in at least one relevant Asian language for primary research; speaking fluency in at least one relevant Asian language preferred.
• Proven ability to conceptualize, research, and execute original permanent collection installations and major traveling exhibitions.
• Demonstrated expertise in provenance research, ethical collection stewardship, and current global Asian art market trends to guide collection growth and care.
• Skilled in writing exhibition catalogues and wall labels, as well as delivering lectures, gallery talks, and Learning Department training.
• Experience cultivating art donors, advising affinity councils, and partnering with development teams on fundraising initiatives.
• Experience with collections management databases.
• Experience with grant proposal narrative writing and reporting preferred.

To review the complete job posting and submit your application, please visit our career page.