Curator of Collections & Exhibitions - Michigan Maritime Museum

Posted on 4/29/24  

The Michigan Maritime Museum is looking to hire a Curator of Collections & Exhibitions who will take a leadership role as a key member of our Museum team. This position requires an individual with the knowledge, experience, and self-starter personality to take this role and truly make it their own. This individual will be an instrumental part in the growth of the Museum while acting as an advocate for the sizable collection of artifacts, archives, and historic craft in the Museum’s care. The Curator will work alongside staff and volunteers to interpret Michigan’s maritime history and heritage and share it with the public through a variety of mediums such as exhibits, presentations, and displays. This position offers substantial growth opportunities for the right person.

Summary of Essential Job Responsibilities

The Curator of Collections & Exhibitions oversees the creative and administrative responsibilities for the Museum’s collections and exhibits. This position includes exhibition planning, research, organization, and presentation, collection development and stewardship, as well as public programs and publications. The Curator of Exhibitions and Collections works with the administrative team, under the supervision of the Director of Education & Programs, to carry out the Museum’s overall objectives in relation to the Museum’s strategic plan. The position also provides leadership and training opportunities for volunteers and student interns. The Curator of Exhibitions & Collections participates in the development of funding sources for collections maintenance and care, exhibitions, and other special programs.  

Departmental

• Collaborates with the Director of Education & Programs to prepare special presentations on permanent collection, exhibitions, and maritime history topics and presents to various groups.
• Develops and maintains effective relationships with museum colleagues.
• Works on special programming projects.
• Conducts routine exhibit and collection storage inspections to ensure overall standards of presentation and care.
• Creates, manages, and reports on fiscal budgets for Collections and Exhibitions
• Other administrative duties as needed

Collections

• Oversees and upholds the Museum’s Collections Policy and other documents related to care, management, and training for collections.
• Oversees and manages collection and archive volunteers.
• Makes recommendations and works with the administrative team for potential collections donations, for deaccession; and for outgoing loans; presents potential acquisitions for consideration; carries out research for possible acquisitions, including tracing provenance and judging quality.
• Plays a leadership role on the safety and security of the collection and to propose and advise upon any necessary conservation treatments and/or alterations to policy and plan.
• Researches and writes about the permanent collection and exhibits for marketing, temporary exhibitions, and publications; oversees all ancillary materials regarding the permanent collection.

Exhibitions

• Collaborates with admin staff and exhibit designers to plan and execute new exhibits.
• Develops and organizes logistics for both permanent and temporary exhibitions.
• Manage all aspects of loans for incoming and outgoing objects and exhibitions, arranging other venues when appropriate.

Qualifications

• Degree in Maritime Studies, Museum Studies or relevant field and curatorial experience in a museum setting.
• Preferred experience with Past Perfect software or similar cataloguing database
• Familiarity with current national museum and collections guidelines and standards

This is a permanent, full-time position with a salary starting at $40,000.