Navigation trail

• Home page
• Types of jobs
• Information services
• Museum/gallery curator: Job description and activities

Museum/gallery curator: Job description and activities

Job description

A museum or art gallery curator acquires, cares for, develops, displays and interprets a collection of artefacts or works of art in order to inform, educate and entertain the public.

The emphasis of the role is moving away from a purely academic research function towards a broader-ranging career, which includes aspects such as:

• public relations;
• marketing;
• fundraising;
• education and access activities.

There is growing pressure for museums, galleries and other heritage and tourism attractions to work together to share expertise. When organising exhibitions, therefore, curators need to publicise and market them appropriately to ensure they appeal to a wide cross-section of the general public, including overseas tourists.

Typical work activities

Typical work activities may include:

• cataloguing acquisitions and keeping records;
• researching and writing catalogues;
• planning, organising, interpreting and presenting exhibitions;
• caring for the collection;
• negotiating loan items and funding;
• handling enquiries from researchers and the public;
• planning financial budgets;
• supervising staff and/or volunteers;
• giving presentations;
• talking to individuals and groups about exhibits;
• dealing with enquiries from a variety of clients;
• liaising with voluntary groups, the community (including schools, local history and other groups), industry, and grant agencies to secure sponsorship for events, publications and development projects;
• liaising with management boards, trustees and local council and political groups to secure ongoing support;
• networking with other museum and art gallery professionals and outside agencies, through meetings and collaborative projects.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has had a major impact on the world of museums and galleries and, as a result, more and more time is being spent on the financial aspects of running a department or enterprise. This means that curators have less time available for managing collections, and the research element of their job, which used to be central, is only likely to come into play in preparation for exhibitions or in response to public enquiries. The days of narrow specialisation have now largely gone.

AGCAS

Written by Beverley Spilman, AGCAS

Last updated:

December 2007

© Copyright AGCAS & Graduate Prospects Ltd | Disclaimer