Curator of Ceramics and Glass (open rank)

Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library encompasses an unrivaled museum of American decorative arts in its mansion and galleries and a magnificent 60-acre naturalistic garden—all set on 1,000 gorgeous acres.

Winterthur employs a wide array of positions in the areas of curatorial, horticulture, education, conservation, library, maintenance, marketing, development, technology, and administration.

Winterthur offers a unique and rewarding experience that is rich in culture and natural beauty. Winterthur considers its employees and volunteers to be among its greatest assets and welcomes applications from candidates who will contribute their specific skills to its mission “to inspire, enlighten, and delight all of its visitors while preserving and enhancing [Winterthur]” and also uphold its core values of agility, excellence, innovation, integrity, inclusion, and transparency.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library is seeking a dynamic, highly collaborative, and innovative candidate for the role of Curator, Ceramics and Glass. Reporting to the Director of Collections, this position is within the Curatorial Department which resides in the Collections and Interpretation Division. The Curator, Ceramics and Glass, will work across Winterthur’s collection of over 90,000 objects that include furniture, textiles, prints, paintings, metals, ceramics, glass and objects of organic materials dating from the 17th century to the present and made, owned, and/or used in the Americas. This role has primary oversight of the museum’s collection of ceramics and glass collections but engages broadly with all the resources within the museum, garden, and library to research, interpretate, promote, and teach about Winterthur and its collections. The ceramics collection numbers over 16,000 examples from North America, Europe and Asia and the glass collection numbers over 3,000 examples from North America and Europe. Both the ceramics and glass collections are particularly strong in English wares.

 The Curator, Ceramics and Glass will regularly collaborate with the Objects Lab in the Conservation Department to ensure the ongoing preservation of the collection. They will actively participate in exhibition-related activities and donor cultivation events. The ideal candidate will enjoy working across the collection and possess enthusiasm for engaging with communities beyond Winterthur’s gates through programming, public lectures, and publications. The Curator, Ceramics and Glass, is also responsible for the expansion of the ceramics and glass collections through acquisitions by gift and purchase.

 In addition to the core responsibilities related to care, display, and preservation of the ceramics and glass collection, the Curator of Ceramics and Glass teaches in the (MA level) University of Delaware/Winterthur Program in American Material Culture and, if required, the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation and holds Affiliated Faculty status.

 This is a highly collaborative role that works both within the curatorial and interpretation and engagement division and interdepartmentally to accomplish projects, expand, refine, and promote the collection, and participate in programming targeted to both a scholarly and a general audience.

Compensation: $61,000 - $85,000; consideration for associate or full curator rank and associated salary will be commensurate with experience.

Benefits:  Including, but not limited to, medical, dental, and vision insurance; generous paid time off plan including 10 holidays, vacation, personal, and sick time; 403b with employer match for eligible employees; discounts in the museum store and cafe; free general admission for you and your immediate family

Work Schedule:  Monday – Friday, 35 hours/week, occasional weekend and evening hours

Responsibilities:

1. Oversee the current collection of ceramics and glass in the Winterthur collection.
2. Acquire through gift and purchase objects for that collection that increase Winterthur’s ability to represent populations, stories, and production in the hemispheric Americas from the seventeenth century to the present day.
3. Regularly assess the collection and propose objects for deaccessioning
4. Working with conservation and registrarial staff, managing storage areas for ceramics and glass and participate in decisions around objects housing and mounting
5. Ensure the ceramics and glass collections (new and existing) have updated catalog entries and information available through the collections access database
6. Conduct original research on the collection and related topics for publication and presentation in various formats both academic and popular
7. Represent the institution in public and private formats including through tours, media, lectures, workshops, and other engagement opportunities
8. Work with the Director of Collections, Exhibitions and Interpretation and Engagement departments, and across the institution to develop solo or group exhibitions in the Winterthur galleries; provide information and support for exhibitions, tours, and other programmatic initiatives in the galleries and house museum
9. Teach as Affiliated Faculty in the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture (WPAMC) two eight-week courses on the history of ceramics and glass
10. Teach on an invitational basis for other courses and programs at Winterthur, including British Design History and in the Winterthur University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation
11. Serve on an invitational basis as thesis advisor to students in the WPAMC program.
12. Consult with Winterthur University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation (WUDPAC) students during their object studies. 
13. Participate in development-related strategy meetings to cultivate new donors and engage with current donors. 
14. Regularly present lectures about Winterthur’s collections to the public. 
15. Regularly publish about the collection

Minimum Experience: Master's degree in history, art history, American studies, or a related field; PhD welcomed, but not required. 3+ years in a curatorial position at a recognized institution with some degree of specialization in ceramics and glass history and technology; exhibitions-related experience, teaching experience or equivalent interpretive experience required.

Preferred Experience: 5-10 years of of experience working with and exhibiting a large material culture collection that includes significant holdings of ceramics and glass; experience teaching objects in a museum setting; comfort and expertise in public speaking donor relations.

Knowledge/Skills:

1. Broad knowledge of material culture with a particular interest and/or strength in ceramics and glass
2. Knowledge of, and comfort working in historic house museum setting as well as exhibition galleries
3. Experience working in a wide variety of storage conditions and knowledge of best practices for collections care
4. Exhibitions-related experience
5. Experience engaging with community members in collections-related projects
6. Experience supporting development-related activities, including donor cultivation and grant writing
7. Knowledge of, and experience working with conservators and preventative care teams
8. Ability to develop and conduct a graduate-level seminar, including syllabus development, readings identification, classroom dynamics management, student project assessment and mentoring, grading, advising
9. Ability to work in a team environment as well as independently
10. Ability to operate PC and full Office suite, EMu collections management software
11. Ability to develop and carry out independent research agenda as well as institutional research needs as required
12. Ability to write and speak to a variety of audiences from scholars to the public
13. Expertise in the technologies related to ceramics and glass production of all kinds

Essential Functions:

1.  Ability to lift and move objects up to 10 lbs.
2. Ability to sit or stand for more than two hours to facilitate collections access, tours, and programming.
3. Ability to travel locally, nationally, and internationally
4. Fluency in English
5. Ability to work at a computer for up to 8 hours each day
6. Ability to stoop, kneel, and crouch. 
7. Ability to carry small and/or unusually shaped objects.
8. Ability to push, pull and navigate carts with collections through narrow passages with and/or without assistance. 
9. Ability to reach objects and supplies in high places, and carry, climb, and balance on ladders.
10. Train for and participate in Winterthur’s Collections Emergency Team
11. Valid driver’s license and ability to successfully complete a defensive driving course to drive to donor visits and to assist with object moves

The work of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance is made possible through the generous support of committed individuals and institutions.