Position: Curator of African Collections and African Diasporic Art

The Albany Museum of Art is seeking a collaborative, thoughtful, and intellectually curious museum professional to serve as Curator of African Collections and African Diasporic Art. This is an exceptional opportunity for a museum professional to contribute to the stewardship of one of the largest collections of traditional Sub-Saharan African art in the Southeast outside of a university setting, as well as to support the expansion of the Museum’s interpretation of African, African American, and African diasporic art for a wide and diverse audience.

The AMA is poised for an extraordinary phase of growth as it anticipates its upcoming relocation to downtown Albany. In close collaboration with the Director of Curatorial Affairs, the Executive Director, and the Director of Education & Public Programming, the Curator will contribute to the development of exhibitions, collections research, interpretation, public programs, and community-focused initiatives that will advance the AMA’s mission to bring the art of the South and the world, and the art of the world to the South.

About the Museum:

The Albany Museum of Art began in the early 1960s as the Southwest Georgia Art Association, founded by a group of Albany, Georgia, residents. The organization became the Albany Museum of Art in 1980. In 1983, it moved to its current facility at 311 Meadowlark Drive with a Phillips Collection exhibition of American Impressionism and a permanent installation of AMA’s collection of traditional African art.

The AMA’s growing collection now includes 19th-, 20th-, and 21st-century American and European paintings, works on paper, sculpture, watercolors, prints, photographs, Studio Glass, and one of the largest collections of traditional Sub-Saharan African art in the Southeast outside of a university setting. The museum was accredited by the American Alliance of Museums in the early 1990s and continues to be so recognized.

In 2017, the AMA sustained considerable damage from storms that led to a temporary closure and an extensive period of recovery. With the efforts of staff, trustees, conservators, and community partners, the museum protected its collection and restored its galleries, and has since emerged from that challenging time with new focus and momentum.

The AMA is currently preparing for an expanded presence and transformational move to a new site in downtown Albany. The future museum site was donated in 2019, and will allow the institution to expand the visitor experience, strengthen its role as a cultural anchor, and further its service to Albany and Southwest Georgia, and the region.

Our Mission

The Albany Museum of Art brings the art of the South to the world, and the art of the world to the South. We build connections with individuals and communities to inspire curiosity, appreciation, understanding, and passion for art. We engage diverse experiences and perspectives in our audiences through relevant exhibitions, events, collection preservation, research, and educational programming.

Our Vision

As a premier arts and cultural hub for the Southwest Georgia region, we will grow our organization to create a fully accessible location downtown where all are welcome and can celebrate diversity, uniqueness, and creativity through shared experiences of art. We will accomplish this through authentic engagement with our communities, and by fostering a workplace that uplifts a dedicated and talented team which delivers on its goals of excellence in all our departments and projects.

Our Values

CREATIVE We deliver high quality, inspiring exhibitions and programs.

COURAGEOUS We dare to be a forum for community dialogue and contemplation.

ENGAGING We are passionate about being a place of inclusion, trust, and welcome.

EDUCATIONAL We create innovative learning opportunities tailored to our visitors and programs.

EVOLVING We evolve with and for the communities we serve.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:

The Albany Museum of Art is seeking a thoughtful, collaborative, and intellectually engaged museum professional to join our staff as Curator of African Collections and African Diasporic Art. This full-time, curatorial position reports to the Director of Curatorial Affairs and works closely with the Executive Director, the Director of Education & Public Programming, and the rest of the AMA team.

The Curator will assist in stewarding, researching, interpreting, and presenting the AMA’s Sub-Saharan African collection as well as supporting the museum’s growing interpretation of and engagement with African, African American, and African diasporic art, history, material culture, and visual culture more broadly. The Curator will work on exhibitions, collections research and interpretation, public programs and community engagement, and the museum’s broader curatorial vision in a period of significant institutional growth and transition.

The ideal candidate will be an excellent researcher, writer, communicator, and colleague. They should be comfortable working on the development of exhibitions and writing interpretive materials and support documents, working with artists and lenders, and collaborating across departments and areas of expertise. The Curator should be prepared to use exhibitions as platforms for inquiry, dialogue, and reflection on historical, cultural, artistic, and contemporary questions and themes, including identity, memory, justice, migration, community, belonging, and other topics as they relate to African, African American, and African diasporic art and visual culture.

In collaboration with the Director of Curatorial Affairs, the Curator of African Collections and African Diasporic Art will:

• Research, interpret, document, and help steward the AMA’s African collection with attention to historical context, artistic significance, provenance, cultural meaning, and contemporary interpretation.
• Develop and help organize exhibitions drawn from the AMA’s permanent collection as well as exhibitions involving borrowed works, including object research, artist and lender research, image selection, interpretive planning, and exhibition writing.
• Contribute to the museum’s expanding interpretation of African, African American, and African diasporic art through exhibitions, installations, public programs, publications, digital content, and community-centered initiatives.
• Shape exhibition concepts, themes, narratives, and interpretive goals in collaboration with curatorial, education, collections, communications, and development staff.
• Draft, edit, and fact-check exhibition labels, didactic texts, catalogue essays, gallery guides, web content, marketing copy, grant language, donor materials, and other public-facing interpretive materials as needed.
• Support the development of media, film, audio, digital, and interactive interpretation for exhibitions and collection-based projects.
• Assist with collections care, documentation, cataloguing, condition reporting, object handling, storage, and research related to the museum’s African collection and other works in the permanent collection as assigned.
• Work collaboratively with the Education & Public Programming department to develop tours, curricula, lectures, gallery programs, community conversations, school resources, and other forms of audience engagement.
• Build and maintain relationships with artists, scholars, lenders, collectors, cultural partners, educators, community members, and peer institutions.
• Coordinate with exhibition consultants, artists, lenders, preparators, designers, conservators, photographers, and contractors as assigned.
• Assist with exhibition installation and deinstallation, including gallery preparation, object handling, label placement, condition checks, and related logistical support.
• Conduct and support original research on African, African American, and African diasporic art, history, material culture, and visual culture, as well as related topics that align with the museum’s mission and strategic priorities.
• Help identify opportunities for exhibitions, acquisitions, publications, partnerships, grants, public programs, and collection-based research that strengthen the AMA’s curatorial program and public impact.
• Represent the museum, as appropriate, through gallery talks, public programs, donor conversations, media opportunities, professional conferences, written materials, and community events.
• Assist in shaping a long-term vision for the museum’s exhibition program, with emphasis on strong scholarship, visitor experience, community relevance, accessibility, and meaningful relationships with artists, scholars, educators, lenders, and the public.
• Perform other related duties as assigned in support of the museum’s mission, collections, exhibitions, programs, and forthcoming downtown facility.

Location: Albany, Georgia, United States

Position Title: Curator of African Collections and African Diasporic Art

Company Name: Albany Museum of Art

Job Type: Full-Time

Job Duration: Indefinite

Min Education: Master's Degree

Min Experience: 5-7 Years

Salary: $44,000 annually

Contact:

The Albany Museum of Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to diversity, accessibility, equity, and inclusion. Confidential inquiries, applications, and recommendations are welcome. Please email cover letter and resume to Katie Dillard, at katie.dillard@albanymuseum.com with “Curator Position” in the subject line.