Washington and Lee University

Job Description:

The Associate Director of Curatorial Affairs (ADCA) provides dynamic leadership for the Curatorial Unit of the Art Museums at Washington and Lee University. With a collection of more than 15,000 art objects spanning periods, geographies, and media, the ADCA is charged with the functional care and stewardship of the collection, making the objects accessible to the public, and maximizing its potential and reach.

Reporting to the Director of Art Museum and Galleries, the ADCA serves as the senior art curator and oversees the care and interpretation of the permanent collection, along with the creative and administrative responsibilities of the museum's curatorial and collections team, consisting of four full-time professional staff: Registrar, Collections Manager, curatorial fellow in American Art, and curatorial fellow in Ceramics. The ADCA will play a key role in shaping curatorial policy, including contributing to the development of a comprehensive collecting plan and a three-to-five-year framework for acquisitions. A close collaborator with the Director, the ADCA will offer thoughtful, pragmatic ideas that support the Art Museum’s strategic direction and align with the University’s broader vision.

Washington and Lee University actively promotes a dynamic and inclusive environment that allows students and employees of multiple backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives to learn, work, and thrive together. Successful candidates will contribute to that environment and exhibit potential for excellence in their areas of expertise.

Visit jobs.wlu.edu to learn more about working at W&L, our benefits, community, and living in the area.

About Washington and Lee University:

Washington and Lee University (W&L) is a small liberal arts college nestled in the Virginia mountains, with an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 1,860. W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the U.S., a top-ranked private university located in Lexington (pop. 7,000), a vibrant and picturesque town in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.

About the Museums at Washington and Lee:

The Museums at W&L are part of Academic Affairs, reporting to the Provost’s Office, and comprise two branches: the Art Museum and Galleries and the Institutional History Museum and Galleries. Each branch is dedicated to showcasing distinct collections and exhibitions and to fostering a community inspired by art and W&L’s history.

The Art Museum and Galleries team oversees the art collection, including the Reeves Museum of Ceramics, Watson Galleries, and McCarthy Gallery, while the Institutional History Museum team manages the institutional history collection and oversees the University Chapel and Chapel Galleries and Washington Galleries.

About the Art Museum and Galleries:

The Art Museum and Galleries’ mission is to promote learning through direct engagement with its collections and to foster an interdisciplinary appreciation of art, history, and culture. It achieves this through a variety of permanent and rotating exhibitions that support the liberal arts curriculum, align with the university’s academic objectives, and reflect the varied interests of the community, and offers students and faculty opportunities for research, internships, employment, exhibitions, and programmatic offerings.

The Art Museum and Galleries consist of eight galleries across three sites: the Reeves Museum of Ceramics, Watson Galleries, and McCarthy Gallery. Together, they house an extensive collection of approximately 15,000 objects, spanning centuries, geographies, and media within their decorative and fine arts holdings. The collection ranges from early American portraits and European paintings to a nationally recognized collection of Chinese and Japanese export porcelain, as well as significant works on paper, photographs, and sculptures. The collection traces its origins to a bequest in 1875, when six portraits laid the foundation of the art collection. Over the past 150 years, it has grown to include celebrated works by artists such as Elizabeth Catlett, Fernando Botero, Mohammed Omer Khalil, William Christenberry, Sam Gilliam, Sally Mann, Charles Willson Peale, Gilbert Stuart, and Andy Warhol. Additionally, the museum boasts a substantial collection of East Asian prints, scrolls, and decorative arts, highlighting its global scope.

For more information, visit: museums.wlu.edu.

Essential Functions:

• Working closely with the Director, conceptualize and implement a comprehensive exhibition and permanent collection strategic plan to broaden and strengthen the museum's local, national, and international audience.
• Regularly engage with the core team, consisting of the Visitor Services and Operations Manager and the Curator of Academic Engagement, to collaboratively shape and communicate high-level operational, curatorial, educative, and programmatic decisions, ensuring alignment with the museum’s strategic plan and institutional goals.
• Shapes curatorial policy, including contributing to the development of a comprehensive collecting plan.
• Supervises Registrar, Collection Manager, curatorial fellows, contractors, and/or student interns on projects related to the permanent collection.
• Directs and manages the exhibition program, serves as head curator, assures a high standard of presentation and artistic quality, and oversees the interpretation and stewardship of the collection.
• Collaborates with collections team to develop and implement collection policies, ensuring proper preservation and documentation, and oversees exhibitions and loans.
• Supports research activities related to the collections, such as cataloging, provenance research, and conservation studies.
• Ensures increased community awareness, interest, and appreciation of the permanent collection by conducting lectures, gallery talks, tours, and seminars.
• Fosters engagement by collaborating with faculty and students to pursue curatorial research projects to deepen engagement with the art collection.
• In collaboration with the Education unit, presents lectures, docent training, W&L class sessions, and other programs related to the museum’s exhibitions and collections.
• Researches, writes, and oversees scholarly and interpretive content for publications supporting the permanent collection, working closely with contract and museum staff.
• Oversees the management of operating, project, and program budgets for Curatorial Affairs; identifies funding opportunities for exhibitions and staffing support, assists with grants, and tracks expenditures to ensure adherence to set goals.
• Assists the Director and the Development team in contributing to fundraising initiatives, cultivating prospective individual donors, foundations, and institutional partners to obtain new and important acquisitions and to support exhibitions and select projects; develops and maintains effective relationships with the artists, dealers, collectors, donors, and museum peers.
• In collaboration with W&L Communications, oversees promotional efforts to support exhibition and collection initiatives, including gallery guides, didactic labels, and exhibition-related brochures.
• Demonstrates a commitment to fostering a welcoming museum curatorial practice; ensures that curatorial initiatives are being carried out in alignment with W&L’s values.
• Leads and manages teams with empathy, a high standard of excellence, and accountability, allowing for consensus building and recognition of teamwork. Actively mentors staff in support of their professional development and growth; fosters a culture of trust, collaboration, mutual respect, and teamwork within the Curatorial Affairs, as well as cross-departmentally throughout the Museums.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• M.A. in art history or related field.
• A minimum of three years working in a curatorial role within an art museum or equivalent. Five or more years of applicable experience are desirable.
• Experience in an academic art museum is desirable.
• Broad knowledge of collection management is required.
• Familiarity with collection-management databases.
• Must demonstrate an ability to conceive, organize, and produce exhibitions.
• Knowledge of museum ethics and the legal regulations governing collecting.
• Knowledge of current best practices for art museums as articulated by the American Alliance of Museums and other related professional organizations.
• Valid driver's license and good driving history.

Application Instructions:

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Required materials include:

• Cover letter
• Resume
• Names and contact information for three professional references.

Application instructions for internal and external candidates can be found at https://www.wlu.edu/employment-opportunities/jobs-at-w-l.

Position Type:

Exempt, Full Time, Benefit Eligible

Minimum Pay:

$74,617.00 - Pay Commensurate with Experience

Washington and Lee is an Equal Opportunity Employer seeking candidates committed to high standards of scholarship, performance, professionalism, and to a welcoming campus community. Job description requirements are representative, but not all‐inclusive of the knowledge, skill, and abilities needed to successfully perform this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.