The New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) seeks an innovative and experienced specialist for a newly endowed position of Curator of the Arts of the Americas. The successful candidate will establish priorities for collections research, acquisition, exhibition development, installation, interpretive strategies, conservation, and programming. Additionally, the candidate will be expected to participate in a full range of scholarly and public programming activities, as well as in the cultivation and stewardship of collectors and donors. 

The curator will steward a diverse collection of objects from North, Central, and South America, spanning over 2500 years. This broad collection includes Art of the Americas pre-1500, colonial Latin American art, modern and contemporary art, and Indigenous North American artwork. Among the strengths of the Museum’s holdings is the collection of paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts, produced after the Spanish invasion and the establishment of the Spanish viceroyalties. Works of art from the major Mesoamerican cultures are also a collection focus. Indigenous North American works, including works from the Northwest Coast, beadwork from the Plains, Plateau and Northeast Coast cultures, and ceramics and baskets from the Southwest, comprise the majority of NOMA’s holdings.

This position provides the opportunity for research, interpretation, and re-presentation of this material, as well as the ability to grow the scope of the collection into the 20th and 21st centuries. The successful candidate is expected to partner with regional, national, and international colleagues in the field. The curator will act as a resource for sharing information about the ethics of collecting and repatriation. 

The successful candidate will have 3-5 years of curatorial experience, including exhibition development and organization, acquisitions, scholarly achievement, public speaking, and collaborative programming. The candidate should be familiar with new technologies and their impact on the field. A Master’s degree with a specialization in the history of art or related field is required, a Ph.D. is preferred. The candidate is expected to have demonstrable expertise in at least one of the areas that parallel the collection’s strengths and have conducted research in the regions of their specializations.

Essential to the position are excellent written and oral communication skills and the ability to work in a highly collaborative environment that requires both flexibility and participation in organizational systems. Proficiency in English and fluency in Spanish are required.

Applicants should submit a resume, a one to two-page narrative describing interest, and up to five professional references to HR@noma.org.