Senior Director of Curatorial Affairs. the client is a museum that connects Seattle with modern and contemporary art and artists, with an emphasis on amplifying the voices of living artists. The museum collects, exhibits, and builds community around a wide range of contemporary work, and presents special exhibitions and thematic programming that may include regional, national, and international loan-based shows. the client also maintains a founding collection of historic oil paintings and continues to expand it through gifts and acquisitions, including recent efforts that emphasize living artists and perspectives that have been historically underrepresented. the client seeks a strategic, collaborative, and visionary Senior Director of Curatorial Affairs to oversee the curatorial and collections departments during a period of institutional growth. Working as part of the senior leadership team and as a key partner to the Executive Director, this role shapes and stewards the museum’s curatorial vision by aligning the museum’s collection strengths in late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century European and American realism with its mission-driven commitments to modern and contemporary art and artists. The Senior Director will lead a small curatorial team to realize innovative, inclusive, and rigorous exhibitions, while developing accessible textual strategies that help broad audiences engage with complex concepts and artistic practices. The Senior Director of Curatorial Affairs will also oversee the study, care, growth, and diversification of the museum’s collection, and serve as a scholar-practitioner who can balance storytelling with institutional strategy. Key responsibilities include collaborative leadership and strategic oversight for curatorial, collections, and registration functions; managing people and processes; mentoring mid-career and emerging talent; and building meaningful partnerships across the museum and beyond. This is an opportunity for a curatorial leader to play a defining role in shaping Seattle’s cultural landscape and elevating the institution through its evolving program and milestone moments.
