2024 CURATOR AFRICAN ART JOB AT WITS ART MUSEUM
Deadline
27 September 2024
Opportunity Description
Wits Art Museum is home to a permanent collection of over 12 000 classical, modern and contemporary African artworks, that have been developed at Wits University since the late 1920s. It occupies a high profile position in Braamfontein at the interface between the university and the city. The museum serves the needs of diverse constituencies including the general public, schools and tertiary education through an active exhibitions and education programme.
This newly created position will suit an individual committed to a career in an art museum and with a passion for the role of art museums in society.
Key responsibilities include
- acquisitions, management, maintenance, research for the museum’s permanent collection of African artworks.
- Exhibitions programme conceptualisation, development and organisation
- Curating and facilitating of various exhibitions in the programme. Some exhibitions are drawn from the museum’s holdings while others are curated by independent curators or institutional partners.
Requirements
- BA (Hons) (History of Art or Fine Arts). (Curatorial or Archive Studies would also be considered provided a significant number of Art History courses have also been completed.) MA (Art History, Fine Arts, Curatorial, Archive Studies) and/ or a post-graduate certificate in curatorial or museum studies would be advantageous.
- Knowledge of classical, historical, modern and contemporary African art practice, history and debates is essential. (Applicants with expertise in 1 or 2 of these areas and an interest in and willingness to develop competence in additional areas will also be considered.)
- Experience inexhibition conceptualisation and implementation (project management, exhibition design, installation and lighting)
- Research, writing, editing and publishing skills
- Collections management and administration including database management
- Spoken and written fluency in English and one or more additional official South African languages
- Demonstrable experience with fundraising and proposal writing
- Familiarity with safe art handling practices and basic conservation oversight
- Microsoft Office competence including Word, Excel and Outlook
The position also requires excellent verbal and written communications skills; networking skills; a willingness and capacity to work both collaboratively and independently and within the constraints of an institutional bureaucracy. The incumbent should be motivated, energetic, creative, resilient and professional. Detail orientation and a methodical, meticulous approach are essential.
The staff complement at WAM is very small so applicants should also be willing to participate in practical mundane museum activities such as carrying and wrapping of artwork, glass cleaning etc with a positive, can-do attitude. Occasional participation in after-hours museum activities is required.
This is a full-time fixed-period 3-year contract post with a 6 months’ probation.
How to Apply
To apply, please submit a letter of motivation and full CV; names, email addresses and telephone numbers of three contactable referees and copies of your degree certificates. Please note that applications will not be considered without a letter of motivation.
External applicants are invited to apply, by registering their profile on the Wits i-recruitment platform located at https://irec.wits.ac.za and submitting their application.
The University is committed to employment equity. Preference will be given to appointable applicants from the underrepresented designated groups in terms of the relevant employment equity plans and policies of the University.
The University retains the right not to make an appointment, to advertise and to verify all information provided by candidates.
For more information on this position, contact Julia.Charlton@wits.ac.za or (011 717 1363.) Please note this contact is for enquiries about the job content. Please do not submit applications via this contact.