Curator /Senior Curator of Modern & Contemporary Design, National Museums Scotland
Start Date: Not Available 
Salary: £28,012 - £35,697  
Location: National Museum Of Scotland, Chambers Street 
Level: Curatorial 
Deadline: 02/06/2017 23:59 
Hours: 37.00 
Benefits: plus membership of Civil Service pension scheme 
Job Type: Permanent 
 
  
National Museums Scotland is one of the leading museum groups in Europe. With one of the largest and most diverse collections in the world, we are responsible for the acquisition, preservation and display of a substantial part of Scotland’s cultural, historic and national heritage. 

Millions of local and international visitors enjoy our four museums each year, and we also introduce our collections to a much wider audience than can physically visit our museums through, touring exhibitions, loans, community engagement, digital programmes and research.

Over the past decade, we have invested over £110 million in our collections, our museums and the experiences we provide for our visitors. Alongside this, we have continued to transform how we communicate and engage with our audiences. This year, the continuing implementation of our Masterplan for the National Museum of Scotland has seen the opening of ten inspiring galleries of fashion, applied art and design and of science and technology. At the National Museum of Flight further investment has enabled us to make a step change in the visitor experience through the restoration of two historic hangers and creation of new displays.

You will curate, develop and make accessible the collection of British, European and other ‘Western’ glass, ceramics, metalware, jewellery and industrial design circa 1945-present, within the Department of Art and Design. Your duties will include responsibility for the collections; acquisitions; exhibitions; research; publications; and answering public enquiries. This role will also include the upgrading of the Museums’ database.

You must have a degree (or equivalent) in history of art, history of design, or history, and preferably a postgraduate qualification in a related subject. This is an early to mid-career post and you must have experience of working in a museum environment, as well as being knowledgeable and enthusiastic about an area or areas of post-1945 design. You should be able to demonstrate best practice in collections management. It is expected that you will have experience of undertaking research, responding to public enquiries and of preparing and delivering presentations. In addition to good verbal and written communication skills in English, you will have ICT skills in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel and Outlook, together with knowledge of collections management databases. You must also be able to demonstrate your ability to plan and organise your workload, manage projects and build relationships within and outside of National Museums Scotland.

The collections of the Department of Art and Design are of international importance and include unique and outstanding examples Western decorative art and design. Many of the finest works are now on display in the four new Heritage Lottery-funded galleries of art and design which opened in early July 2016. The Department is divided into three sections – Medieval, European Decorative Art 1500-1850, and Modern and Contemporary Design, 1850- Present.   The successful applicant will work to the Principal Curator of Modern & Contemporary Design

The Museums’ collections of Modern and Contemporary Design have been steadily built up over the past 150 years and have recently been expanded by a number of significant donations, such as the Dan Klein and Alan J. Poole collection of contemporary glass, and a recent anonymous donation of Modernist and industrial design. The museum also holds one of the most important contemporary jewellery collections in Britain, including important works by Wendy Ramshaw and David Watkins, as well as significant holdings of British and Northern European Modernist jewellery by Torun, Andrew Grima and Grete Prytz Kittelsen, and ceramics by Picasso, Braque, Cocteau, Hans Coper, Lucy Rie, and Bernard Leach. It is envisioned that the successful applicant would work to further develop the collections through acquisitions and donations, to build relationships with artists, donors and dealers, as well as developing exhibitions, research projects and funding bids relevant to the National Collections.

 
For further information and application details please visit our website:

https://vacancies.nms.ac.uk/VacancyDetails.aspx?FromSearch=True&MenuID=&VacancyID=100