• Establish and grow the museum’s relationships with colleagues and institutions in Africa, developing partnerships and collaborations that are mutually beneficial and result in exhibitions, publications and exchanges between institutions.

• Position the Nelson-Atkins as a leader in defining an object-oriented training model for students of African art in concert with academic programs.

• Consider the museum’s audiences as a starting point when creating exhibitions and programs and actively work to expand and enhance audience perception of the African continent.

• Collaborate and engage with communities in Kansas City as well as regional, national and international audiences through curatorial and academic colleagues, dealers, collectors, artists and board affiliations.

• Develop patrons, collectors and donors.

Specific duties will include:

• Represent the museum as the spokesperson for the African collection to its many constituencies both internally and externally.

• Assist and advise the Director and CEO and Director of Curatorial Affairs on matters concerning the interpretation, display, documentation, provenance and care of the collection.

• Build relationships in the community to encourage and develop collaborations with appropriate organizations and maintain a high professional profile locally, nationally and internationally.

• Develop with Director and CEO and the Director of Curatorial Affairs short- and long-term goals for programs related to the collection and exhibitions.

• Perform within a team-based environment to elevate the visibility and development of the African art collection through acquisitions, installations, exhibitions and publications.

• Collaborate with curatorial colleagues in the departments of Global Contemporary, Global Modern, Photography, European art, American Art and Architecture, Design and Decorative Arts on collection research and acquisitions.

• Work with the conservation department on the care, condition and treatment of the collection.

• Work as a collaborative member of teams of designers, educators, conservators, marketers, etc. to plan installations, exhibitions and to write, edit and produce materials for the collection and exhibitions, including brochures, audio guides, videos, advanced technology aids and other educational tools.

• Develop a strong network of colleagues locally, nationally and internationally to activate the African program through object research, exciting exhibitions and partnerships in order to ensure a rich and vital program.

• Evaluate with education staff all programs for quality, audience attendance, educational content, cost effectiveness, etc.

• Reinvigorate and provide leadership to the existing docent program by enhancing the training program.

• Identify and engage guest speakers for programs (working in collaboration with colleagues).

• Partner with the Development division to secure funding for exhibitions, programs and acquisitions and cultivate donors to build the collection.

• Liaise with artists, galleries and lenders to secure gifts to the collection and loans for exhibitions.

• Present proposed acquisitions to the Director and CEO and the Director of Curatorial Affairs.

• Research and publish articles and create catalogues about the collection.

• Conduct tours and lectures on the permanent collection for docents, donors, the general public and the media.

The new curator of African art must have a strong vision and commitment to building the African art collection. They must be imaginative and be a leader with a deep passion for the visual arts. They must be an effective manager and team player who can work successfully in a dynamic and collaborative environment and must have a track record in developing and implementing innovative programs that reflect knowledge of current issues in African art. They must work cooperatively with outside stakeholders to integrate African art programs into all kinds of activities. S/he must have:

• Master’s Degree in art history or the humanities, Ph.D. preferred. The focus of the collection is traditional, historical African art spanning 2,500 years.

• Understanding of curatorial practices and methodologies.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

• Strategic thinking, good implementation, and adherence to project timelines.

• Experience creating and managing budgets, with a successful record of fiscal responsibility.

• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills.

• Ability to operate in a team-based environment.

• Experience building collections and working with leadership in acquisitions, exhibitions and managing budgets.

• Ability and willingness to work with a wide range of audiences, donors and stakeholders.

• Commitment to diversity and to serving the needs of a diverse community.

• Strong record of leadership in the field and relationships with curators in the field in the US, Africa and Europe.