Career Services :: Job Info :: Tasks and specialisations

Career Services :: Job Info :: Tasks and specialisations: "Curator

Tasks & Duties

'Apart from the intellectual level of curatorship - research, development and being able to come up with the idea - there is also the practical side of being able to present the exhibition so that it is accessible and sustainable.'
Bob Maysmor, CuratorThe role of curator is often broken down into a collection curator and an exhibition curator. The collection curator is specifically focused on the collection for which they are responsible (such as the Pacific collection). The exhibition curator can be responsible for a wide range of exhibition subjects.

Curators may do some or all of the following:

research items in the collection
consult with other staff and decide which items to display in exhibitions
find and collect items for exhibitions
decide on items to add to the collection
prepare items from the collection for display
act in consultation with the designer over the design presentation of the display
prepare/write books, booklets and information about exhibitions and collections
enter items into a collection database
organise the repair of damaged items by a conservator
give talks on exhibitions and collections
liaise with art institutes, designers and artists
interpret local history through exhibitions, presentations or publications
store and transport items
train and employ staff
organise maintenance and security of exhibitions.
Specialisations
Curators may specialise in topic areas such as modern art, zoology or Maori history"