Senior Curator, Prints & Drawings

OVERVIEW OF THE ROLE

The Artistic Programs Portfolio is responsible for the care, loan and presentation of the National collection along with the initiation, development and delivery of the exhibition, touring, publishing and commissioning program at the Gallery. The Australian Art Department is responsible for researching and delivering loan exhibitions, commissioning projects for the contemporary program, as well as researching, building, interpreting, and publishing on the National Gallery’s collection and preparing collection displays.

Prints & Drawings is a stand-alone collection, which reflects the importance that printmaking and drawing have played in the history of visual culture across the globe. The collection of Australian prints, drawings and illustrated books includes 41,700 prints and 25,700 drawings. It includes key holdings from the 18th and 19th centuries as well as in-depth representation of modern art informed by a wide range of local and international movements. The contemporary collection is national in scope and reflects the cultural diversity of Australian art and artists today. The collection of International prints, drawings and illustrated books numbers over 36,000 works and includes deep holdings of French modern art, Russian and Western European avant-garde art, and European and North American Pop and Conceptual art. The collection includes the Kenneth E. Tyler Collection and Archive of prints and printmaking, which charts a history of post war American printmaking through the work of master printer Ken Tyler.

Reporting to the Head Curator, International Art, this position is responsible for leading the Prints & Drawings Department in the development, display, research, interpretation, and promotion of the National Gallery’s extensive collection of Australian and International prints, drawings and illustrated books to strengthen and encourage new ways of understanding and connecting with art and artists. The Department of Prints & Drawings seeks to make available, through display and publication, the collection to the broadest number of people, and expanding access to the collection is paramount.

This position undertakes research and writes publications that enhance the reputation of the National Gallery and its collection. The position is responsible for developing and presenting exhibitions, both onsite and touring, and projects that forge new perspectives and elevate new research to position the National Gallery as a place of scholarship and curatorial excellence. The position oversees the development and refinement of the collection of prints and drawings, through identifying outstanding acquisitions and supporting the ongoing deaccessioning program. The Senior Curator works collaboratively with peers and colleagues through national and international networks to foster relationships with artists and grow the value of the collection ensuring the greatest possible reach and impact.

An order of merit may be established from this selection process and may be used to fill future identical vacancies over the next 12 months. Selection may be based on application and referee reports only.

If you do not wish to be added to an order of merit, please notify us in your application.

This position reports to the Head of International Art and is responsible for leading the Prints and Drawings Department in the development, promotion and maintenance of the Prints and Drawings Collection. This position of Senior Curator, Prints and Drawings is an ongoing full-time role.

CONTACT

Further information about the position may be obtained by contacting Carol Cains on +61 2 6240 6411 or email carol.cains@nga.gov.au