Curator roles and responsibilities

What does a curator do?

With the key responsibilities of educating, inspiring, and intriguing the public, a gallery curator researches, acquires, displays and interprets, cares for and maintains generally a collection of works of art or items/artefacts in a gallery space.

It can be a varied job by including other activities such as public relations, marketing and fundraising. Curators are also expected to prepare budgets, manage staff and build relationships with partners and stakeholders.

Our role within the marketing group has involved some of these elements. And by having work on show in a gallery space currently I have had experience during the module of how Curators employ a sense of "style" in presenting work. In terms of appearance a general look is accomplished through content of images, frames used, presentation methods and display styles etc.

It's essential to construct innovative and creative exhibitions that appeal to a wide cross-section of the general public.
A particularly innovative exhibition I have seen during the course of the mode was at the V&A. A large private collection of jewellery on display was held on small glass pins within glass cabinets, the whole room was then created from glass including a spiral staircase and all elements war underlit with blue and U.V light creating an incredibly modern and contemporary holding for essentially antique and aged jewels and precious jewellery and artefacts. It was a stunning space that intrigued all visitors.

Ref: from online research source: 

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/museum_gallery_curator_job_description.htm

Typical work activities:

The specific responsibilities of a curator can vary from museum to museum. At a small independent museum or gallery, a curator may, in effect, be the manager. This would involve looking after the collection, operations, staff and volunteers. At a large national museum or gallery, on the other hand, a curator may be responsible for one specific area of the collection, for research in a specific field of knowledge and for the management of a small team of assistants and volunteers.

Whatever the size of their workplace, a museum or gallery curator's job is likely to include:

• responsibility for a collection of artefacts or works of art;
• acquiring objects or collections of interest to the museum/gallery;
• cataloguing acquisitions and keeping records;
• carrying out background research and writing catalogues;
• displaying objects or collections in way that makes them accessible and engaging to the general public;
• writing materials and articles for the website;
• writing articles for internal and external publications;
• planning, organising, interpreting and presenting exhibitions and lectures;
• collection documentation and management;
• collaborating  with other museum departments, such as  education, fundraising, marketing and conservation;
• writing bids;
• negotiating loan items and external loans and the accompanying funding;
• handling enquiries from researchers and the public;
• dealing with and understanding computer-generated imagery and website software as part of enhancing the visitor experience and interaction;
• budget planning, forecasting and reporting;
• staff management, recruitment, annual appraisals and disciplinary matters;
• staff training, promotion and development;
• dealing with enquiries from clients and stakeholders;
• liaising with voluntary groups, the community and industry (including schools, local history and other community groups), as well as grant agencies to secure sponsorship for events, publications and development projects;
• liaising with management boards, governors, trustees and local council and political groups to secure the future of the museum;
• networking with other museum and art gallery professionals and outside agencies.