Assistant Curator of Latin American Art and Culture

Job Description
Job Summary Gilcrease Museum which houses an interdisciplinary collection representing the diverse heritage of the Americas seeks an intellectually curious creative and self-motivated individual to be its inaugural Assistant Curator of Latin American Art and Culture. The Assistant Curator of Latin American Art and Culture will lead exhibitions acquisitions research and interpretation within Gilcreases broad visual culture and archival collections. These include fine art from the 16th through 20th centuries from throughout the Americas ranging from Spanish colonial retablos and work by Juan Correa to paintings drawings and prints by Diego Rivera Miguel Covarrubias Jos Clemente Orozco Maria Izquierdo and Rufino Tamayo as well as recent work by Mexican folk and self-taught addition Gilcrease holds one of the most significant collections in the United States of manuscripts documents and rare books pertaining to European settlement and conflicts across New Spain from the Caribbean and present-day Mexico to South America dating from the 16th to 19th centuries. These objects stories are intricately intertwined with other museum holdings notably collections of cultural material spanning more than 2000 years including works by Incan Moche Mayan Panamanian (Gran Cocl) Mixtec Aztec Zapotec Toltec and West Mexican (Occidentale) creators. Furthermore Gilcrease has nearly encyclopedic representation of Taos School artists and broad artistic and historical collections pertaining to the American Southwest within its holdings of Indigenous and non-Indigenous objects from the present-day United States. The Assistant Curator of Latin American Art and Culture will participate on a seven-member curatorial team and collaborate with other museum departments reporting to the Director of Curatorial Affairs. Primary duties include researching and cataloguing the collection; developing dynamic long-term temporary and traveling exhibitions; identifying and bringing traveling exhibitions to Gilcrease; and raising national and international visibility for Gilcreases work and for its collections. This role will also promote equity and inclusion of the Latinx community around all Gilcrease exhibitions and programs and it will build and maintain community relationships to collaboratively celebrate and advocate for Latin American art and culture for a variety of audiences and constituents. Key Opportunities The Assistant Curator of Latin American Art and Culture will join Gilcrease as the museum prepares for its public reopening in early 2027 in a new 83500-square-foot building. With this watershed moment Gilcrease is also embracing an intersectional approach to managing and displaying its 200000 objects. This includes interdisciplinary galleries that juxtapose objects from different times places and cultures as well as increased attention to Indigenous histories and makers. Recognition for the breadth and quality of the Latin American collections is integral to this interpretative plan and as the inaugural team member in this role the Assistant Curator of Latin American Art and Culture will shape and magnify the visibility of these works and their adjacent histories. Key opportunities include: Strategic Leadership: Contribute leadership to the reimagining of the Gilcrease brand visitor experience and curatorial department structure. Museum Transformation: Participate in the installation and reopening programs for Gilcreases new museum building. Collection Visibility: Help catalogue exhibit publish and promote previously under-utilized portions of the collection in conversation with staff conservators visiting researchers and other experts including community members (locally nationally and abroad). Exhibitions Excellence: Organize and curate exhibitions for Gilcreases expanded galleries and traveling exhibitions program. Academic Profile: Engage with students faculty and library resources at the University of Tulsa a top 100 private research university. Scholarly Growth: Initiate and lead projects on both historical and contemporary topics steered by the curators expertise and curiosity. Essential Functions (Responsibilities): Exhibitions Curates and presents temporary long-term and traveling museum exhibitions utilizing Gilcrease collections and loans. Supports the implementation and public unveiling of Gilcreases new Interpretive Plan contributing to the presentation of interdisciplinary narratives in the new museum building. Collections Collaborates with collections stewards conservators and other staff to support access and care of Gilcreases collections of Latin American art and material culture and related works. Creates and implements a collections development plan for Latin American art and cultural materials including leadership of acquisitions through gift and purchase. Assists the curators of Indigenous art collections stewards and other staff in conducting consultations regarding Indigenous collection items particularly from communities in Central and South America and present-day Mexico. Contributes to an interdepartmental team to develop collections policies museum operations and programming that build and strengthen Gilcreases relationships with the communities throughout the Americas from which its collections originate. Research Conducts scholarly research on the Gilcrease collection for exhibitions and publications including digital and online resources. Investigates connections between contemporary Latinx art and culture and historical narratives and across geographic political linguistic and other lines. Fosters and maintains positive working relationships with museum colleagues across the U.S. and beyond as well as with scholars gallerists collectors living artists and a diverse array of community advisors. Promotes Gilcrease nationally and internationally through publishing and presenting at conferences universities and other external venues. Service Collaborates with the Associate Curator of Contemporary Culture and Community on community-driven curatorial projects including exhibitions performances installations and visiting artist collaborations. Develops on-site public and educational programming in coordination with the Learning & Community Engagement Department including public lectures symposia media programs and museum tours. Liaises with and builds strong ongoing relationships with outside stakeholders including museum supporters citizens of Tulsa regional artists and arts organizations and national and international communities with ties to Gilcreases collections and mission. Facilitates research by visiting scholars and responds to public and professional inquiries relating to the Latin American collections and areas of expertise. Supervises or co-supervises curatorial department interns and volunteers. Conducts staff and docent training. Serves on Gilcrease interdepartmental teams to enhance operations communication and staff culture across the museum. Development Assists in preparing and writing applications and reports for grants supporting exhibitions and the care and interpretation of the collection. Interacts with donors board members The University of Tulsa staff and volunteers; conducts VIP tours as requested. Performs other duties as assigned. Working Environment: The Gilcrease workweek is Monday Friday 8 hours a day 40 hours per week. Curatorial staff currently have a hybrid work schedule pending establishment of a new curatorial research center for on-site work in offices inside the historic Thomas Gilcrease House (1913) anticipated for completion in fall 2025. Occasionally working evenings or weekends due to special events may be required and occasional overnight travel may occur.

Physical Demands
Physical dexterity is required sufficient for using a keyboard and telephone; carrying pushing and pulling up to 50 pounds. The position may be subject to extended periods of walking standing sitting reaching balancing bending kneeling handling climbing and twisting. The curator must have visual acuity to closely examine small objects and speech and hearing sufficient to interact with co-workers and to communicate well with professional and general audiences. Responsibilities require working with highly sensitive or confidential information.

Required Qualifications
Required Qualifications: Knowledge/Skill/Ability Recognized scholarly expertise in any area of Latin American and/or Latino art and culture including Spanish Colonial Chicano or Caribbean studies demonstrated through publications and conference participation Excellent communication skills: writing public speaking and interpretation for both scholarly and general audiences Ability to creatively interpret and present interdisciplinary museum collections Demonstrated ability to collaborate as a team member with staff and volunteers Cultural sensitivity and ability to reach out and work with diverse communities including communities of cultures associated with Gilcrease collections and constituents served by Gilcrease Museum Demonstrated ability to manage concurrent projects establish priorities and meet deadlines while maintaining high attention to detail Enthusiasm for engaging with the public and creating welcoming museum experiences for all Fluency in Spanish both written and oral Equivalent Education/Experience Bachelors degree from an accredited university or college in art history history studio art anthropology Latinx studies American studies museum studies or related field. Two to five years of work experience (including fellowships and internships) in a museum or cultural heritage setting with experience in exhibitions development

Preferred Qualifications
Preferred Qualifications Masters degree from an accredited university or college in art history history studio art anthropology Latinx studies American studies museum studies or closely related field. Experience integrating technology into exhibitions programs and research A robust network in the global Latinx cultural community including international research and/or collaborative work experiences abroad Proficiency in PC or Mac software applications including Word Excel PowerPoint and Outlook Experience with The Museum Systems ( TMS ) or other collection databases Proven grant-writing experience Knowledge of the American Alliance of Museums and School for Advanced Research best practices for the care and maintenance of collections Ability to evaluate museum objects as to condition authenticity origin and quality; and to help identity conservation needs Additional scholarly scope: Interest in art of the Ancient Americas and Indigenous cultural material from Mexico Central and South America is desired Additional language skills: Facility with dialects of Spanish early modern Spanish paleography and Indigenous languages such as Nahuatl and Mixteco is potentially valuable to this role. Gilcrease will support the curators professional development in such areas.