Curator, Fine Art OR Senior Curator, Fine Art at Minnesota Historical Society

JOB TITLE: Curator, Fine Art OR Senior Curator, Fine Art

LOCATION: History Center - 345 W Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55102

COMPENSATION: Typical starting range $65,353.60- $81,390.40 annually

STATUS & HOURS: Full-time, regular (approximately 2,080 annual hours) position.

BENEFITS:  Eligible to participate in the State Employee Group Insurance Program and a retirement program with employer contribution.  Generous vacation and sick time accruals with additional paid holidays.

DESIGNATION: Bargaining Unit AFSCME Local 3173 

POSTING DATE: September 15, 2025

DEADLINE DATE: Open until filled

TO APPLY: Interested applicants must apply online at the Minnesota Historical Society’s career center at www.mnhs.org/jobs and include a resume and cover letter by the application deadline date.  

DESCRIPTION:  The Curator, Fine Art, manages, develops, and promotes access to MNHS’s fine art collection. The Curator collaborates with MNHS leadership, the director of Collections, peer curators and collections management colleagues, colleagues across the organization, and with an engaged community of external stakeholders. Working independently as well as part of a team, the Curator is responsible for collection development and access planning (e.g., cataloging, digitization), acquisitions, and interpretation through research, education, exhibits, and other programmatic opportunities. They also pursue and develop equitable and collaborative relationships with collections donors, creators, and the communities and peoples whose stories are represented in MNHS collections. 

The Minnesota Historical Society is hiring a Curator or Senior Curator depending on qualifications. The successful candidate demonstrates active engagement and/or leadership in the field of art history, and related disciplines; has a demonstrated interest in Minnesota history and culture; and is committed to and experienced with fostering and maintaining equitable and respectful partnerships with diverse publics. 

SUMMARY OF WORK:  1) Lead the collaborative work to broaden MNHS’s fine art collection; 2) Play an active or leading role in working with colleagues across MNHS to promote access, discovery, and engagement with MNHS collections; 3) Contribute to MNHS’s commitment to sharing Minnesota history through community engagement and partnerships, locally and nationally; and 4) Contribute to organizational strategic priorities and initiatives through active participation in departmental, committee, and other leadership opportunities.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Advanced degree in art history or related field.

• 6 to 10 years experience in a museum or library field or equivalent. 

• 4 to 8 years of curatorial or collection development experience, or equivalent. 

• Excellent communication skills.

• Demonstrated commitment to working collaboratively.

• Demonstrated interest in and knowledge of Minnesota art, history, and culture. 

• Demonstrated knowledge of areas relevant to fine art collections; as well as intellectual property and copyright law and practices. 

• Experience developing, handling, documenting, and making fine art collections accessible.

• Experience working with donors, in kind and financial; negotiating acquisitions. 

• Commitment to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment that embraces diverse viewpoints and experiences. 

• Active involvement in relevant professional organizations. 

• Record of publication, research, intellectual and scholarly engagement, program development, leadership, or other related activities in a professional context. 

DEMONSTRATED ABILITY TO:

• Work effectively and inclusively with diverse people and groups both internally and externally. Communicate effectively and inclusively in writing, by phone, and in person with diverse audiences and constituencies. 

• Engage audiences in public presentations including lectures, classroom presentations, or other venues. 

• Build community relationships. 

• Use Microsoft Office and Google software and email, as well as, internet and media technologies.

• Take initiative, to work independently and as a member of a team, and to be self-motivated.

• Coordinate work, manage time, and stay organized, including experience with budget oversight.

• Lead projects that incorporate multiple stakeholders. 

KNOWLEDGE OF:

• United States and Minnesota history. 

• MNHS collections. 

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Advanced degree in Art History, Museum studies, History, Library and Information Studies, art, public history, or related field.

• Demonstrated experience in project management. 

• Experience with digital collecting efforts and collections.

Should you have questions with the application process, email [email protected] or call MNHS Job Line at 651-259-3181.   

At MNHS, we don’t just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on diversity for the benefit of our employees, our products and services, and our community. The Minnesota Historical Society believes that an inclusive culture among our team members is critical to our success as a historical society and museum, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. The Minnesota Historical Society is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and employer.