Position: Curator (Fine Art)

Manager: Chief Curator

Department: Collections & Exhibitions Division

Status: Exempt

Date Updated: May 2026

F/T Monday-Friday

Job Summary:

The Historic New Orleans Collection (HNOC) is seeking an experienced, enthusiastic, curatorial professional with museum collection experience and a passion for local and regional art for the role of Curator specializing in fine art. HNOC is a proud steward of New Orleans and Gulf South history that functions as a museum, research center, and publisher in the heart of the French Quarter. Our museum’s fine art collection includes paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture, artists’ archives, and artifacts.

This full-time position reports to HNOC’s Chief Curator and is responsible for building, preserving, exhibiting and interpreting HNOC’s fine art collection. The curator is part of a dynamic team of curatorial and collections care professionals and has varied stewardship, interpretive, and outreach duties. The ideal candidate will have the requisite subject knowledge, professional museum experience, and excellent interpersonal skills. The candidate should be able to work well both independently and collaboratively,  be flexible, and embrace changes required by institutional and departmental priorities.

The Historic New Orleans Collection offers the following benefits:

• Competitive salary
• Medical, dental and vision insurance for employees and dependents (children and opposite or same sex spouse/domestic partners). Medical insurance includes treatment for gender dysphoria.
• Employer-paid life, long term disability, and AD&D insurance
• Optional critical illness or accidental injury insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Account
• Professional development and tuition assistance 
• Paid parental leave
• Paid time off and 12 paid holidays per year 
• Gym membership
• Parking reimbursement 
• Work/life balance 
• Opportunity to work in the iconic French Quarter of New Orleans with passionate, engaged, and respectful colleagues 

The Historic New Orleans Collection centers diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion at the core of everything we do. We are committed to becoming a more diverse and inclusive workplace, an organization that epitomizes the best practices in our field, and a community institution that truly reflects and supports our visitors, our neighbors, and our home. To that end, we actively encourage and welcome applications from members of underrepresented and marginalized groups. We are committed to employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or expression, Veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The below duties and responsibilities are essential core functions of this position. Other duties may be assigned as needed.

• Advise on additions to the fine art collection through solicited donations and suggested purchases in accordance with HNOC’s Collections Development Plan and in alignment with institutional goals.
• Advise the Collections and Preparation teams on the appropriate description, storage, conservation, and insurance valuation of HNOC’s fine art collection.
• Work collaboratively on exhibitions drawing upon the fine art collection, including object selection, interpretation, and appropriate display, as well as advising on exhibit-related visitor engagement and programming.
• Engage in collections-based scholarship to be published in exhibition catalogues, HNOC’s Quarterly journal, online First Draft articles, and other popular or scholarly publications.
• Share scholarship via lectures, symposia, conference presentations, and other applicable formats.
• Develop and maintain professional affiliations with curatorial colleagues at other institutions and attend and present at conferences and professional events on behalf of HNOC.
• Cultivate long-term relationships with donors, collectors, scholars, established and emerging local artists, art dealers, and community members to attract and secure works of fine art and fine art collections. 
• Work with HNOC’s Development department to attract acquisition and exhibition funds.
• Provide exhibition and collections care support to other HNOC curators and staff as needed.
• Aid HNOC’s Williams Research Center reference staff, visiting scholars, and the public with questions related to HNOC’s fine art collection.
• Assist with internship projects related to HNOC’s fine art collection, including occasional direct oversight of interns’ work.
• Effectively communicate with HNOC team members and other members of the community, while contributing to and sustaining a positive and supportive workplace.
• Adhere to the rules, policies, and standards outlined in HNOC’s Employee Handbook.
• Other duties as assigned.

Job Qualifications:

Below are the minimum requirements necessary for this position.

• Master’s degree in history, art history, or a related field.
• Minimum of three years of related experience working with art collections in a museum or university art gallery, with demonstrated proficiency in areas of art historical scholarship, connoisseurship, acquisitions, and collections care.
• Experience curating or co-curating exhibitions in a museum or university art gallery, and a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with museum team members on exhibition projects from proposal through production and post-opening responsibilities.
• Knowledge of art conservation standards and techniques and ability to appropriately handle accessioned museum artworks.
• Exceptional knowledge of New Orleans and Louisiana art, artists, art organizations, history, and other art-holding institutions in the city and state and their holdings.
• Broad knowledge of American painting, sculpture, prints, and drawings.
• Experience working with scholars, private collectors, dealers, auction house personnel, community stakeholders, and members of the general public. 
• Ability to build and sustain effective and productive interpersonal relationships with museum staff, prospective donors, and members of the public.
• Exemplary writing skills, compelling public speaking presence, and excellent oral and written communication skills, as well as strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Demonstrated proficiency with personal computers and software, and office applications including the Microsoft Office suite, especially Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams/ SharePoint, and PowerPoint, and other productivity software, and proficiency with museum collection software.
• Ability to work as part of a team and collaborate with others as well as demonstrated ability to work independently. 
• Ability to be flexible and responsive to an evolving work environment. 
• Ability to meet deadlines.

Preferred Job Qualifications:

• Experience in art or collections-related internal appraisals and/or insurance valuations.
• Experience with art condition and conservation assessments.
• Experience or familiarity with fine art shipping and/or storage processes.

Working Conditions:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to remain in a stationary position, move throughout the properties and other sites, operate a computer and other office machinery, inspect collections, and position self to work at workstation. This position regularly moves objects up to 40 pounds. This position consistently communicates with co-workers and others and observes, inspects, and assesses collections, art, materials, and related materials.