Collection Curator and Archivist

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Job Title:Collection Curator and Archivist

Department:Undergraduate Education | Frank W. Hale, Jr. Black Cultural Center

Position Summary

The Hale Black Cultural Center seeks a strategically minded professional to lead the stewardship, development, and activation of its African American art collection. In alignment with the Office of Academic Affairs’ directive, this role will strengthen the connection between HBCC’s mission and the collection by improving digital and physical accessibility, expanding community engagement, and elevating the visibility of the works through programming, partnerships, and scholarship.

The position serves as the primary collection advocate—supporting archival infrastructure, building donor and artist relationships, coordinating collection-centered events, and representing the cultural and historical significance of the archive within the university and broader community.

Major Duties & Responsibilities

A. Collection Stewardship & Development

• Maintain and advance archival systems that support preservation, organization, and ongoing documentation of materials.

• Assist in securing and managing gift and loan agreements, reproduction rights, and related documentation.

• In collaboration with the Campus Art Collection Manager, oversee collection care: art handling, preservation practices, climate considerations, and display protocols.

• Develop metadata systems, finding aids, and digital frameworks for online access and visibility.

• Ensure accessibility of artworks for tours, teaching, curriculum use, and research inquiries.

• Assist in creating structured processes that enable faculty, practitioners, and students to access and work with the collection.

Conduct or support the writing of catalogue entries and artist documentation.

• Advise on acquisition of new work, where funding allows

• Assist in representing the collection compellingly to donors, funders, and institutional partners.

• Collaborate to cultivate donor pathways and secure resources while ensuring donors and contributors feel confident in the long-term care, visibility, and legacy of their work.

• Assist in building trust with artists, their families, and estates; conduct oral histories and archival interviews.

• Integrate collection names and donor acknowledgments into exhibitions and calls for participation.

B. Community Engagement and Strategic Programming

• Treat the archive as a living community resource informed by regional and historical contexts.

• Cultivate relationships that support strategic acquisitions and continued growth of the archive.

• Reconnect artworks to the communities, artists, and cultural networks that shaped them.

• Partner with local artists, cultural organizations, arts institutions, and regional creative ecosystems to elevate the visibility of the collection and the history of the communities from which it came.

• Situate the collection in broader discourses around art history and cultural production.

• Support art-making opportunities, student workshops, and collaborative programs tied directly to the collection.

• Curate student gallery shows, site-responsive installations, and community-engaged exhibitions, including overseeing art handling and installation.

• Collaborate across campus with faculty, cultural units, and student organizations in sustained, purposeful ways.

• Collaborate with HBCC staff to support events, including occasional evening and weekend responsibilities as required.

C. Administrative & Operational Support

• Support the Director with administrative workflows that strengthen outreach, research, and strategic partnerships.

• Communicate collection needs to interns, student employees, and graduate assistants engaged in collection-related tasks.

• Partner closely with HBCC staff to ensure events are strategically aligned across team units and are advancing the mission, values, and initiatives of HBCC.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelors degree or equivalent experience

• 4 years of relevant experience required

• Demonstrated knowledge of art handling, preservation, archival or museum collection methods.

• Ability to communicate the cultural significance of a collection to diverse audiences.

• Experience with databases, metadata, or digital archiving systems.

• Ability to manage interns, student staff, or volunteers.

• Strong writing skills, especially for catalogue entries, interpretive material, or grant proposals.

• Experience with cultural or arts-based programming and/or community organizing.

• Knowledge of African American art history or cultural heritage work.

Preferred Qualifications

• Grant writing and/or fundraising experience.

• Experience with oral histories, community-based archives, or culturally rooted collections.

• Experience working with artists, donors, families, or estates.

• Experience designing collection-based programs or exhibitions.

• Familiarity with university arts infrastructure or cultural center operations.

This is a full-time, limited-term appointment of two years, with the possibility of a one-year extension (maximum three years total) based on exceptional performance and departmental needs.

Additional Information:

Please submit both a cover letter and a resume to be considered for this opportunity.

The target hiring range for this job profile is $47,700 - $76,000 The actual salary paid to an individual will vary based on multiple factors, including but not limited to, education, years of experience, internal equity, etc.

Location:Hale Hall (0085)

Position Type:Term (Fixed Term)

Scheduled Hours:40

Shift:First Shift

Final candidates are subject to successful completion of a background check. A drug screen or physical may be required during the post offer process.

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