Curator

Administer collections, such as artwork, collectibles, historic items, or scientific specimens of museums or other institutions. May conduct instructional, research, or public service activities of institution.

O*NET reports this occupation under titles such as: Collections Curator; Collections Manager; Curator; Education Curator; Exhibitions Curator; Exhibits Curator; Museum Curator; Photography Curator; Vertebrate Zoology Curator

Tasks

• Plan and organize the acquisition, storage, and exhibition of collections and related materials, including the selection of exhibition themes and designs, and develop or install exhibit materials.
• Develop and maintain an institution's registration, cataloging, and basic record-keeping systems, using computer databases.
• Plan and conduct special research projects in area of interest or expertise.
• Provide information from the institution's holdings to other curators and to the public.
• Negotiate and authorize purchase, sale, exchange, or loan of collections.
• Study, examine, and test acquisitions to authenticate their origin, composition, history, and to assess their current value.
• Inspect premises to assess the need for repairs and to ensure that climate and pest control issues are addressed.
• Write and review grant proposals, journal articles, institutional reports, and publicity materials.
• Design, organize, or conduct tours, workshops, and instructional or educational sessions to acquaint individuals with an institution's facilities and materials.
• Attend meetings, conventions, and civic events to promote use of institution's services, to seek financing, and to maintain community alliances.
• Train and supervise curatorial, fiscal, technical, research, and clerical staff, as well as volunteers or interns.
• Confer with the board of directors to formulate and interpret policies, to determine budget requirements, and to plan overall operations.

Knowledge

• English Language
• History and Archeology
• Fine Arts
• Administration and Management
• Sociology and Anthropology
• Communications and Media
• Administrative
• Customer and Personal Service
• Geography
• Education and Training
• Philosophy and Theology

Skills

• Reading Comprehension
• Speaking
• Active Listening
• Writing
• Critical Thinking
• Active Learning
• Monitoring
• Learning Strategies

Abilities

• Oral Comprehension
• Written Comprehension
• Oral Expression
• Written Expression
• Deductive Reasoning
• Near Vision
• Inductive Reasoning
• Category Flexibility
• Speech Clarity
• Problem Sensitivity
• Speech Recognition
• Originality
• Fluency of Ideas
• Information Ordering
• Visualization
• Flexibility of Closure
• Selective Attention
• Far Vision
• Visual Color Discrimination