What are the job responsibilities of a museum curator?

What type of work does a museum curator do?

• Also, what level of education is typical for this occupation? I am currently studying anthropology with a focus on archaeology and on the surface, working in a natural history museum seems like my dream job. But I think I need to know a bit more about curating before I set my sights on it.

• Answer:

  The phrase museum curator is kind of open ended. To be brief, it mostly means a professional who works in a museum. Curators usually need at least a master's degree, a MFA or a PhD to obtain the title. The most common use of the term is someone who plans, designs and produces museum exhibits. These people are responsible for the selection of objects to be displayed, the ways that these objects will be interpreted for the public, how the objects will be protected from harm while on display, and the way that the physical look and feel of the exhibit will be designed. For many smaller museums this role is filled by one person. For larger museums, theses roles are often split up, with one curator in charge of the physical exhibit, and another curator (usually a subject matter expert) in charge of the interpretation of the objects or information on display. Still more curators may be involved with the selection of objects on display, exhibit security, etc, etc. While this is the common understanding of how exhibits are constructed, many museums do not do this anymore, preferring instead to hire an exhibit design company to create exhibits. The qualifications for working for these firms are much more lenient. For these companies, it is not so much the degree you have, but its more important to develop a portfolio of solid exhibit design experience. Other curators have nothing to do with exhibits, instead focusing upon research consistent with the mission of the museum, or on the conservation and stabilization of the objects in the museum's collections. Still other curators are responsible for simply keeping track of museum collections. Most of the curators I work with in Anthropology and History museums are subject matter experts in one specific topic, and then employ that knowledge in their position as a curator Most of them have a secondary skill set that the Museum needs to function properly. These skills can range from digital tools, (database management & programming, GIS, interactive and web programming) to skills that encompass more artistic endeavors (things that make the museum displays atheistically pleasing) carpentry, interior design, lighting, etc. Sadly, the one downside of museum work is that museums tend to be very competitive places to work, and the work environments can be surprisingly hostile. You will need to develop a thick skin and be able to defend your work and ideas if you wish to become a curator. Also: 1 minor point. If your focus is archaeology, you probably don't want to tell people you want work for a natural history museum. Natural history is rocks, plants, animals, fossils, etc. Archaeologists study human cultures. Are your hopes and expectations about representing human culture or are you representing animals? What does this question even mean? Something to think about...