The University of Tulsa is hiring: Assistant Curator of Latin American Art and C

Assistant Curator of Latin American Art and Culture

Position Title Assistant Curator of Latin American Art and Culture

Job Description

Gilcrease Museum, which houses an interdisciplinary collection representing the diverse heritage of the Americas, seeks an intellectually curious, creative, and self-motivated individual to be its inaugural Assistant Curator of Latin American Art and Culture.

The Assistant Curator of Latin American Art and Culture will lead exhibitions, acquisitions, research, and interpretation within Gilcrease’s broad visual culture and archival collections. These include fine art from the 16th through 20th centuries from throughout the Americas, ranging from Spanish colonial retablos and work by Juan Correa to paintings, drawings, and prints by Diego Rivera, Miguel Covarrubias, José Clemente Orozco, Maria Izquierdo, and Rufino Tamayo, as well as recent work by Mexican folk and self-taught artists. Gilcrease holds a significant collection of manuscripts, documents, and rare books pertaining to European settlement and conflicts across New Spain, dating from the 16th to 19th centuries, with connections to other holdings including Indigenous and non-Indigenous objects from the Americas and a broad representation of Indigenous histories and makers.

The Assistant Curator will participate on a seven-member curatorial team, collaborate with other museum departments, and report to the Director of Curatorial Affairs. Primary duties include researching and cataloguing the collection; developing long-term, temporary, and traveling exhibitions; identifying and securing traveling exhibitions; and raising national and international visibility for Gilcrease’s work and collections. This role will promote equity and inclusion of the Latinx community around all Gilcrease exhibitions and programs and will build community relationships to celebrate and advocate for Latin American art and culture for diverse audiences.

The Assistant Curator will join Gilcrease as the museum prepares for its public reopening in early 2027 in a new 83,500-square-foot building. The interdiscplinary galleries will juxtapose objects from different times, places, and cultures, with increased attention to Indigenous histories and makers. The inaugural team member will shape and magnify the visibility of these works and their adjacent histories. Key opportunities include:

• Strategic Leadership: Contribute leadership to the reimagining of the Gilcrease brand, visitor experience, and curatorial department structure.
• Museum Transformation: Participate in the installation and reopening programs for Gilcrease’s new museum building.
• Collection Visibility: Catalogue, exhibit, publish, and promote under-utilized portions of the collection in conversation with staff, conservators, visiting researchers, and communities locally, nationally, and abroad.
• Exhibitions Excellence: Organize and curate exhibitions for Gilcrease’s expanded galleries and traveling exhibitions program.
• Academic Profile: Engage with students, faculty, and library resources at the University of Tulsa.
• Scholarly Growth: Initiate and lead projects on historical and contemporary topics, guided by curatorial expertise and curiosity.

Essential Functions (Responsibilities):

Exhibitions

• Curates and presents temporary, long-term, and traveling museum exhibitions, utilizing Gilcrease collections and loans.
• Supports the implementation and public unveiling of Gilcrease’s new Interpretive Plan, contributing to the presentation of interdisciplinary narratives in the new museum building.

Collections

• Collaborates with collections stewards, conservators and other staff to support access and care of Gilcrease’s collections of Latin American art and material culture and related works.
• Creates and implements a collections development plan for Latin American art and cultural materials, including leadership of acquisitions through gift and purchase.
• Assists the curators of Indigenous art and other staff in consultations regarding Indigenous collection items, particularly from Central and South America and present-day Mexico.
• Contributes to an interdepartmental team to develop collections policies, museum operations, and programming that strengthen Gilcrease’s relationships with communities throughout the Americas where its collections originate.

Research

• Conducts scholarly research on the Gilcrease collection for exhibitions and publications, including digital resources.
• Investigates connections between contemporary Latinx art and culture and historical narratives across geographic, political, linguistic, and other lines.
• Maintains positive working relationships with museum colleagues, scholars, gallerists, collectors, living artists, and diverse community advisors.
• Promotes Gilcrease nationally and internationally through publishing and presenting at conferences, universities, and other external venues.

Service

• Collaborates with the Associate Curator of Contemporary Culture and Community on community-driven curatorial projects, including exhibitions, performances, installations, and visiting artist collaborations.
• Develops on-site public and educational programming with the Learning & Community Engagement Department, including lectures, symposia, media programs, and museum tours.
• Liaises with outside stakeholders including museum supporters, Tulsa residents, regional artists and arts organizations, and national/international communities tied to Gilcrease’s collections and mission.
• Facilitates research by visiting scholars and responds to public/professional inquiries related to Latin American collections and expertise.
• Supervises or co-supervises curatorial interns and volunteers; conducts staff and docent training.
• Serves on interdepartmental teams to enhance operations, communication, and staff culture.

Development

• Assists in preparing and writing grant applications and reports supporting exhibitions and collection care and interpretation.
• Interacts with donors, board members, University of Tulsa staff, and volunteers; conducts VIP tours as requested.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

The Gilcrease workweek is Monday – Friday, 8 hours a day, 40 hours per week. Curatorial staff currently have a hybrid work schedule, pending establishment of a new curatorial research center for on-site work in offices inside the historic Thomas Gilcrease House (1913), anticipated for completion in fall 2025. Occasional evenings or weekends may be required for special events, and occasional overnight travel may occur.

Required Qualifications:

Knowledge/Skill/Ability

• Recognized scholarly expertise in Latin American and/or Latino art and culture, including Spanish Colonial, Chicano, or Caribbean studies, demonstrated through publications and conference participation
• Excellent communication skills: writing, public speaking, and interpretation for both scholarly and general audiences
• Ability to creatively interpret and present interdisciplinary museum collections
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate as a team member with staff and volunteers
• Cultural sensitivity and ability to engage diverse communities
• Ability to manage concurrent projects, establish priorities, and meet deadlines with high attention to detail
• Enthusiasm for engaging with the public and creating welcoming museum experiences
• Fluency in Spanish, both written and oral

Equivalent Education/Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in art history, history, studio art, anthropology, Latinx studies, American studies, museum studies, or related field.
• Two to five years of museum or cultural heritage experience, including exhibitions development.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in relevant field.
• Experience integrating technology into exhibitions, programs, and research.
• Strong network in the global Latinx cultural community, including international work.
• Proficiency in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook; experience with museum databases (e.g., TMS).
• Knowledge of best practices for care and maintenance of collections.
• Ability to evaluate objects for condition, authenticity, origin, and quality; identify conservation needs.
• Interest in art of the Ancient Americas and Indigenous material from Mexico, Central, and South America.
• Additional language skills in dialects of Spanish, early modern Spanish paleography, or Indigenous languages (Nahuatl, Mixteco) may be valuable; Gilcrease supports professional development in these areas.

Physical Demands

Physical dexterity for keyboard use and telephone; ability to lift up to 50 pounds. May involve extended walking, standing, sitting, reaching, bending, kneeling, climbing, and twisting. Visual acuity to examine small objects; speech and hearing to interact with colleagues and audiences. May involve handling highly sensitive information.

Open/Close Dates

Open Date 09/04/2025; Open Until Filled Yes

EEO Statement

The University of Tulsa is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or genetic information. The University is committed to diversity and inclusion.

Documents Needed To Apply

• Resume
• Cover Letter (optional)

Posting questions or additional information: 800 South Tucker Drive, Tulsa, OK 74104; 918-631-2259; Human-Resources@utulsa.edu