Assistant / Associate Curator of Prints and Drawings

Under the supervision of the Curator in Charge, and in coordination with the Curator of Prints and Drawings, the Assistant or Associate Curator provides support to the day-to-day operation of the Department, contributing to the care, interpretation, presentation, and acquisition of the collection of more than 90,000 works on paper. This position works effectively and collegially with a broad range of staff, donors, trustees, paper and book conservators, curatorial support group members, and the general public. A commitment to collaboration and public engagement, and the ability to achieve and sustain best curatorial practices, are essential.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Priority will be given to applications received by Sunday, December 7, 2025. We plan to launch the interview process in mid-December.

Typical Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Permanent Collection: Assesses, manages and updates documentation and history of the permanent collection of prints and drawings in consultation with senior curatorial and conservation staff (Curator-in-Charge, Curator of Prints and Drawings, and Head of Paper Conservation). Works with conservators and other staff to ensure the conservation and care of the Achenbach collection. Collaborates with the Curatorial, Education, and Interpretation Departments to develop and present resources and programs relating to the interpretation of the collection for the public, including online texts, gallery texts, publications, lectures, digital media, and docent training, and to assure communication and completion of institutional projects within defined budgets and timelines.
   
   

2. Research: Researches and catalogues the collection and related archives in both physical and digital form, ensuring the museum’s collection database (TMS) is accurate and relevant in all its components (attribution, provenance, bibliography, and exhibition history); answers related inquiries from the public and scholars, making the collection accessible to diverse audiences, working on its interpretation, and coordinating visits to external scholars, classrooms, and researchers. Performs research for exhibitions including on artists, periods, styles, and specific works. Keeps a high-level scholarly profile in their respective field by presenting scholarly lectures, articles in peer-reviewed journals, and presentations inside and outside of the institution.
   
   

3. Documentation and Care: Works closely with the Registration and Library and Archives departments to ensure proper documentation of the collection in both physical and digital formats. Assigns and expedites work / technician / photo services requests as required to ensure the appropriate care and maintenance and online appearance of the collection, both in gallery and storage areas. Collaborates with the Paper Conservation Department on the treatment and preservation program for works on paper.
   
   

4. Publications: In collaboration with the Department of Publication and the Department of Digital Strategies, supports, initiates and executes the preparation of printed or online publications, exhibition catalogues, checklists, wall and gallery labels, and other exhibition graphics. Participates in and contributes to social media promotions related to collection and exhibition awareness, and general online content on the FAMSF website (blog posts, web labels). Produces relevant scholarship in their respective field of art historical research.
   
   

5. Supervision: Manages activities of the Department Project Coordinator, the cataloguing fellows, volunteers, and interns, as necessary.
   
   

6. Outside Requests and External Relationships: Corresponds with fellow curators, scholars, collectors, art dealer and members of the public regarding objects in the collection. With the assistance of the Curatorial Project Coordinator, coordinates weekly appointments for the Roberts Seminar Room at the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, Legion of Honor, and hosts classes/groups and organizes study days and community engagement-events as necessary. Builds and maintains advantageous departmental / institutional relationships with the community of collectors of works on paper, trustees, dealers, artists, critics, museum colleagues and friends, and institutions of higher education. Encourages the development and cultivation of patrons and collectors. Presents lectures and talks and conducts tours of the collection and temporary exhibitions for donors, trustees, docents, and the general public as the need arises. Represents FAMSF as an ambassador at public and private functions that further the FAMSF mission and institutional objectives. 
   
   

7. Exhibitions: Suggests, executes, and occasionally originates special loan exhibitions as well as installations of appropriate scale based on the permanent holdings in the exhibition spaces at the de Young and the Legion of Honor. Negotiate loans with fellow institutions and private collectors; Proposes, assists, and manages the development of exhibition concepts and of new and engaging ways of displaying the permanent collection and the new acquisitions in alignment with the curatorial vision of the department and the museum’s.
   
   

8. Fundraising: In keeping with Museums-wide curatorial practice, promotes the fundraising and public relations efforts to support acquisitions and programming (including exhibitions and public programs) for the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, in correspondence and alignment with the goals outlined by the Curator in Charge and the Museum’s Chief Philanthropy Officer. Actively participates in meetings and programs, tours, including fundraising programs, of the Achenbach Graphic Arts Council (the department’s support group) and its board. Closely works with the Department project coordinator to develop programs for the Achenbach Council.
   
   

9. Administrative: Prepares documentation for meetings of the Acquisitions Committee of the Board of Trustees. Helps with the implementation of department policies and procedures, educational programs for the public, and storage management procedures. Collaborates on budget preparation. Prepares documents, manages departmental files including exhibition and object files, and manages database records.
   
   

10. Courier: Subject to the approval of the Curator in Charge, serves as FAMSF courier for loaned works of art from the collection.
    
    

11. Performs other duties as assigned. 

Minimum Qualifications:

Education: Master’s Degree in art history or related field; PhD in art history preferred.

Work Experience: 

Assistant Curator:

• Two years of curatorial experience or similar (such as curatorial fellowships)

• Specialized knowledge in the history and techniques of the graphic arts (prints and drawings) is required

• Expertise on Modern and Contemporary works on paper, with particular focus on American printmaking of the 20th and 21st centuries, is preferred.

Associate Curator:

• Four years of curatorial experience or similar (such as curatorial fellowships)

• Specialized knowledge in the history and techniques of the graphic arts (prints and drawings) is required

• Expertise on Modern and Contemporary works on paper, with particular focus on American printmaking of the 20th and 21st centuries, is preferred.
  
  

Skills and Abilities:

• Familiarity with museum collections software (TMS) preferred

•  Art handling skills

• Intellectual curiosity

• Excellent written and oral communication skills

•  Adherence to deadlines

• Strong follow-through

• Flexibility in meeting shifting demands and priorities

•  Ability to work simultaneously on multiple projects in a highly demanding and fast-paced work environment

•  A high level of initiative and energy

• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills

•  A desire to function in a team and  collaborative environment

• Ability to achieve cross-functional teamwork

• Ability to achieve and sustain best curatorial practices 

Additional:

Schedule: This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule. Hybrid schedules are a minimum of 4 days a week onsite, with the understanding that schedules may change based on operational needs. The workweek is Monday - Friday, 8 hours a day, 40 hours per week.

The benefits package includes medical, dental, vision, and 401(k), and paid time off.

Annual Salary Range:

• Assistant Curator: $77,000 to $82,000

• Associate Curator: $87,000 to $92,000

Title Conferment: The title of Assistant Curator or Associate Curator will be determined by the Museum and based on the overall experience and academic credentials of the final candidate.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Priority will be given to applications received by December 7, 2025. We plan to launch the interview process by mid-December. 

If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact Human Resources @ famsf.org.

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COFAM is the Corporation of Fine Arts Museums and is the privately funded non-profit corporation which supports the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, a department of the City and County of San Francisco.

COFAM is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in all phases of employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Comprising the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, we are the largest public arts institution in the City of San Francisco and one of the largest art museums in the United States. The de Young, designed by Herzog & de Meuron and located in Golden Gate Park, showcases American art from the 17th through the 21st centuries, international contemporary art, textiles and costumes, and art from the Americas, the Pacific, and Africa. The Legion of Honor displays a collection of over 4,000 years of ancient and European art including Auguste Rodin's The Thinker and houses the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts in a Beaux-Arts style building overlooking Lincoln Park and the Golden Gate Bridge.