Curator

Position Overview

Through leadership and collaboration, the Curator at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute guides the development of exhibitions and collection initiatives that mine the nexus of art and nature. Drawing from RTPI’s renowned Peterson Collection and contemporary art, informed by current trends in environmental conservation practice, the Curator explores the myriad ways in which Art Matters to the Planet. As a member of the senior leadership team, the Curator has a pivotal role in contributing to the artistic voice and the overall strategic vision of RTPI.

Core Responsibilities – Exhibitions, Programs and Interpretation

• Collaborate with the CEO to plan and organize interdisciplinary exhibitions and touring exhibitions in furtherance of RTPI’s Strategic Plan priorities
• Collaborate with CEO and Programs and Events Manager to develop and execute in-person and virtual exhibition programming
• Supervise the development of dynamic interpretive content including wall text and labels, exhibition catalogues, program and exhibition brochures, educational materials, and interactive interpretive materials
• Supervise the installation and deinstallation of each exhibition
• Supervise the Artist-in-Residence program
• Coordinate with Programs and Events Manager to implement the Plein Air Festival, youth and family programs, and other educational programs

 Core Responsibilities – Collections Management

• Oversee the care and stewardship of the permanent collection, guided by the Collections Management Policy and Collection Development Plan
• Work with Assistant Curator to develop strategies for increasing public access to the collection

Qualifications and Skills:

• Minimum master’s degree in art history or related discipline
• Minimum five years’ experience in a senior leadership role with a successful record of exhibitions and programs excellence
• Passion for nature and conversant in environmental issues
• Ability to cultivate strong partnerships and to lead interdisciplinary collaborations
• Ability to manage simultaneous priorities and meet deadlines
• Creative thinker and detail-oriented
• Commitment to cultivating a fun, creative and professional work environment
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills
• Fluency in various computer and digital imaging systems

About Roger Tory Peterson

Roger Tory Peterson (1908-1996) is widely known as the father of the modern field guide. Less well known is that he trained not as an ornithologist, but as an artist. Over the course of a 60-year career, Peterson evolved his famed Field Guide to Birds through several editions, becoming the best-selling field guide artist/author of all time. The recipient of countless honorary degrees and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Peterson is credited with having sparked a worldwide passion for birds, which in turn has fueled environmental conservation efforts across the globe. Essentially, Peterson’s art matters to the planet.

About the Roger Tory Peterson Institute

RTPI honors Peterson’s legacy by nurturing the next generation of artists whose work matters to the planet. Located in Jamestown, NY, where Peterson was born and raised, RTPI is home to the largest collection of Peterson’s original art, films, and archival materials. Drawing upon the Peterson Collection and the work of contemporary artists, RTPI’s exhibitions and programs illuminate the beauty of nature; challenge us to confront environmental issues of regional, national and global concern; and inspire us to preserve the earth’s biodiversity.

Nestled within a 30-acre nature preserve, RTPI is housed in a 23,000 square foot architectural gem of a museum facility, designed by Robert A.M. Stern.

Currently, RTPI has three galleries dedicated to the living legacy of Roger Tory Peterson. Additionally, each year RTPI hosts two to three contemporary nature art exhibitions in its main floor galleries and several complementary exhibitions in the mezzanine gallery.

RTPI’s annual exhibition schedule is anchored by Art that Matters to the Planet. The theme for this annual, juried exhibition is grounded in one of the 65 titles in the Peterson Field Guide series. It also reflects current trends and issues within the conservation and art fields.  In 2023, for instance, Art that Matters to the Planet: Interconnectivity took its inspiration from the Peterson Field Guide to Trees, as well as from such scholarly works as In Search of the Mother Tree, in which Suzanne Simard shared her research findings that trees communicate and nurture each other through vast, complicated networks of roots – a perfect metaphor for the myriad ways in which people are innately connected.

RTPI is an Equal Opportunity Employer.