Curator of Collections

The New York Yacht Club (NYYC), one of the world’s most prestigious private clubs, seeks a full-time Curator of Collections to steward, interpret, and promote its distinguished collection of ship models, silver trophies, maritime art, and historic furnishings. Based at the Club’s landmark clubhouse in midtown Manhattan—with additional responsibilities for the Club’s seasonal site in Newport, Rhode Island—the Curator is the sole collections professional on staff and plays a central role in preserving and presenting NYYC’s rich yachting heritage.

The Club’s collection is renowned for its craftsmanship, historical significance, and ties to some of the most prominent individuals in American sailing history. The new Curator will lead exhibition development, manage conservation priorities, oversee collections care, recommend acquisitions, create exhibitions, publish articles, and work closely with the Fine Arts and Models Committees. This is a rare opportunity for a seasoned curatorial professional to work in a hospitality-focused, member-driven setting that values professionalism, excellence, and respect for all staff.

The Collection

The NYYC collection is a treasury of maritime material culture, presented not in traditional gallery settings but integrated into the active fabric of two landmark clubhouses. The holdings include approximately 150 historic silver trophies—many produced by Tiffany & Co. and Whiting—recognized for their exquisite craftsmanship, importance in American decorative arts, and yachting history. The Club also houses more than 150 full ship models and an estimated 1,200 half-hull models, mounted chronologically along the walls of the iconic Model Room and other spaces. The painting collection includes Commodore portraits, historic ship portraits, and maritime watercolors by leading 19th- and 20th-century artists such as James E. Buttersworth and Antonio Jacobsen. Club furnishings, many of which are original to the building, remain in daily use and are considered part of the collection, requiring careful stewardship and preservation strategies guided by the Curator. Additional highlights include historic artifacts such as tillers, burgees, and memorabilia from America’s Cup campaigns.

Opportunities and Challenges

This is a rare opportunity for a curatorial professional to shape the stewardship and interpretation of one of the most distinctive private club collections in the country. Working in a member-driven environment, the Curator will balance long-term preservation and exhibition goals with the daily rhythm of an active membership organization.

Opportunities

• Design a refresh of the fourth-floor silver display, working closely with contractors, designers, and committee stakeholders to bring it to the standard of the elevator-lobby silver gallery created in 2023.
• Create a reinstallation in the stairwell gallery, to feature portraits of NYYC Commodores, shaping the interpretive plan and visual impact.
• Develop new curatorial presentations and interpretation strategies for underutilized spaces at the Newport clubhouse.
• Write research-based scholarly articles for the Club’s member publications.
• Recommend model rotations and capital upgrades to displays at both clubhouses, contributing curatorial input to enhance object visibility and preservation.
• Work in midtown Manhattan for a world-recognized institution with a $34-million annual budget, in a remarkable historic building.
• Be part of a respectful and professional culture that values its employees like family, as exemplified by their retaining all the staff with no layoffs during the Covid pandemic.

Potential Challenges

• The Curator serves as the sole collections professional and must independently manage a large, high-profile collection without internal collections staff support or staff mentors.
• The Club’s governance structure includes rotating volunteer leadership and multiple advisory committees, requiring tactful relationship management and the ability to build relationships and awareness of preservation standards across changing stakeholders.
• The lack of centralized, climate-controlled storage demands creative strategies for preventive conservation and object tracking, particularly as most collection items remain on display.
• Club events, frequent space usage, and the dual role of many artifacts as both historic and functional objects can place demands on exhibition planning and collections care, requiring adaptability and collaboration with hospitality and facilities teams.

Responsibilities, and Expectations

The Curator of Collections serves as the Club’s primary steward of its extensive holdings, overseeing preservation, interpretation, and display in both the Manhattan and Newport clubhouses. The role encompasses exhibition development, conservation planning, collections care, publishing, and public engagement. The Curator will work closely with volunteer committees, internal departments, and external vendors to maintain the highest standards of collections management while adapting to the unique demands of a private, member-centered environment.

• Steward and interpret the Club’s permanent collection in both New York and Newport.
• Plan, curate, and install the annual winter exhibition at the New York clubhouse.
• Work closely with the Fine Arts Committee and the Models Committee, which approve key collection decisions.
• Conduct tours and member programs; respond to internal and public inquiries.
• Oversee conservation and preservation efforts, including contract supervision for conservation, lighting, display casework, and framing, as well as leading an occasional commission to a living artist to create a new trophy.
• Recommend acquisitions (within defined budget and authority levels) and coordinate deaccessions with approval from the appropriate committees.
• Collaborate with the Librarian/Archivist on research and with facilities staff on space use, storage upgrades, and capital projects.
• Travel at least a few times a year to Newport to oversee seasonal collections care and installations.
• Contribute articles for internal publications and member communications.
• Advocate for the collection’s care and visibility with committees and Club leadership.

Experience, Skills, and Attributes

The successful candidate will bring a blend of academic training, professional experience, and interpersonal effectiveness suited to a complex, high-visibility environment. Beyond technical collections-management knowledge, the role requires sound judgment, discretion, and the ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders—from fellow staff and outside vendors to Club members and committee leadership. The Curator must be a self-starter who is proactive, adaptable, and comfortable managing priorities independently, while also collaborating across departments in a fast-paced, event-oriented setting.

• Graduate degree in 19^th-20^th century decorative arts or art history, or in museum studies or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of five years’ curatorial or collections-management experience, preferably in a museum or historic setting.
• Knowledge of, interest in, or willingness to learn maritime history. Knowledge of an aspect of the collection such as painting, works on paper, photographs, or 19^th-century American furniture or silver.
• Organizational and project management skills. The ability to set and manage priorities independently is essential.
• Demonstrated ability to work diplomatically with high-level volunteers, donors, and stakeholders. Comfortable with collaborators ranging from yacht owners to bartenders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; experience giving tours or public presentations.
• Comfort working in a private club in a member/customer-oriented environment.
• Must be based in or willing to relocate to the New York City area. Five-day on-site workweek required, but with flexible hours and accommodation for family needs. Occasional travel to Newport, RI, required.

We recognize that it is highly unlikely that someone meets 100% of the qualifications for a role. If much of this job description describes you, then please apply for this position.