Museum/art gallery curator

Museum/art gallery curators are in charge of a collection of exhibits. The work includes buying exhibits, organising exhibitions, writing exhibition catalogues and text that explains exhibits, arranging staffing and dealing with public and research enquiries.

Also known as:

Museum/art gallery keeper

Work activities

Museum/art gallery curators, sometimes known as keepers in larger museums, are in charge of a collection of exhibits. In large museums and art galleries, they manage specialist departments. They co-ordinate and supervise the work of a team including junior curators, conservators and attendants. Curators maintain their permanent collection. This involves identifying, registering and cataloguing objects. Curators look after the budget for their department, buy new exhibits and organise funding and sponsorship. They also organise staff training. In many museums and art galleries, especially small ones, curators deal with the public. They liaise with local interest groups and researchers, organise lectures and publicise events. Fundraising is an increasingly important part of their work. To arrange an exhibition, curators choose which objects to display and organise the loan of exhibits from other collections, if they need to. They also organise the transportation, insurance and storage of objects.

Curators make sure that objects are displayed in a clear and attractive way. They also co-ordinate, and in many cases, write and compile exhibition catalogues and the texts that accompany exhibits. Large museums or galleries often employ education officers to involve schools or promote tourism. Curators may liaise with them to produce slides, work sheets and demonstrations. Many curators carry out research. Their area of research usually depends on their specialist interests, areas of expertise and their collection. For example, in an archaeological department, the curator might carry out fieldwork to excavate a site. Or the curator might be office-based and research the origins of exhibits. Many curators publish the results of their research. Curators sometimes help with mounting displays, so the job can involve some lifting and carrying. They might need to travel locally and nationally, to supervise collections and exhibitions.

Personal qualities and skills

As a museum/art gallery curator, you’ll need:

Organisational skills to plan and manage exhibitions.
Communication skills to work with other members of staff, answer visitors’ queries and give talks.
Attention to detail when researching and cataloguing objects.
Business and marketing skills.
Creative ability to make a display or exhibition appealing.
Writing skills to produce materials such as exhibition descriptions and catalogues, promotional materials and grant applications.
Decision-making and numerical skills for managing budgets.
The ability to influence, persuade and negotiate, for example, in obtaining funding.
In some museums or galleries, you might need foreign language knowledge.

Pay and opportunities

The pay rates given are approximate. Curators earn around £18,000, rising to around £40,000 a year with experience.

Curators work a 38-40-hour week, which might include some late finishes and weekend work, especially as deadlines for exhibitions approach.

Employers are national, local authority and independent museums and galleries.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies are advertised in:

Local/national newspapers.
The websites of the Museums Association and the National Museum Directors’ Council.
Specialist job boards such as com
General job boards.
The websites of individual museums/art galleries.

Entry routes and training

Most curators start as junior or assistant curators. You’ll usually need a degree in a subject relevant to the museum or gallery’s specialist area, for example:

Anthropology.
Archaeology.
Art history.
Classics.
History.
Sciences, for example, geology.

However, competition for posts is strong, so if you have a postgraduate qualification in museum and/or art gallery studies, you might have an advantage. For some posts, a postgraduate qualification is essential. Most entrants have relevant paid or voluntary work experience. You could begin a level 3 (advanced) apprenticeship in the role of museum and galleries technician, or go straight for a level 7 (degree) apprenticeship as a curator.

Progression often depends on the size of museum or gallery you’re working for. In larger establishments, there will be a more structured promotion route. You might have to change job to progress if you work in a smaller museum or art gallery. A curator could move on to become a senior curator or a collections manager, and then potentially to management and museum director levels.

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act: A post that involves working with children, for example, visiting school groups, can be an exception to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. This means that you must supply information to an employer about any spent or unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings, if they ask you to. This is different from other careers, where you only have to reveal information on unspent convictions if you are asked to.

Qualifications

Many entrants also have postgraduate qualifications in museum/art gallery studies. For some posts, a postgraduate qualification is essential. Entry requirements for degree courses will vary depending on the subject. Very generally, you’ll need:

Two to three A-levels.
Five GCSEs at grades 9-4.

Alternatives to A levels include:

Edexcel (BTEC) level 3 Nationals.
The International Baccalaureate Diploma.

If you wish to enter this career through an apprenticeship, you’ll need GCSEs in English and maths to begin an advanced apprenticeship. To do a degree apprenticeship, you’ll also need two A-levels in relevant subjects.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

As well as relevant qualifications, many entrants have had work experience in, for example, exhibition or events management.

If you don’t have the qualifications you usually need to enter a degree course, you might be able to start one after completing a college or university Access course. You don’t usually need any qualifications to start an Access course, but you should check individual course details.

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) offers awards, through universities, for postgraduate study and research.

Related careers

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Museum/art gallery conservator
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