The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum

Background

Founded in 1985 by Japanese American artist Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988), The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum (The Noguchi Museum), was the first museum in the United States to be established, designed, and installed by a living artist to show their own work. Located in the vibrant neighborhood of Long Island City, Queens, the Museum itself is widely viewed as one of the artist’s greatest achievements. Holding the world’s largest collection of his works, the Museum features open air and indoor galleries in a repurposed 1920s industrial building and a serene outdoor sculpture garden.

Since its founding, the Museum has served as an international hub for Noguchi research and appreciation. In addition to managing the artist’s archives and catalogue raisonné, the Museum exhibits a comprehensive selection of Noguchi’s material culture, from sculpture, models, and drawings to his personal collectibles. The Museum is also the North American distributor of Isamu Noguchi’s Akari light sculptures and manages the distribution of Akari worldwide.

Provocative installations drawn from the permanent collection, together with diverse special exhibitions and collaborations with contemporary practitioners across disciplines, offer a multifaceted view of Noguchi’s art and illuminate his enduring influence as an innovator. In addition to on-site exhibitions, the Museum has an extensive traveling exhibitions and loan program extending the reach of Noguchi’s work nationally and internationally.

The Collections

As Isamu Noguchi’s estate, the Museum contains the world’s richest holdings of the artist’s work, including the Permanent Collection, Residual Collection, Study Collection, and Archive. The Collections remain the primary resource by which Noguchi’s legacy is preserved and promoted: through exhibitions, education, and other public programs at the Museum, as well as through loans that help to advance national and international recognition of Noguchi’s unique and diverse contributions to modern and contemporary art and culture.

The Museum’s Permanent Collection includes the Core Collection chosen by Noguchi, as well as other works the Foundation and Museum felt important to be added. The Residual Collection is comprised of works that Noguchi contributed and bequeathed to the Foundation, which could be sold, at the discretion of the Foundation, to support the Museum. Works from the Residual Collection are maintained, cared for, studied, used in exhibitions, and loaned when appropriate. The Study Collection contains Noguchi’s personal effects and other objects of interest, including works produced by other artists and given to him and objects he collected during his travels. The Archive is comprised of the photographs, records, correspondence, manuscripts, business files, film, video, audio, ephemera, press clippings, and project and architectural documents related to the life of Noguchi.

The Museum also owns works of art on long-term loan to the Isamu Noguchi Foundation Japan and is responsible for overseeing and approving any fabrication or manufacture of Noguchi’s artwork or designs.

The Position

The Director of Curatorial Affairs reports to the Director and works collaboratively with the Director, Board of Trustees, and staff to align curatorial efforts with institutional priorities. This role will oversee the curatorial team in contextualizing and extending the relevance of Noguchi’s work in terms of interpretation, representation, access and scholarship. They will oversee the Museum’s Curator; the Curator and Director of Research, who manages the Archives team; the Registrar and Director of Collections; the Head of Exhibition Production and Fabrication; as well as the Museum’s ongoing Isamu Noguchi Catalogue Raisonné project. They will collaborate with these teams in managing the care and interpretation of the collection and cultivating relationships with artists, collectors, scholars, supporters, and other cultural institutions.

In addition, the Director of Curatorial Affairs will provide direction and strategic vision in the planning and execution of public programs. They will partner with the Director of Education and with the education staff to maintain smooth, consistent, and constructive interdepartmental communication and resource sharing. They will ensure that the Museum’s programs, events, materials, and partnerships are in alignment with the identity of the Museum and express a unified vision and purpose. The Director of Curatorial Affairs must be passionate about advancing the Museum’s mission, engaging the community and stakeholders, and cultivating a creative, positive, and supportive work environment.

Responsibilities include:

Exhibition Coordination

• Shape and implement the curatorial vision within the context of a five-year plan: energize and lead a team in developing dynamic exhibitions and programming that reflect the Museum’s mission and legacy, with an emphasis on innovation, scholarship, and public engagement
• Cultivate relationships with artists, curators, academic institutions, galleries, and other museums to enhance the Museum’s visibility and influence within the contemporary art community
• Oversee exhibition logistics and administration, including budgets, contracts, loan agreements, and the preparation and installation of materials and exhibition design
• Work with the Registrar and Director of Collections, Curators, Deputy Director, and Finance Department, to create and monitor in-house and traveling exhibition budgets, work plans, implementation schedules, loan agreements and contracts
• Regularly evaluate plans and progress to ensure that deadlines and budgets are being met; provide additional support and make adjustments as needed
• Coordinate meetings with and report to the Collections and Exhibitions Committee of the Board
• Collaborate with the Museum staff on the development of museum publications, curatorial communications, and design for both internal and external exhibitions and other special projects
• Communicate regularly with staff regarding the current and upcoming exhibitions and exhibition resources

 Collection Management and Scholarship

• Support the Registrar and Director of Collections in maintaining the care, documentation, and conservation of the collection, as well as loans to other institutions
• Review, update and develop Collection Management Policy in compliance with AAM standards; evaluate and update study and utilization plans
• Coordinate meetings with and reporting to the Collections and Exhibitions Committee of the Board
• Develop opportunities to further advance Noguchi scholarship and his area of influence
• Provide public and community outreach activities such as lectures and participation in panels
• Lead the development of strategies around the Museum’s artwork fabrication and sales of residual works through its gallery representation
• Along with the Director, serve as the primary contacts with the Museum’s gallery representation, working collaboratively to promote Noguchi’s work and legacy through a program of exhibitions, art fairs, digital initiatives, scholarship, and publications.

 Financial Management

• In collaboration with the Director of Finance and the Development staff, guide the Curatorial team in the development, evaluation, and monitoring of budgets, contracts, and project narratives
• Develop and implement systems to track, report, and stay consistent with exhibition and departmental budgets
• Work with the Director and Museum leadership to secure funding for exhibitions, acquisitions, and conservation efforts; assist with providing narratives for grants, donor relations, and other fundraising activities as needed

Qualifications:

• An advanced degree in Art History, Museum Studies, or a related field.
• Knowledge of Isamu Noguchi’s work and legacy, and a broad understanding of modern and contemporary art, sculpture, and design.
• 10+ years of experience in curatorial roles, including significant experience in exhibition planning, collection management, and academic research; prior experience in leading or managing curatorial teams is highly preferred.
• Demonstrated background developing exhibits and overseeing and contributing to the creation of supporting materials.
• Strong organizational and operational skills with the ability to develop and monitor exhibition and departmental budgets.
• Ability to work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders, including artists, collectors, donors, and scholars.
• Experience with strategic planning and the ability to create and inspire a team through clearly defined goals and priorities, flexibility, and a cohesive vision.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills, interpersonal and organizational skills; must be able to build consensus both internally and externally.

 Other Information:

The Director of Curatorial Affairs is a full-time, hybrid position (after an initial six months of working in person full-time, three days per week are required onsite) located in The Noguchi Museum in Long Island City, Queens. The hours are 5 days a week, 9 am–5 pm, Monday– Friday. The position requires occasional work outside regular hours. The health and safety of our community is our first priority. As such, The Noguchi Museum strongly encourages all staff members to be fully vaccinated with an FDA authorized and/or approved COVID-19 vaccine.

The Noguchi Museum is an equal opportunity employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identification, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, citizenship status, veteran status, disability or any other criterion specified by federal, state or local laws, in the administration of its employment policy. The Museum considers the diversity of its workforce to be vital to our organization’s success in meeting its mission. We strongly encourage applicants from all cultures, races, educational backgrounds, life experiences, socio-economic classes, sexual orientations, age, gender, and physical abilities to apply.

Compensation:

Salary range is $160,000–180,000 annually, and benefits include a generous health insurance program, including medical, dental, and vision, pre-tax commuter benefits, a 403(b) retirement savings plan with employer contribution and match after a year of employment, and generous paid time off.