Job Description

Position Summary

Reporting to the Co-Chief Curator, Art and Culture, the position will lead a collaborative approach to stewarding ROM\xe2\x80\x99s Canadian Indigenous Art and Culture collection, creating exhibitions and presenting programs with Indigenous communities and for broad audiences. The newly created position will be a key voice in re-thinking colonial patterns of practice and centering Indigenous perspectives and will interpret ROM\xe2\x80\x99s Canadian Indigenous Art and Culture collection in collaboration with communities through inclusive, transdisciplinary thinking, digital practices, and innovation. The Hatch Curator of Indigenous Art and Cultures (Curator) will lead the repatriation of Indigenous ancestral belongings through deep engagement with relevant communities, in close partnership with the Vettoretto Curator of North American Archaeology. The Curator will collaborate with ROM\xe2\x80\x99s Learning Department and Indigenous Museum Educators to develop Indigenous-centred educational and outreach programming, including supporting the Ontario curriculum in First Nations, M\xc3\xa9tis, and Inuit Studies. The Curator will champion cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary perspectives to highlight the relevance of ROM\xe2\x80\x99s collection of art, culture, and nature in contemporary societies, and have ambitions for a flourishing relationship between ROM and Indigenous communities.

Roles and Responsibilities

Collections, Research, and Exhibitions

• Lead the repatriation of Indigenous ancestral belongings through deep engagement with relevant communities, in close partnership with the Vettoretto Curator of North American Archaeology, responding to developments in the field and community expectations, and establishing staff repatriation strategies and priorities.
• Establish and lead a vision for the Indigenous belonging collection at the ROM and develop a 10-year collection care and learning plan, in alignment with ROM\xe2\x80\x99s mission, vision, values, and strategic plan, and in integration with ROM\xe2\x80\x99s full collection.
• Steward the Indigenous belonging collection, through research, communication, rotation and display, care and record-keeping, provenance study, digitization, and publication.
• Interpret and care the Indigenous belonging collection in new directions and through active community engagement and scholarly endeavor.
• Develop original, scholarly research and publications relating to ROM collections, exhibitions, and related topics.
• Conduct and facilitate research and visitation on the Indigenous belonging collection by visiting scholars, community leaders and researchers, and Indigenous representatives.

Exhibition and Gallery Development

• Collaborate with community stakeholders, curatorial colleagues, and interpretive staff to generate innovative visitor-centric and transdisciplinary gallery and exhibition projects.
• Participate in Master Gallery Interpretative Planning (MGIP), and work with ROM exhibition staff to continue re-development of ROM\xe2\x80\x99s Daphne Cockwell Gallery Dedicated to First Peoples Art and Culture.
• Oversee content development for gallery interventions, rotations, programs, and special exhibitions in Indigenous art and culture, and contribute to larger cross-institutional and transdisciplinary exhibition and gallery projects.

Public Programs and Community Engagement

• Work collaboratively with Indigenous Museum Educators and engagement staff to initiate on-site and virtual programs and school curriculum related to Indigenous heritage.
• Provide lectures, tours, and workshops to the general public, volunteers, professional colleagues, and museum supporters.
• Cultivate support for exhibitions, galleries, programs, symposia, acquisitions, research grants, and fellowships through association with professional organizations, foundations, collectors, and donors.
• Maintain professional affiliations in scholarly and museum curatorial organizations, professional societies, and relevant committees.
• Embrace other collections, research, exhibition, gallery development, public program and community engagement duties as needed.

Traits and Characteristics

The Hatch Curator of Indigenous Art and Cultures will be receptive to and will effectively communicate innovative ideas, methods, and opportunities in honouring the past while framing relevant contemporary societal issues. They will seek to learn and acquire new knowledge and will bring an understanding of people, values, and systems to ROM, demonstrated through a respect for differences, a deep understanding of appreciative inquiry, and an ability to build consensus across difference. An enthusiastic and persuasive team member, they will develop strong relationships with colleagues, supervisors, Indigenous communities, exhibition partners, and many other stakeholders who impact, and are impacted by ROM programs.

Other key competencies include:

• Diplomacy \xe2\x80\x93 The ability to effectively and tactfully handle difficult or sensitive issues, taking numerous perspectives into account, and advancing productive conversations. ROM\xe2\x80\x99s work intersects with many social and cultural initiatives (Truth and Reconciliation, Repatriation, among others) that can engender trauma and challenging conversation with internal and external stakeholders. Diplomacy in all communications is needed to ensure safety and belongingness across the ROM community.
• Influencing Others and Interpersonal Skills \xe2\x80\x93 The dexterity to effectively communicate and personally affect others\xe2\x80\x99 actions, decisions, opinions, or thinking while building rapport and relating well to various stakeholders. All ROM initiatives are a group effort; thus advocating for one\xe2\x80\x99s professional recommendations and expertise is always part of building respectful relationships across the institution.
• Resiliency \xe2\x80\x93 The capacity to quickly recover from challenging or adverse situations, learn, grow, and evolve in contemporary society. The art of working across a large organization engaged in dynamic work in the museum sector to guide collaboration with diverse individuals and groups of stakeholders. Embracing positive momentum while maintaining institutional objectives to drive organizational and sectoral evolution.
• Teamwork and Personal Accountability \xe2\x80\x93 The ability to cooperate with others to meet objectives while being answerable for personal actions. ROM is a collaborative environment where individuals must work across departments with their counterparts and be responsible for advancing a variety of initiatives.
• Time and Project Management \xe2\x80\x93 The acuity to prioritize and complete tasks in order to deliver desired outcomes within planned budgets and time frames. Being adept at working on multiple projects simultaneously and demonstrating a long-term commitment to delivering results on time and within available resources.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will have advanced studies in Indigenous art history or a closely related field. Professional experience in a cultural center, museum, or related environment is an asset, as is a research and publication record specialization in some aspect of Indigenous art and cultures A deep understanding, education, and/or practical experience in understanding of the complexities and societal pressures involved in collections and exhibitions is required. It is required that the successful candidate have an excellent command of both spoken and written English and a working knowledge of an Indigenous language is an asset. Qualified applicants may have lived experience of the culture, language, and lifeways of an Indigenous community that bring new perspectives to the position and to ROM.

The Hatch Curator of Indigenous Art and Cultures search is part of an Indigenous Cohort Hiring initiative that seeks to demonstrate ROM\xe2\x80\x99s commitment to having Indigenous staff throughout the organization whenever possible and to ensuring that Indigenous employees find a welcoming environment and a supportive community.

Compensation and Benefits

ROM offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package, including a base salary estimated to be in a range between $87,664 and $146,234 (CAN), dependent on experience, with full medical and dental insurance, a total of 22 days of pro-rated paid time off, and inclusion in the ROM pension plan (via CAAT). This position is part of the ROM Curatorial Association union.

Applications and Inquiries

To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please click or visit .

Important: Kindly note that it is imperative to submit all applications exclusively through the designated link provided.

For questions or general inquiries about this job opportunity, please contact:

Wyona Lynch-McWhite, Senior Vice President
Menon Dwarka, Senior Vice President

2 Toronto Street, Suite 217
Toronto, Ontario M5C 2B5
Tel(888) 234.4236 Ext. 225 (Ms. Lynch-McWhite) or Ext. 206 (Mr. Dwarka)
Email

Royal Ontario Museum acknowledges that this museum sits on the ancestral lands of the Wendat, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the Anishinaabek Nation, which includes the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, since time immemorial to today.

ROM is committed to fair and accessible employment practices and considers equity, diversity, and inclusivity to be foundational to its institutional success. ROM seeks to foster a workplace that reflects the full breadth of the communities it serves and welcomes applications from women, racialized persons, Indigenous/Aboriginal People of North America, LGBTQ2S+, and people with disabilities. Upon request, suitable accommodations are available under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Act (AODA) to applicants invited to an interview.

Powered by JazzHR

Royal Ontario Museum