The Australian War Memorial
The Australian War Memorial combines a shrine, a world-class museum, and an extensive archive. The Memorial’s purpose is to commemorate the sacrifice of those Australians who have died in war or on operational service and those who have served our nation in times of conflict. Its mission is leading remembrance and understanding of Australia’s wartime experience.
The Australian War Memorial seeks an experienced Curator to join its Art Section. The role of the Art section is to provide a broad and rich range of artistic perspectives on Australian military history, including the various causes, contexts and aftermaths of conflict as well as actual operations. Due to its creative and interpretive nature, the Art collection offers a unique insight into war related experiences and phenomena. It is one of Australia’s largest and most important art collections and consists of over 36,000 paintings, drawings, prints, posters, sculpture, installation and video art, ranging from representations of Colonial Military Forces through to contemporary responses to current conflicts. Possessing strong curatorial experience and art historical knowledge, the Curator will help shape the Memorial’s collection and artistic program through commissions, acquisitions, publications and public programming. Reporting to the Senior Curator of Art, the Curator will also contribute to strategic planning and staff development, and possess strong project management skills.
Core Responsibilities
- Propose, deliver and advise on exhibitions, displays and digital programming at the Memorial.
- Advise on and assist or lead project management of contemporary art commissions across a range of programs, including the Official War Art Scheme and Memorial’s Sculpture Garden, as well as for general acquisitions as required.
- Develop new public programming initiatives pertaining to the art collection.
- Identify, source and recommend artwork for acquisition in order to develop a collection of the highest quality and historical integrity.
- Undertake research into the art collection and disseminate this knowledge to diverse audiences through talks, lectures, magazine and journal articles, catalogue essays and books.
- Participate in the development and implementation of museum policy and strategy.
- Participate as required on the Memorial’s Development Project
- Contribute to the mentoring and professional development of Assistant Curatorial staff.
- Develop strong networks in the Australian art world while maintaining a high professional profile.
- Respond to enquiries from, and represent the Memorial to, a wide range of public, private and governmental stakeholders.
- Liaise and collaborate with other areas of the Memorial in the delivery of museum and commemorative programming.
- Conduct manual handling tasks including movement of a wide range of objects including but not limited to works on paper, framed works of art and items from the national collection.
- Demonstrated high level of understanding of equal opportunity principles and a commitment to the application of the APS Values, Employment Principles and Code of Conduct.
The Memorial is committed to workplace diversity and maintains an environment that values the contribution of people from different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. The Memorial welcomes applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, veterans, mature age people, people from diverse backgrounds and people with a disability. To be eligible for ongoing or non-ongoing employment, Australian Citizenship is required.
For Selection Criteria and more information on the role, please visit: https://www.awm.gov.au/get-involved/work-or-volunteer/employment.
