Curator of Film, Museum of Modern Art

Founded in 1929 as an educational institution, The Museum of Modern Art (The Museum) is dedicated to being the foremost museum of modern and contemporary art in the world. Through the leadership of its trustees and staff, the Museum manifests this commitment by establishing, preserving, and documenting a collection of the highest order that reflects the vitality, complexity, and unfolding patterns of modern and contemporary art; by presenting exhibitions and educational programs of unparalleled significance; by sustaining a library, archives, and conservation laboratory that are recognized as international centers of research; and by supporting scholarship and publications of preeminent intellectual merit.

Central to the Museum's mission is the encouragement of an ever-deeper understanding and enjoyment of modern and contemporary art by the diverse local, national, and international audiences that it serves.

Film has been an integral component of MoMA since 1939, when The Museum opened its permanent home in Manhattan and launched the first film exhibition program in America. Today, the Department of Film organizes exhibitions, produces film festivals, and serves the public with a variety of wide-ranging and innovative programming. The Museum also houses four state-of-the-art theaters ranging in capacity from 50400 seats, each with first-rate film and video projection capabilities.

The Department of Film encompasses the Collection, the Film Preservation Center, the Film Study Center, and the Circulating Film and Video Library.

The Collection

The Department of Film houses the strongest international film collection in the United States and one of the most extensive international collections of motion pictures in the world, totaling more than 25,000 films between the permanent and study collections. The Collection incorporates all periods and genres of film.

The Collection allows the Museum to sustain an unparalleled study and exhibition program for the public, scholars, and filmmakers. This program has provided an education for modern artists in all mediums, and individual films have been studied by filmmakers at every level, from writers, directors, and producers to costume designers, production assistants, and grips.

In an institution that is a treasure trove for the study of the twentieth century, the film collection is an invaluable asset.

The Celeste Bartos Film Preservation Center

In the mid-1980s it became evident that the film collection's size and particular conservation requirements precluded storing it at the Museum in midtown Manhattan. The then-director of the Department of Film, Mary Lea Bandy, approached the chairman of the Trustee Committee on Film, Celeste Bartos, with the idea of creating an off-site facility to house the collection.

Ten years later, on June 20, 1996, the Museum opened The Celeste Bartos Film Preservation Center, an $11.2-million state-of-the-art storage facility in Hamlin, Pennsylvania. The Center houses a majority of the Museum's film holdings.

The Celeste Bartos International Film Study Center

The Film Study Center offers screening facilities for viewing films from the Museums collection; a large selection of screenplays and dialogue continuities; extensive files of reviews, articles, and program notes; reference books; special collections; film indexes; and current periodicals.

The Circulating Film and Video Library

Established in 1935 to collect films that illustrate the historic and artistic development of motion pictures and to establish the medium as a major art form, the Circulating Film Library includes over 1,200 titles covering the history of film from the 1890s to present. It also incorporates the Circulating Video Library, an important collection of work by leading video artists. The Museum continues to add to its holdings of early silent films, contemporary documentaries, animation, and avant-garde and independent cinema, and to make these available to viewers who otherwise would not have the opportunity to see them.

The Museum seeks a new Curator of Film to join a world-class team and institution to serve as a strategic leader, architect and collaborator and to drive the Film Departments programs, exhibitions, collections and scholarship. Under the leadership of the Chief Curator of Film, Rajendra Roy, the Department produces an extraordinary, innovative, and extensive calendar of high-caliber programming.

In partnership with the Chief Curator of Film and the senior team, he/she will be responsible for programming, exhibitions and collection, museum management, and external affairs and scholarship.

Specifically, the Curator of Film will have significant input into optimizing the programmatic calendar and will ensure staff is working towards the successful execution of the Film departments vision. Moving beyond film work of exhibitions, acquisitions and collections, he/she will be an internal and external representative of the Film Department, collaborating with and engaging others in the passion and mission of film at the Museum. Key responsibilities include:

Program, Exhibition & Collection:

• Responsible for maintaining a full, balanced and dynamic program schedule. Oversee scheduling of all public programming and calendar of the Film Department, subject to approval by the Chief Curator.
• Research, investigate, and produce temporary and collection exhibitions (both theater- and gallery-based) in partnership with the Chief Curator and with approval from the Committee on Exhibitions.
• Partner with the Film Acquisition Committee and attends Film Acquisition Committee meetings. Research and recommend potential acquisitions, when appropriate present the recommendations to the Committee.
• Consider, solicit, and submit possible gifts or purchases of films for the collection for consideration to Chief Curator and to the Film Acquisition Committee.

Museum Management:

• Work with the Publications Department to produce catalogues, other written materials and budgets for publication, including photography.
• Partner with the Education Department on programs relevant to either temporary exhibition or collection shows, including lectures or panel discussions at the Museum or other venues under the Museums auspices.
• Collaborate with Communications, Marketing, Graphics, Development and other Museum colleagues to promote and support Film exhibitions.

External Affairs & Scholarship:

• Attend international film festivals, serve as a key representative of the Film Department and keep abreast of new filmmakers and emerging movements.
• Partner with the Chief Curator in engaging, motivating and managing the Film Acquisition Committee and other Museum supporters.
• Write articles in professional journals, present lectures at other institutions, participate in professional arts organizations, and jury works, as appropriate.

Education and Languages:

Bachelors degree required; Masters or Ph.D. preferred. Foreign language proficiency a plus.

Travel:

Frequent domestic and international travel is expected, approximately 25%.

Compensation:

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience.

The successful candidate will be a highly-accomplished, sophisticated, and experienced film curator who brings a depth of knowledge and talent to a high-caliber, multifaceted, and world-renowned program. Deeply passionate about film, he/she will be highly regarded for stellar work in the field, a commitment to excellence and curatorial expertise. He/she will be well-versed in the commercial, social, and political history of cinema.

Creative and strategic, the new Curator of Film will engage, motivate and collaborate with talented colleagues and Museum leadership, a diverse set of external partners, and the general public. He/she will have the ability to see the big picture and understand how to drive the vision forward to completion. The Curator of Film will thrive in a structured and highly professional environment, at an institution that demands excellence, continuously breaks new ground, and upholds its position as a leader in the field. Ideal professional experience and personal attributes will include:

• Significant experience and accomplishment in the area of film, with a background in film festivals, museums, Cinematheque or from industry.
• A track record of planning, programming and producing major exhibitions.
• An academic foundation and clearly demonstrated research capabilities, with a sophisticated understanding of film and an innate intellectual curiosity.
• Smart and sophisticated, with the executive presence and willingness to engage and connect with a variety of stakeholders, including the Museum Board, Film Acquisition Committee members, Museum colleagues, industry experts and other external partners and the general public.
• Diplomatic, with the ability to successfully partner with a diverse population of highly talented, technical experts throughout the organization.
• Strong organizational skills; able to set priorities, yet maintain flexibility in order to respond quickly to new opportunities.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written; superior presentation skills; sound judgment.
• Passionate about film with a commitment to the Museum's mission to deliver the finest programs, ignite the mind and provide inspiration while being accessible to a public that ranges from scholars, industry leaders and film fans young and old.