*NEW* POSITION OPENING: CURATOR OF AMERICAN GLASS
CORNING MUSEUM OF GLASS
CORNING, NEW YORK
Submissions of C.V. + cover letter should be made to the retained search
consultants:
Opportunity Resources Inc.
New York, NY
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BACKGROUND
The Corning Museum of Glass, located in the Southern Tier of New York State,
is a 225,000 square foot complex dedicated to the art, science, crafting and
scholarship of glass. It is the repository for the world's largest
collection of glass, 45,000 objects representing an encyclopedic 3,500-year
history of the art and science of glass. The collection contains over 10,000
American glass objects. The 167,000 square foot museum is one of the three
buildings in the Corning Museum complex, which also includes the Rakow
Research Library and The Studio.
From its modest beginnings in 1951, CMoG has grown exponentially. Additions
in 1980 and in 1996 included a complete renovation of glass collection
galleries and added 70,000 square feet for the permanent galleries and for
special exhibitions.
New construction begun in 2012 with a scheduled completion date of 2014 will
re-imagine the site of the former Steuben Glass building and address the
need for more space to showcase the growing collection of contemporary glass
and increase the capabilities of glassblowing demonstrations.
The Corning collection includes glass objects from antiquity to the present
day, representing every country and historical period in which glassmaking
was practiced. The comprehensive American glass on exhibit represents the
history of glass making from Colonial times to the present. The Curator of
American Glass will be responsible for the American collection to the 1920s.
The collection overseen by the Curator of American Glass encompasses rare
early 17th century hand-blown glass and objects from Caspar Wistar's
factory, the first successful manufacturer of glass in the American
colonies. The Crystal City Gallery is devoted to glass made in Corning, New
York dating from 1868, when the Brooklyn Flint Glass Works moved to Corning
and changed its name to Corning Flint Glass Works. By 1905, Corning had been
nicknamed "The Crystal City" due to the city's concentration of cut glass
manufacturers including Steuben Glass Works, which opened in 1903 and
pioneered the production of colored glass.
The Jerome and Lucille Strauss Study Gallery is the gift of Museum
benefactors who donated a collection of 2400 drinking glasses dating from
ancient to modern times. The gallery serves as an open storage area,
designed so that students and collectors can examine a wide range of objects
from all periods arranged by subject areas and place of origin.
The Museum mounts up to five special exhibits annually. The 2012-2013
schedule includes several exhibitions in an on-going series exploring the
major artists of the Studio Glass movement in both Europe and the United
States. Recent exhibitions focusing on American glass include "Mt.
Washington and Pairpoint: American Glass from the Gilded Age to the Roaring
Twenties" and "Drawings for American Stained Glass Design."
Currently there are approximately 100 objects on loan from the collection to
other institutions. Eight of these are from the American collection. The
Museum's famous Conservation Department oversees the condition and
preservation of every glass object in the collection or loaned for exhibit.
It is a state-of-the-art facility with equipment created specifically for
the examination and treatment of glass objects. The lab is regularly called
upon for particularly difficult conservation problems of objects owned by
other institutions.
The collection continues to expand through gifts and acquisitions. 337
American glass objects were added in 2010 and 2011. The Ennion Society, the
Museum's patron group, provides funds for acquisitions. The Society members
and other donors have also been a generous source of gifts to the
collection. Among the treasures added to the American collection recently
was a Royal Flemish vase (circa 1888-1895) from the Mt. Washington Glass
Company and an early American blue creamer with a coin in its knop made in
the Philadelphia area.
The Rakow Research Library, since 2001 housed in a free-standing building,
is considered the world's library of record on glass and contains the finest
collection of research materials related to the art, history and technology
of glass. Designed to state-of-the-art standards, the library holds hundreds
of thousands of research items in more than 40 languages, ranging from a
12th Century manuscript to the latest articles and books on contemporary
glass artists. The library regularly presents exhibitions of its holdings
curated by library and curatorial staff.
The extraordinary resources of the library provide a foundation for
scholarly and technical articles produced by the curatorial, collections and
conservation staffs just as collections and exhibitions provide a unique
teaching opportunity for the Education Department, which creates a wide
variety of programs year-round for children and adults.
The Corning Museum of Glass operates with a budget of more than $40 million
and has a full-time staff of 140. The acquisition budget provides ample
funds annually for significant additions to the collections and an array of
important publications for the library.
POSITION
Reporting/Working Relationships
The Curator of American Glass reports to the Executive Director and is a
member of the Executive Director's senior staff. S/he works closely with the
curatorial, collections, conservation and education department staffs
including the Curators of European Glass, Modern Glass and Glass Science;
the Chief Conservator; the Collections and Exhibition Manager; and the
Director of Education and The Studio.
The Curator of American Glass is responsible for the acquisition,
exhibition, cataloguing and research of CMoG's American glass collection.
The Curator of American Glass's primary responsibilities are to provide
leadership and vision for the Department's continued curatorial excellence;
make recommendations for acquisitions; represent the Museum at professional
meetings and take an active role in development.
The Curator of American Glass will begin immediately to familiarize
her/himself with the American Glass collection and to develop ideas for
future exhibitions. S/he will also establish rapport with the curatorial
staff and become familiar with the entire Museum and staff.
Ongoing Responsibilities
* Overseeing the exhibition areas in the galleries pertaining to
American glass, including displays and copy for labels
* Developing and implementing special exhibitions of American glass
* Recommending acquisitions of glass and glass-related material such
as books, periodicals and photographs of American glass
* Consulting with private collectors for loans or gifts to the Museum
* Cataloging the collection of American glass
* Assisting in periodic surveys or inventories of the collection
* Lecturing at the annual Seminar as it relates to American glass and
to other museum groups, as appropriate
* Responding to all inquiries about American glass
* Pursuing original research in the field, writing catalogs, articles
and other materials for CMoG and other publications
* Making recommendations regarding loans to and from the Corning
Museum of Glass and working with the Registrarial and Conservation
Departments to ensure the appropriateness, safety and condition of all loans
Qualifications and Characteristics
The successful candidate will have at least 5 years of curatorial
and collections experience in senior positions at an art museum with a
significant collection and strong curatorial program in American art. S/he
must have a Master's degree in art history or a related field (PhD
preferred) and a publications record is desirable. In addition s/he will
have:
* In-depth knowledge of American decorative arts required; glass
knowledge desired
* Outstanding verbal and written communication skills; ability to
speak to groups of all sizes
* Ability to represent the Museum in a professional manner
* Excellent research skills
* Demonstrated ability to work as part of a team
* Excellent interpersonal skills
* Ability to cultivate important collectors and tactfully solicit
gifts for the collection
* Ability to plan strategically and long-range for the exhibition
schedule
* A passion for art and the curatorial process
* An appreciation of the interrelatedness of art and education
* The personality to enjoy social and community interaction
* High energy, strong motivation and a hands-on work ethic
LOCATION
Corning is a small historic and artistic city in Steuben County, in
the geographic region of New York State known as the Southern Tier. Most
famous for its glassmaking past and present, the town of Corning welcomes
more than half a million people every year from all over the world. Visitors
to Corning enjoy its rich culture and history, and the beauty of its
surroundings in the Finger Lakes wine-making region.
Address all inquiries and recommendations in confidence,
to the retained search consultants (e-mails are preferred).
Please do not send printed catalogues or material.
Freda Mindlin or Nancy Kaufman
Opportunity Resources Inc.
196 East 75th Street, Suite 14H
New York, NY 10021
Voice (212) 744-4409
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www.opportunityresources.net
Opportunity Resources has specialized for over thirty years in providing
search services to non-profit cultural institutions nationwide.
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