Did you ever wonder what a curator at an art museum does? Carnegie Museum of Art relies on a dedicated team of curators who are responsible for the study, development, and stewardship of the collection as well as the creation of exhibitions. Curators engage with artists, scholars, community members, donors, and other cultural stakeholders, and they work collaboratively with all teams at our museum to create compelling experiences that connect people to art, ideas, and one another.
Research and Collection Development
One of the principal responsibilities of the museum is the care and acquisition of significant works of art. Our curators play an important role in achieving these responsibilities. They work in close collaboration with our conservation and collection teams to ensure that visitors today and tomorrow have equitable access to the enjoyment and study of our collection. While the collection anchors our history, every acquisition also holds transformative potential. Our curators conduct research in the collection to explore its history, provenance, and strengths. They examine its inherited narratives and identify areas for growth and the emergence of new stories. Our curators also work with artists and other stakeholders to locate potential acquisitions and ensure that objects collected become a resource for the residents of Pittsburgh and the region. They research and suggest new acquisitions that expand the creative capacity of the collection and the museum’s ability to offer our visitors multifaceted narratives about art.
Exhibitions and Installations
The museum presents artworks from the Pittsburgh region and around the world: in the collection galleries, installations, and exhibitions, and through our Forum series, the Carnegie International, the Charles “Teenie” Harris Archive, the Hillman Photography Initiative, and the Heinz Architecture Center. These efforts are the direct outcome of our team’s collection research and development. Our curators envision the galleries as spaces for contemporary conversations about art and art history. They research objects spanning various regions and time periods including sculptures, design objects, paintings, furniture, time-based media, works on paper, and photography. They collaborate with artists, community partners, scholars, and colleagues within and outside the museum to ensure that the museum serves the communities of Pittsburgh, the region, and the art and cultural heritage field at large.
