Curator Museum of Russian Icons — Boston

Application Deadline: March 16, 2020

Opportunity to be the curator of one of the world’s largest collections of Russian icons at a well-established, active museum situated in the Greater Boston area one hour west of the city off of Route 495.

The Museum of Russian Icons (MoRI) seeks a curator who is a well-versed and recognized scholar in the subject of icons, capable of deepening understanding of the collection and enhancing the museum's standing through exhibitions, its scholarly Journal, and professional connections. Founded by industrialist, philanthropist and icon collector Gordon Lankton, the Museum holds over 1,000 pieces, the best collection of Russian icons in the United States. The AAM-accredited museum features state-of-the-art facilities and a lively annual array of temporary exhibitions, programs, and events. Its leaders have built on the founder's vision and set the organization on a sustainable path. A new curator will develop a collection plan, initiate collection research, develop temporary exhibitions, continue to make acquisitions, and connect MoRI to other scholars and institutions worldwide, while continuing to serve the town and region.

Qualifications

Required knowledge, experience, skills and abilities
Expertise in Byzantine, Classical World, and/or Medieval history and culture.
Advanced degree in pertinent discipline; Ph.D. preferred.
Specialized expertise in Russian icons, particularly icons from the 15th through 17th centuries, with preferred subject strength including Byzantine art, Russian and Orthodox Christian icons, Russian and Eastern European art.
A solid reputation in academic circles to help raise the image of and regard for the MoRI.
Broad vision for the value and interrelationships among academic scholarship, publication and museum interpretation.
Experience curating exhibitions and obtaining loans.
Experience writing and editing for scholarly publication.
Experience in writing grant proposals.
Connections to academic and cultural institutions, other scholars of icons, museums with related collections, and icon collectors. A record of building relationships.
Ability to read Russian and with a working knowledge of Church Slavonic.
Outgoing personality and ability to interact effectively with scholars, museum professionals, docents, volunteers, and the general public.
A team player who will embrace the opportunity to work with a dedicated group of museum professionals and volunteers.

JOB DESCRIPTION -- PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Provide deep content expertise on a collection of 1,000 icons to inform its further development and interpretation. Offer vision and direction.
Evaluate the collection, develop and recommend to the board a collection plan, including policies for acquisitions and deaccessions. Identify collecting opportunities.
Guide the museum in building and enhancing the museum's standing in the world of art.
Work effectively with the collections committee, bringing expertise to them and building consensus with them on collection development.
Conduct research to enhance understanding of the collection.
Build partnerships and alliances with academic institutions and cultural organizations around the world. Forge relationships with other collectors and collections in the field.
Work with a distinguished editorial board, serving as managing editor of the museum's Journal of Icon Studies, ensuring the quality of articles and the reach of the publication.
Act as a collaborative teammate with other staff, leading exhibition development and contributing ideas and content to education programs and participating in development and grant/fundraising initiatives.

OPPORTUNITIES

A chance to work with significant personal latitude to shape an important collection. Will have a key role in shaping the exhibition program of the museum going forward.
Staff and board are eager for a content expert who is flexible and willing to challenge what they have been doing. They seek a refreshed and focused direction.
Funding and encouragement to travel for research and networking.
Will work in a setting that combines rural charm with an active regional art community and proximity to Boston and Worcester.
Potential for enhanced ties to museums and universities in the region.
Potential to build an international role for the museum.

CHALLENGES

Balancing popular appeal to attract a healthy number of visitors with scholarly depth of an organization seeking a reputation among academics.
Some conflicting interests and impulses regarding Museum programming may need to be navigated among trustees, museum members, and staff as the Museum evolves.

HOW TO APPLY. Nominations welcome. Apply in confidence:

Email cover letter, résumé (Word documents preferred), salary requirement, and names of 3 references with contact information by March 16, 2020 to retained search firm: Scott Stevens or Marilyn Hoffman, Museum Search & Reference, SearchandRef@museum-search.com. EOE. References will not be contacted without prior permission of the applicant.

MORE ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS

Mission

The Museum of Russian Icons inspires the appreciation and study of Russian culture by collecting and exhibiting icons and related objects; igniting the interest of national and international audiences; and offering interactive educational programs. The Museum serves as a leading center for research and scholarship through the Center for Icon Studies and other institutional collaborations.

History

The Museum of Russian Icons was founded in 2006 as the fulfillment of collector Gordon Lankton's vision. It has grown from a personal passion to a well‐established, accredited museum with an international reputation. Rooted in the local community, it is regarded as one of the premier centers of research and scholarship in the field of Russian icons. The museum has helped to redefine the role of Russian icons in the U.S. What had been a little‐known art form to most people outside of the Russian culture or Orthodox faith is now to many a familiar, engaging type of art with relevant aesthetic and cultural value. The Museum has organized travelling exhibitions at the Chrysler Museum (VA, USA), The Quito Museum (Ecuador), Lafayette College (PA, USA) and a number of university art galleries over the past decade. An indication of the prestige achieved by the Museum is indicated by the British Museum’s decision to host its Byzantine collection catalog on the Museum’s web site.

The Museum's founder, board, and staff are particularly proud of its contributions to its community, the town of Clinton. Working with several other partners, the Museum has been a driver of the revitalization of the local economy, re‐energizing the downtown and the North Central region of Massachusetts.

The Museum of Russian Icons has always had an entrepreneurial spirit, embodied in the founder’s vision for the long-term success of the institution. With a beautifully designed facility, the staff conducts all operations to high professional standards. Starting a museum from scratch was an unparalleled opportunity for the staff and the board to establish and follow best practices from the beginning, and the MoRI's AAM accreditation was achieved relatively quickly for a young museum.

Today

The MoRI has matured from a museum that was largely dependent on one individual’s story, influence and wealth, to one that has clearly established itself as an independent institution and a fixture in the cultural landscape of New England and beyond. It holds a fascinating collection, including a world-class selection of 16th and 17th century icons. There is room for expansion in its holdings from other periods.

The Museum’s primary educational goals are articulated in its mission statement: to introduce icons to American audiences, the majority of which have little experience with icons, and to play a significant role in the international study of icons. A related goal is to showcase Russian culture, primarily through the lens of the icons, but also through other types of exhibitions and programs that complement the icons.

The Museum offers a variety of exhibitions. The permanent collection is displayed in 5,800 square feet of gallery space with interpretive elements bringing out the techniques of icon creation and the meanings to be found in the images. There are 6-8 temporary exhibitions annually, from displays in the entrance area to full presentations in a gallery added in 2010. These illuminate diverse subjects, generally related to Russian and Slavic culture, but featuring themes much broader than icons. Some examples over time have been Emil Hoppé photographs of the Ballets Russes, Soviet ornaments for Christmas to New Years, Ukrainian sacred textiles, and Jewish artists of the Russian and Soviet empires. The first temporary international exhibitions at the Museum were of icons from the Tretyakov Gallery followed by the Andrei Rublev Museum in Moscow.

MoRI's interpretive philosophy is to empower visitors to have their own experience with icons. Docents focus on conversation, not lecturing in a tour. Tour content and museum labels are aimed at providing visitors with a “toolkit” to help them derive personal meaning from the icons and other artwork. MoRI offers audio tours in 4 languages. Exhibitions present the icons as cultural artifacts and works of art, while explaining their sacred function to Orthodox believers.

The museum offers educational programs for people of all ages. A robust array of focused programs reaches out to new audiences. An annual school of icon painting draws people from neighboring and far-off states. One example of a successful educational program at the Museum was created in collaboration with a middle school in Medfield, Massachusetts. Museum staff work with 8th-grade social studies faculty to develop a field-trip program that meets the teachers’ specific curriculum needs teaching Russian history and the Byzantine Empire.

Museum visitation has ranged from 10,000 to 16,000 annually, largely driven by the popular appeal of special exhibitions. The Museum has 500 members supporting it, with a base of people who love what the founder created, have Russian heritage, or love the spiritual nature of the icons.

The MORI has an extensive program of research. Its functions include investigating the quality and provenance of icons being considered for acquisition, identifying and explicating the subjects of the icons in the existing collection, and disseminating results of the research to specialists in the community of art historians. The Museum's online Journal of Icon Studies is overseen by an Editorial Board consisting of important academics in the US and abroad. The Museum has built an extensive research library of books on Russian and other regional iconography that is available to researchers. It includes many very rare books not easily available in any other library in the US.

The organization seeks to grow and change without losing sight of the mission, the vision of the founder, or the core collection. There is a healthy, predictable funding stream and the museum is still actively engaged in expanding grant and development funding and seeking additional funding sources of revenue, while balancing the current budget. There is a general feeling that the Museum has gone as far as it can without a knowledgeable in-house curator of icons and Byzantine art.

ABOUT CLINTON AND THE GREATER BOSTON REGION

Part of the greater Boston metropolitan area, North Central Massachusetts offers the quiet of a relaxed, rural-to-suburban area with convenient access to Worcester and Boston and with housing more affordable than closer to Boston. Clinton itself is a diverse blue-collar community. Around it are smaller towns with classic New England architecture and many farms and orchards, known for good schools attractive to young families. There are excellent recreational opportunities for outdoors people: good cycling, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, and skiing. Wachusett Mountain State Reservation and Willard Brook State Forest are among several parks and preserves in the region. The Tower Hill Botanical Garden is an area treasure within about 10 minutes from MoRI.

Nearby Worcester offers cultural opportunities at nine universities, the Worcester Art Museum, and performing arts and sports at the DCU Center and Mechanics Hall. The city is undergoing a renaissance. Restaurants, a winery, and at least half a dozen craft breweries offer tempting food and drink in the region. It is a 45-minute drive from Clinton to Alewife station, a link to Boston's subway system, and an hour's drive into much of the city.