Career Research

Curator:

The career in art that I chose to research was that of a curator. I found that a curator is someone who acquires art and often selects the pieces that will be exhibited in museum. A curator plans exhibits, cares for the art in store, and writes about the art and artists exhibited. A curator's purpose is to ensure that the experience of viewing art is as important and meaningful as the art itself.

I found that the education needed to become a curator typically involves acquiring a masters degree in art history, history, archaeology, or even marketing, though a bachelor's degree may be sufficient depending on the institution you are curating for. However, many curators have earned their PHDs as well. Some common colleges for art curators are New York University, University of Santa Barbara, and even VCU here in Richmond. A school that is specifically designed to educate future curators is the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College.

The average pay for a curator is usually around $30,450 to $96,500 in the United States.