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Do you enjoy visiting art galleries or museums? Do you have an interest in history and the fine arts? Are you a natural leader with a flair for organization? If the answer to all of this is yes, then you might want to consider curating as a future career. 

What is curating? 

Museum curators are the people in charge of setting up a museum or gallery and directing the experience visitors have when they come. From negotiating, acquiring, and lending items, to arranging exhibitions, to working with artists on how best to display their pieces, the job of a museum curator varies from the desk to the floor!

The key here is to be organised at the job, which applies to arranging the exhibits, managing budgets and finances, and even maintaining relationships with donors, stakeholders, and local communities. In this field, competition is tough, and staff turnover is low. But with a devotion and enthusiasm for the arts and history, the job is completely worthwhile. 

Think about those museum dates you’ve had before...

Days that are guaranteed to be full of culture and knowledge. You walk into the building, and are faced with impressive antiquities, beautiful paintings, and massive installations arranged all throughout the complex.

As you admire the exhibits, engage with the displays, and read tidbits of their history, you begin to learn more about these items, and start to wonder what these objects looked like in the past, or the messages their creators meant to convey. You might not have thought of how meticulously organised every exhibit was, leading from one collection to the next, how the items on display even got into the museum in the first place, or how secure and protected the items on display were. But it's all part of what makes your experience so special!

It’s the job of a museum curator to enhance and maximize the experience the audience gets when they visit. If the prospect of being a museum curator interesting to you, read on to find out how you can get the role!

How do I become a Museum Curator? 

To become a museum curator, you will likely need a degree in a background like fine arts/ art history, museum or heritage studies, archaeology/ ancient history, classics, natural sciences, anthropology or education. 

A postgraduate education in museum and gallery studies, or in a specific style or period of art or history, would also be useful to get this position.  

It is worth noting that having experience (paid or unpaid) of working in a museum, gallery, or heritage property is also  important when applying for courses or jobs in this industry.

However, individuals with unrelated university degrees can also become museum curators as well, be it through apprenticeships, or through working towards the role yourself!

What skills do I need to work in this position? 

Coming into the industry, you will need to have knowledge of the fine arts and history, and of the working language (being able to read, write, and speak). 

Essential skills that you will need are attention to detail, interest in history, business management skills, teaching skills, leadership skills, initiative and proactiveness, ability to work with others, and computer and technological skills/ literacy. 

What are the key responsibilities? 

As a museum curator, you will select, buy, or borrow items of interest for the museum/ gallery. You will be researching, identifying, cataloguing, and keeping records of items and collections. You will have to make sure that the artefacts are kept and displayed safely, securely, and in the right conditions.

You will also have to arrange for the conservation and restoration of pieces that need them. You will have to plan and organize exhibitions and lectures for the public, whilst handling the publicity and fundraising. You will have to negotiate the funding and loaning of exhibits. You will also be in charge of recruiting and training other staff. 

What will the job look like? 

A museum curator can work in a range of different settings, from natural history and science museums, contemporary art galleries, memorial museums, art galleries, history museums, etc. They typically work 38 – 40 hours a week, and they have a starting salary of £18,000 per year. This amount can increase to about £40,000 as you advance in the field.