It takes a lot of effort to become a curator, especially one who works at the top of the field at places like the British Museum and the Smithsonian. In addition to extensive experience, top curators typically have doctorate degrees and postgraduate work. Even entry-level curation usually necessitates a bachelor’s degree as well as extensive experience. To put it another way, if you want to be a curator, you should expect to spend a lot of time in school.
Curators can work with a wide variety of collections, which is something to consider early on in one’s education. For example, someone interested in curating at an art gallery should study art history and consider taking specialized courses to gain experience in a specific area, such as 18th century Japanese woodcuts or 20th century German art. Cultural anthropology, on the other hand, might be a good fit for someone who wants to work in a museum with ancient artifact collections.
Anyone interested in becoming a curator as an undergraduate should gain practical experience. Internships in museums, art galleries, libraries, and special collections should be used to gain experience, and some curators enjoy fieldwork, such as participating in archaeological expeditions. Understanding how items are sourced and collected, as well as the chemistry and science behind their work, as well as the cultural impact of works of art and artifacts, is critical for a curator.
A curator can enter a master’s program with a bachelor’s degree and work experience. Some educational institutions offer curator-specific programs, while others focus on art history, anthropology, and other related subjects. Curators should have a clear idea of the types of collections they want to work with so that they can be studied in graduate school. Someone who wants to work on early Roman history, for example, should not spend their graduate school years studying the Mayan civilization.
With a master’s degree, some curators can find work. This qualification may be sufficient for small regional museums and art galleries. It’s a good idea to talk to someone about the qualities they want in a curator if they have a specific workplace in mind. With a master’s degree, you can work as a museum technician, restorer, or curatorial assistant in a larger museum.
Obtaining a doctorate and completing postgraduate work, on the other hand, will increase a curator’s employability. It is also advisable to work in an area of interest while pursuing your degree, if possible. This can also serve as a springboard for a full-time job. Someone who works as a graduate student in a national museum, for example, is more likely to be considered for a position there when one becomes available. Curators can also work in jobs like valuing items for auction houses and managing private collections once they have earned the title of curator.