Museum or art gallery curators are responsible for collections of objects. These objects can be of artistic, scientific, historical, archaeological and general interest. They could include, for example, paintings, rocks, stuffed animals or pre-historic tools.
Curators have a number of specific functions to their role. These can include:
- Acquiring the object of interest or collection
- Researching into the object or collection
- Cataloguing and storing the item or collection
- Displaying and interpreting these collections to inform, educate and entertain the public.
A strong emphasis of the work of a curator is to make the work accessible to a general audience. Museums and galleries may wish to be seen at the heart of their community. The curator’s role is therefore to also interpret collections to make them as open to a wider audience as possible.
In a large museum, gallery or visitor centre curators are more likely to be specialists. This could mean having a detailed knowledge of a specific area of art history.
In smaller museums, curators have to perform a broader range of tasks including marketing, fundraising, liaising with schools and other community groups. They may also have to give presentations, handle enquiries, manage volunteers and plan exhibitions.
