Career as a Museum Curator

Updated On: 12-Feb-2023

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A Museum Curator is someone who oversees the museum collections. His/her main job is to oversee and manage the museum exhibits, acquire new items for the museum, manage their safe transport, and oversee the setup. Curator often represents the museum and its pieces to the public as well. They might be called on to answer questions about the history of a given piece of art or artifact.

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As a Museum Curator, one should have knowledge of all items available in the museum, for which he/she needs to do lots of research and prepare documents also. Large Museums often have many different positions with different roles and responsibilities.

Job and responsibilities of a Museum Curator:

Managing the collection and keeping the display safe
Research and buy new items to expand and improve educational and research facilities
Maintaining records and cataloguing acquisitions
Deciding on the flow and pattern of visitor's movement
Helping in preparations of brochures or museum guide
Panning and managing the exhibitions or events
Dealing with the all kinds of enquiries

A bachelor degree is a must but master degree got preferences. A degree in any discipline will work, but Art, history, archeology, museum studies, or a related field is preferred.
Here are few colleges for study:

National Museum Institute of History of art, conservation and Museology, New Delhi
Department of Museology, Calcutta University
Banaras Hindu University

Get a bachelor degree in any discipline, but good if you have the preferred subjects
Complete the master degree - master degree is always got preferences. So got your master's in the relevant area.
Get experience: Participate in an internship programme in any museum or do some volunteer work.

Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
Management and organization skills
Team work skills
Knowledge of History or science(for science museum)
Database management skills
Critical thinking skills
Ability to raise funds for different events

It's a very interesting career options and only for those who are passionate about art and history.It's a normal daytime job like other 9 to 5 jobs. Sometimes the curator needed to work extra hours like at the time of an exhibition or event or while setup new items in the museum.One who has a few years of experience can expect a salary between Rs. 15,600 to 39,100. That depends on the position, experience, and location.One can find the curator job in a national/local museum or gallery, independent museum/gallery and heritage centers.