Associate Curator

About Our Job

The Denver Public Library (DPL) isn't just a place to borrow books; it's a vibrant, essential hub for our diverse city. As a growing urban library system with 28 locations and over 4 million annual visitors, we're deeply woven into the fabric of Denver.

Join a team where your values align with your work. At the Denver Public Library, we're not just serving our community; we're building a culture guided by values that empower both our staff and the public.

• Welcoming: We make our resources, services, and expertise accessible for all, recognize the inherent dignity in each person, and provide safe places where everyone can be themselves.
• Curiosity: We foster a culture of exploration, innovation, and forward thinking by creating environments that support learning and growth.
• Connection: We are neighbors. We foster relationships, listen and act to build and strengthen our community. We bring people together to share information, ideas, and experiences.
• Equity: We work to change inequitable practices, structures and policies, and attitudes that drive them, to provide opportunities for every person in our community to thrive. As we do so, we actively examine our roles in perpetuating oppressive systems.
• Stewardship: We are accountable to our community, using our resources responsibly. We lead with honesty and integrity, protect privacy and preserve and share the full history of our Denver community.

If you're passionate about service, community engagement, and creating positive change, we invite you to explore career opportunities with us. Come join a team that believes in the power of knowledge, connection, and equity.

Unrivaled Benefits

The City and County of Denver offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience. We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but is not limited to:

• Four (4) Medical Plans, Dental, Vision Insurance
• Pension Plan for Life (employee contributes 8.45%, employer contributes 17.95%) and 457 (b) Retirement Plan
• PTO (over 3 weeks in your first year), quarterly wellness hours, and 12 paid holidays
• CARE Bank, Family Leave Benefits
• Enhanced Work/Life Balance: Employee Assistance Program (6 counseling sessions per year, legal assistance, financial counseling, discounted recreation center passes), Employee Volunteer Program
• Professional Learning and Development Opportunities; Courses and Career Development Resources ; Education Refund Program
• EcoPass (unlimited free RTD bus/train rides)
• For more information please visit our website.

About Our Team

The Special Collections and Archives (SCA) unit comprises two archival repositories, located at the Central Library and the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library. Our team of over twenty-five librarians, archivists, and paraprofessionals are committed to exceptional access, preservation, and customer service for our world-class collections. SCA focuses on key collecting areas including the history of the American West, African American history, Western American art, genealogy, rare books, conservation, maps, Colorado and Denver-focused history, and more.

Within SCA, the Museum Services team provides free, public access to engage visitors with the rich history of Colorado and the American West through exhibits, objects, artwork, and archival materials.

About Our Position

We are seeking two term-limited Associate Curators to join our Museum Services team in developing exhibits and public-facing experiences that explore our collections, center community voices, foster curiosity, and advance equity. You will work at the intersection of museums, library services, community engagement, and exhibition practice to create experiences that invite visitors into conversation with history, art, and culture. Under the direction of the Curator, the Associate Curators will be essential in expanding and establishing this team’s services.

You will conduct research, develop curatorial projects, and collaborate across DPL to organize, design, and install exhibits at the Central Library, Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library, and branch locations. Your work will directly support our mission to provide free public access to the rich cultural heritage of Colorado and the American West while ensuring diverse communities see themselves reflected in our collections and exhibits.

As an Associate Curator, you will collaboratively administer all aspects of exhibits and temporary installations from conception through completion. The program themes and content must meet the library's standards for high-quality visitor experiences.

• Conduct curatorial research for a variety of history, art, and cultural exhibits
• Develop exhibit concepts that ask open-ended questions and invite visitors into collaborative knowledge-building
• Write visitor-centered in-gallery text and interpretive resources that are well-researched, factual, welcoming, accessible, and foster curiosity
• Work with the Museum Services team to create welcoming and informative graphics for display
• Manage exhibition projects from design phase through implementation, maintenance, and closing
• Lead and collaborate with DPL branch staff in installations and de-installations
• Handle art and artifact installation following professional museum standards
• Conduct site visits and assessments for exhibition spaces across DPL locations
• Troubleshoot technical issues and adapt to changing conditions during installation
• Build and maintain relationships with local and regional partners including museums, artists, universities, galleries, cultural organizations, historical societies, and community groups
• Partner with donors, nonprofit organizations, businesses, private collectors, government agencies, colleges, and artists to accomplish curatorial vision
• Work with communities to ensure their stories are told by their members
• Lead public exhibit tours and collaboratively facilitate public programs that engage visitors with exhibit themes
• Research and identify potential new acquisition opportunities that address collection diversity and equity, with documentation of recommendations
• Oversee art and artifact handling with attention to preservation and professional standards
• Complete condition reports for collection objects used for exhibits
• Ensure proper storage and display conditions to preserve collections for future generations
• Maintain accurate records including storage and display locations to ease public access

What You Would Bring

We're looking for someone who is passionate about public service, committed to equity and inclusion, and excited to reimagine what museum practice can look like in a library setting. You will bring both curatorial expertise and a collaborative spirit to the Museum Services team.

Our ideal candidate

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to move between periods of independent work and collaborative work
• Ability to occasionally work flexible hours including some evenings and weekends
• Knowledge of accessibility best practices and universal design principles
• Proficiency with collaborative project management tools and software
• Knowledge of Western American history, Colorado history, African American history, or related regional history
• Experience with art and artifact handling, condition reporting, and collection management systems

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Museum Studies, Art History, Arts Administration, Public History, American Studies, Ethnic Studies, or closely related field
• Three years of professional or technical level experience planning the administrative aspects of exhibit programs or working on exhibits in a museum, historic institution, library, cultural center, or related organization

Substitutions:

• One year of the appropriate type and level of experience may be substituted for each required year of post-high school education. Additional appropriate education may be substituted for the minimum experience requirements.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's or Bachelor's degree in Museum Studies, Art History, Arts Administration, Public History, American Studies, Ethnic Studies, or closely related field

• Background in exhibit maintenance and installation techniques
• Proven experience in the development of both permanent and temporary exhibits for a gallery, museum, library, or related institution
• Experience project managing exhibits from design phase through implementation and closing
• Project management experience including monitoring budgets, developing contracts, tracking timelines, problem-solving, and coordinating the work of staff, contractors, and volunteers
• Experience in participatory or community-engaged exhibit practice and/or working with diverse communities and centering marginalized voices in exhibits or public programming
• Experience conducting collection assessments through an equity lens

Don't let a "checklist" hold you back! Research shows that women and other underrepresented and historically marginalized groups often self-select out if they don't meet every qualification. If you're reading this and feel a true passion for making an impact, we wholeheartedly encourage you to apply, as an equal combination of education and experience will be considered for all applicants. Your excitement for this work matters just as much as your resume.

Work Environment & Location

The Denver Public Library's branches are the arms to the community—each a unique reflection of the dynamic, diverse communities we serve. At DPL, we pride ourselves on showing up and providing support whenever there is a need.

While you may be hired for a specific location, please know that we are hiring with the expectation that at any time, you may be required to work at any one of our branches based on operational needs. This allows our staff to experience the full breadth of Denver's communities and ensures we consistently deliver the highest level of service across our branches.

Additionally, DPL employees may be redeployed to work in other locations or capacities to support core functions of the library system during branch closures or other emergencies.

This position is based out of the Central Library in the Civic Center area of downtown Denver and parking is not subsidized by DPL.

Application & Additional Info

Ensure that the 'Work Experience" section of the application is complete and contains all relevant work experience related to the position that you are applying for. Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. Job postings will close at 12AM on the posted ending date. If interested in this opportunity, please apply as soon as possible.

Offer of employment contingent upon successful completion of criminal history and employment verification

All Denver Public Library employees must apply through their internal profile.

Ready to learn more and see how you can contribute? Visit us at denverlibrary.org and connect with our community on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

About Everything Else

Job Profile

LQ3603 Curator

To view the full job profile including position specifications, physical demands, and probationary period, click here.

Position Type

Limited (Fixed Term)

Library Hiring Range

$63,679.00 - $84,375.00

Target Pay

Agency

Denver Public Library

Redeployment during Citywide Emergencies

City and County of Denver employees may be re-deployed to work in other capacities in their own agencies or in other city agencies to support core functions of the city during a citywide emergency declared by the Mayor.

Assessment Requirement

The City and County of Denver provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or any other status protected under federal, state, and/or local law.

It is your right to access oral or written language assistance, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning via CART, or disability-related accommodations. To request any of these services at no cost to you, please contact [email protected] with three business days’ notice.

Applicants for employment with the City and County of Denver must have valid work authorization that does not require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S.

For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish.