Job Description

Phoenix Art Museum seeks a dynamic and accomplished Jacquie Dorrance Curator of Fashion to provide curatorial vision, artistic leadership, and scholarly direction for one of the nation’s distinguished museum fashion programs.

The Curator will steward Phoenix Art Museum’s Fashion Collection of nearly 9,000 objects of couture, accessories, and ephemera spanning nearly five centuries, while developing original exhibitions, research, publications, acquisitions, and public programs that connect the collection with both historical scholarship and contemporary conversations in fashion. The position offers an exceptional opportunity to shape the future of an established fashion program with a national and international profile.

The Opportunity

The Jacquie Dorrance Curator of Fashion will lead the continued development of a nationally and internationally recognized program, bringing an ambitious curatorial perspective to the interpretation and presentation of fashion across periods and cultures.

Working closely with the Director for Curatorial Affairs and Selig Family Chief Curator, the Curator will develop a multi-year exhibition program that draws upon the depth of the permanent collection while also presenting high-profile special exhibitions and pursuing opportunities for Phoenix Art Museum-organized exhibitions to travel nationally and internationally.

The successful candidate will combine deep knowledge of fashion history with intellectual curiosity about fashion's relationship to aesthetics, material culture, history, and social and cultural change. The Curator will be an active scholar and compelling communicator who can engage audiences ranging from museum colleagues and academic peers to designers, collectors, donors, ACI members, media, and the broader public.

Key Responsibilities

The Jacquie Dorrance Curator of Fashion will:

• Provide curatorial and artistic leadership for the Museum's Fashion department and help define the future direction and visibility of the program locally, nationally, and internationally.
• Conduct original research on the Fashion Collection and produce scholarly writing for exhibitions, catalogues, publications, interpretive materials, lectures, and other platforms.
• Develop and implement an ambitious multi-year exhibition program, including annual rotations in the Ellman Fashion Galleries and major special exhibitions.
• Conceive and develop original Phoenix Art Museum exhibitions with the potential to travel nationally and internationally.
• Work closely with the Fashion Collection Manager on collections care, conservation, installations, loans, acquisitions, and gifts, and provide specialized expertise in mannequin dressing, installation, design, and conservation.
• Identify significant acquisitions and cultivate relationships with designers, collectors, donors, scholars, fashion journalists, brands, and other leaders across the international fashion community.
• Work collaboratively with the Arizona Costume Institute to develop compelling programming and support signature events, including the annual Haute Lecture and Holiday Luncheon.
• Recommend and help secure nationally and internationally recognized designers, scholars, curators, collectors, and other speakers for ACI and Museum programs.
• Collaborate across curatorial departments to integrate fashion into broader collection presentations and institutional initiatives.
• Partner with Education and Engagement colleagues to create accessible, inclusive, and intellectually rigorous public programs.
• Represent the Museum through lectures, gallery talks, tours, media engagements, donor programs, professional activities, and other public-facing opportunities.
• Participate in institutional strategic planning related to collections, exhibitions, scholarship, and audience engagement.
• Supervise and support Fashion department staff while fostering a transparent, proactive, collaborative, and respectful working environment.

These responsibilities reflect the scope of the approved position, including its emphasis on scholarship, exhibitions, collections stewardship, ACI collaboration, public engagement, traveling exhibitions, and building relationships throughout the national and international fashion field.

Qualifications

An advanced degree in fashion studies, fashion history, art history, design, material culture, or a related field is required, with a demonstrated record of scholarship and publication. A PhD or master's degree is preferred; an equivalent combination of education and relevant curatorial experience will also be considered.

Candidates should have a minimum of five years of experience organizing fashion-design exhibitions, writing scholarly essays, publishing catalogues, preparing interpretive materials, and presenting public lectures and gallery talks.

The successful candidate will bring:

• Deep knowledge of 20th- and 21st-century fashion design, with broad knowledge of earlier periods.
• A strong record of scholarly research and writing for museum or related publications.
• Demonstrated ability to conceive and organize ambitious original exhibitions and accompanying publications.
• Knowledge of collections stewardship and specialized practices related to fashion installation, design, and conservation.
• An innovative curatorial vision and an interest in the evolving role of fashion within museums and contemporary culture.
• Strong leadership and supervisory skills, including the ability to delegate, develop staff, and achieve goals collaboratively.
• A highly collegial working style and demonstrated ability to build productive relationships across departments and with external partners.
• Strong organizational and project-management skills and the ability to balance long-term program development with simultaneous exhibitions, collections work, publications, and institutional priorities.
• A broad professional network or demonstrated ability to cultivate relationships with designers, collectors, scholars, curators, journalists, and other leaders in the field.
• A commitment to engaging diverse audiences and communities through programming, outreach, staffing, and organizational culture.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including significant experience with public speaking and the ability to communicate effectively with audiences of varied backgrounds and levels of expertise.
• Working proficiency with standard office technology and museum collections-management systems.

Working at Phoenix Art Museum

This is a regular, full-time, exempt position based at Phoenix Art Museum in Phoenix, Arizona. The position works in both office and exhibition-gallery environments and includes physical activity associated with the care and installation of fashion objects, including lifting up to 50 pounds and activities such as standing, walking, reaching, kneeling, stooping, pushing, and pulling.

The Jacquie Dorrance Curator of Fashion reports to the Director for Curatorial Affairs and the Selig Family Chief Curator and supervises members of the Fashion department.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary Range: $90,000 - $100,000/annually

Phoenix Art Museum offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage; employer HSA contributions; Museum-paid basic life and AD&D insurance; paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, and parental leave; and a 401(k) plan with employer contributions. Employees also receive complimentary Museum membership, Museum Store and restaurant discounts, and admission privileges at participating Valley cultural institutions.

About the Fashion Collection

Founded in 1966, the Phoenix Art Museum Fashion Collection is one of the Museum’s signature collection areas and one of the few continuously active museum fashion programs in the United States. Its nearly 9,000 objects span five centuries of fashionable dress and accessories and include significant works by designers such as Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Christian Dior, Claire McCardell, Fortuny, Halston, Iris van Herpen, Yohji Yamamoto, and Schiaparelli.

The collection also includes important concentrations of mid-century haute couture and avant-garde fashion, along with special archives including the Geoffrey Beene Archive, the Emphatics Archive, and the Ann Bonfoey Taylor Archive. The Fashion program is supported by the Arizona Costume Institute (ACI), founded in 1966 to advance the acquisition, preservation, exhibition, and appreciation of fashion as art.

About Phoenix Art Museum

Located in the heart of Phoenix, Phoenix Art Museum is the largest art museum in the southwestern United States and a vibrant destination for the visual arts. The Museum is home to more than 20,000 objects and engages more than 300,000 guests, lifelong learners, and art lovers annually through its collections, exhibitions, educational offerings, and multidimensional community programs. Its mission is to ignite imaginations, create connections, and serve as a vibrant destination and brave space for all people who wish to experience the transformative power of art.

The Museum’s collections encompass American and Western American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern and contemporary art, fashion, and photography, complemented by critically acclaimed national and international exhibitions and a broad range of public and educational programming.

To Apply

Qualified applicants should submit a cover letter and résumé/CV to HR@phxart.org with job code PAM-FASH in the subject line. Please provide examples of publications, exhibitions, or other relevant scholarly work.

Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled.

Incomplete submissions may not be considered.

Phoenix Art Museum is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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