Aspirations of museum curator

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here- your replied confirm my suspicions based on my sample size of 2 curators. One married money; one came from money.

Anyone with experience in Anthropology? Have been reading that companies hire anthropologists for consumer experience and research type work. Perhaps a better option? When I worjed in CPG our researchers had marketing quant degrees but maybe things are changing??

It’s not better enough to push. Just let him figure it out. I majored in a field not unlike art history and have always managed to support myself. I do not wish I had majored in something else. I work now in a field that barely existed when I was in college.

[Anonymous]

how about a patent examiner in some sort of related field? that's a good job with good benefits and flexible work hours.
I know an art major who is now working as an examiner of light related objects--lamps, headlights, etc.
just a thought.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DH isn’t a curator but has spent most of his career working in museums. Most of the curators either come from money, marry money, or have no family to support, to be honest.

Not sure where you got your data, but in my former workplace there were only one or two out of a dozen curators who fit that description. Unfortunately, the field suffers from "creeping credentialism." Formerly a decent B.A. from a good university, in a liberal arts major, was enough; now you need an advanced degree in "Museum Studies." See the GWU program:
https://corcoran.gwu.edu/museum-studies

[Anonymous]

My friend works in DC as a curator. The jobs are hard to get, and do not pay super well. And he has an Ivy League degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it is at all possible, could he apply to schools in the UK? Would he meet the qualifications to apply to Oxford or Cambridge? There are abundant programs for this type of thing that produce sought after employees at museums, government heritage departments, auction houses, government funded pre-dig evaluation units and other international NGOs. Oxbridge has great programs through their Archaeology and History departments, depending on your DC's specific interest. Excellent internship and externship opportunities plus funded travel grants to more deeply explore an area of interest.

All true, but there is only one museum curator at the Ashmolean. In other words, there aren't enough jobs worldwide to support the major.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
My friend works in DC as a curator. The jobs are hard to get, and do not pay super well. And he has an Ivy League degree.

Me again. I also dispute the "comes from money" view. No, the majority of people working in museums, including curators, are not wealthy or particularly connected. It's a labor of love, like being a university professor. However they do mostly come from milieus that appreciate arts and education. They overlap with moneyed circles, certainly, but it's not the same lifestyle!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Museum curator is a connected job for wealthy people. I have a lot of connections to museums through my work and have only known a handful who have come in through any other way. The only occasional exception is when there's a new specialty museum that happens to be your specialty--or you are hired on as a consultant to curate an exhibition on your specialty--so not a full time gig.

Womp womp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC is applying to colleges. He wants to be a museum curator. Loves history classes and solid writer. we know big law is not for him (DH did this). Trying to be supportive but can you support yourself on a curator salary in DC area?

A little google research says a lot of these jobs require masters or phd for a salary less than $100k. We can only pay for undergrad so grad school would be loans which does not sound wise.

Thinking naybe anthropology could be better with data science? More applicable to other opportunities after he tires of living at home. Any knowledge of museum and or other curator work??

Let him be.

[Anonymous]

Anthropology might be even worse than museum curator.

It’s fine to major in this stuff for college but you need another plan to pay the bills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My friend works in DC as a curator. The jobs are hard to get, and do not pay super well. And he has an Ivy League degree.

Me again. I also dispute the "comes from money" view. No, the majority of people working in museums, including curators, are not wealthy or particularly connected. It's a labor of love, like being a university professor. However they do mostly come from milieus that appreciate arts and education. They overlap with moneyed circles, certainly, but it's not the same lifestyle!

Speaking as an employee at a major DC art museum: yeah, the ones here mostly do come from money, or married into it. This is art-specific, though; I don't think that, e.g., most of the curators at NASM or NMAH are necessarily trust-fund babies.

[Anonymous]

If he wants to be a museum curator, he needs to earn a terminal degree in his field, whether history or art history. And be prepared to move around as he gains opportunities to climb the ladder. Ideally intern in development as well, since that is a big part of the job now.

[Anonymous]

Smithsonian curators have solid salaries, $170Kish or so, but it will take credentials and time to get to that point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Smithsonian curators have solid salaries, $170Kish or so, but it will take credentials and time to get to that point.

And a whole lotta luck if you don't have a connected in or other hook.

[Anonymous]

OP, I'm not clear whether you are saying No to just Big Law or no law altogether. Anyhow, just wanted to chime in that Harvard Law is now $111,500, so plan $350K to $400K for law for your DS. We sent DS to UVA precisely for this reason. We banked the difference between in-state and private so we can now (maybe) afford law school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it is at all possible, could he apply to schools in the UK? Would he meet the qualifications to apply to Oxford or Cambridge? There are abundant programs for this type of thing that produce sought after employees at museums, government heritage departments, auction houses, government funded pre-dig evaluation units and other international NGOs. Oxbridge has great programs through their Archaeology and History departments, depending on your DC's specific interest. Excellent internship and externship opportunities plus funded travel grants to more deeply explore an area of interest.

All true, but there is only one museum curator at the Ashmolean. In other words, there aren't enough jobs worldwide to support the major.

I think you misread my post. The programs at Oxbridge (and at other UK institutions) have specific programs for students who have this interest and a track record of excellent placement for the graduates at the various places I suggested above, both i the UK and outside of it. I personally know of people who graduated from the Oxbridge programs who are currently working at the UN in NYC, Interpol (art theft), at a commercial archaeology firm that assess sites pre-construction, The British Museum, NGA in DC, and at Sotheby's. Each makes enough money to live on and is happy to have been able to pursue their passion.