The Curator will lead and coordinate all curatorial, preservation, external relations and exhibition work associated with The Mactaggart Art Collection. This position will be an academic appointment, reporting to either the Chair of Art & Design or the Chair of East Asian Studies (a decision that will be made in consultation with the Curator).
Working in close collaboration with the Office of the Provost, the Executive Director of the University of Alberta Museums and Collections Services, the China Institute, and the Mactaggart Art Collection Committee, the Curator will develop and implement a strategy for actively exhibiting works from the Mactaggart Art Collection, and for attracting contemporary and historical Asian visual art exhibitions to the University of Alberta.
The Mactaggart Art Collection, generously donated to the University of Alberta in 2005 by Edmonton philanthropists Drs. Sandy and Cécile Mactaggart, is viewed as a stand-out collection among the unique visual arts and textile collections of the University. The collection includes:
In particular, the folios of the Collection illustrate garments and accessories assigned to the court of the Dowager Empress (the Imperial Mother), and distinguishes the textile collection from other public and private holdings of Chinese costume. These folios were part of an estimated 6,000 prepared for the Emperor's inspection, that in sum would have classified all clothing and accessories worn by members of the Qing dynasty court, from the Emperor to the lowest functionary. The folios are pivotal to our understanding and appreciation of the development of Qing dynasty court dress. The University of Alberta is now the only museum in North America where one can study both the folios and the comparable examples of eighteenth-century court dress.
The University of Alberta is currently ranked among the world’s top research universities, serving nearly 37,000 students from across Canada and 137 other countries. Centered in Edmonton, Alberta and located across five campuses in the Province, the University has a strategy of developing meaningful relationships with academic, business, cultural and political leaders internationally. The objective of the University as articulated by the Provost is to make this collection accessible to external audiences with an interest in Chinese and Asian art to advance scholarship and to highlight the high value that the University places on the artistic and other achievements of diverse cultures.
The Curator will foster public support for the collection and the scholarship of academic departments that might use the Collection as a resource. The Curator will also work to develop new curatorial opportunities for faculty that align with their academic work and drive publication of scholarly work that brings prominence to The Mactaggart Art Collection.
For a full position description or more information, please contact Nancy Painter or Mark Oppenheim at . Additional information on the organization can be found at:http://museums.ualberta.ca/mactaggart/index.aspx