Associate Curator

Creative Time, New York City’s veteran and vanguard public arts presenter, seeks a full time Associate Curator. 

The Associate Curator will primarily support CTHQ, Creative Time’s new gathering space for art and political engagement. Reporting to the Curator, the Associate Curator functions as a key member of the Curatorial Team and will work on CTHQ as well as department- and organization-wide initiatives such as the Creative Time Summit and editorial content. In addition, the Associate Curator will be asked to build out engagement opportunities and public programs as they relate to Creative Time Commissions, in and out of CTHQ. The Associate Curator will work with a dynamic team on strategy and implementation of community engagement, public programs, performances, online content, and printed matter. This involves collaboration with artists, cultural producers, cultural organizers, and a range of organizational partners and thought leaders. 

The role is responsible for management duties related to CTHQ including short and long-term program development that both stands alone in CTHQ and supports engagement with Creative Time commissions, artist and partner relations, curatorial research, project management, operations and administration related to CTHQ, written didactic materials, and public speaking engagements. 

The ideal candidate for this position will be a community-builder, self-starter, critical thinker, and creative spirit who enjoys quick problem solving, keeping ideas, timelines, and people organized, and is adaptable with a flexible disposition. The ideal candidate will be well versed in socially engaged art and will embody the ethos that everyone is an artist and art is found everywhere. 

The Associate Curator supervises the Event Coordinator who manages the administrative and production tasks of CTHQ, as well as occasional interns. The role reports to the Curator and works collaboratively with the Projects, Development, and Communications teams. 

About CTHQ:

CTHQ is a hub that nurtures a community of politically oriented artists locally, nationally, and around the world. This initiative takes root in the organization's lineage of platforming contemporary socially engaged and political art practices across the world through the Creative Time Think Tank, Summit, Reports, and Global Residencies. Now in its second year, CTHQ features weekly artist-driven public programs organized around an annual thematic, with the Sonic Commons shaping the 2024 programs. In addition, the CTHQ program includes timely political education and tactical workshops and the space is open for weekly drop-in hours for the community to co-work, rest, and gather on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

About Creative Time Summit: 

Since its inception in 2009, the Summit has functioned as a flexible, roving platform bringing together artists, activists, and other thought leaders engaging with today’s most pressing issues. Having emerged alongside the definition of political art, or socially engaged art, the Summit highlighted and united artists and practitioners working beyond the traditional art market, many of whom were intervening in areas of civic life, politics, and media. Presenting a critical range of perspectives, the Summit provides strategies for social change in local and global contexts. As the first major international platform for socially engaged art, the Summit has hosted over 10,000 live attendees, including both notable luminaries and emerging artists and thinkers.

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

Curatorial Responsibilities

• Proposes and implements artist-driven public programs at various timescales, from one-off events to longer term artist engagements that are responsive to site, time, and overarching curatorial thematics as set by the Creative Time Curator.
• Builds out engagement opportunities and public programs as they relate to Creative Time Commissions, in and out of CTHQ. 
• Grows and maintains a dynamic community of artists, activists, and thought leaders locally and internationally. 
• Updates and implements a strategic community engagement program that builds and nurtures an expansive community embedded in political and collaborative practices with special attention to local engagement.
• Strengthens current relationships with community organizations, artist neighbors, and arts organizations to build and cultivate strong, sustainable relationships within the Lower East Side’s diverse communities. Develop new strategic partnerships to grow the organization’s national and international community of artists and activists.
• Researches current global movements and networks of socially engaged art and the broader field to pinpoint timely and relevant program topics and design.
• Conducts curatorial research on relevant artists, programs, and contemporary and historical social movements globally.
• Alongside Curator, manages relationships with key program stakeholders. Schedules meetings, tracks notes and actions, and facilitates opportunities for engagement. 
• Fosters community by facilitating welcoming, accessible programs focused around the exchange of ideas, food, and shared space.
• In collaboration with the Curator and Communications team, builds partnerships with program and media entities to enhance program access and visibility.
• Develops and executes successful programs, including editorial content, based on mission-focused activities.
• Represents the organization at relevant public-facing community events and workshops.
• Ability to work nights and weekends as needed, subject to program calendar.

Administrative Responsibilities

• Maintains and proposes allocations for program budget
• Develops evaluation methods to learn from audience and participant experience and track impact of program initiatives
• Works cross departmentally with communications and programming teams to develop materials to promote and support programs
• Manages Part Time Event Coordinator to handle administrative duties including arranging agreements, travel, payments, and event logistics as needed.
• Collaborates with Part Time Event Coordinator to propose and implement values-aligned operational protocols for CTHQ in every aspect of event production and hospitality.
• Oversees space operations and facilities such as maintenance and repairs. 

REQUIREMENTS

• 4-6 years work experience in a similar capacity. Direct experience designing programs for 50+ people from concept to delivery
• Knowledgeable and deeply committed to socially engaged art, public art, and community engagement.
• Commitment to accuracy and detail with the ability to maintain a calm and composed presence through fast-paced work days; comfortable working independently and collaboratively
• The ability to exercise keen judgment and discretion with artists, board members, donors, partners, and the public
• Excellent writing skills, proven grasp of grammar and expression
• Proficient in Google Workspace, Microsoft Word, and Excel
• Spanish language proficiency is a plus

This hybrid position works Monday through Friday, with the ability to work from home on Mondays and Fridays. Hours are as follows: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday: 10am-6pm; Wednesday: 1pm-9pm. 

Interested and qualified candidates should submit a resume and cover letter detailing your relevant background and skills, plus two reference contacts as PDF documents. Candidates are encouraged to apply immediately in order to receive the fullest possible consideration.

Email materials as PDFs to [email protected] with subject line: “2025 Associate Curator.” Deadline to apply is May 10, 2025 by 6pm ET. No calls please.

Creative Time is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion or creed, gender, gender identity or expression, familial status, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, ability, age, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, or military status.

Our work at Creative Time is inherently political, social, and invested in the global justice movements of our time. It is also fun, experimental, and often very delightful. We value individuals who embody those values, backgrounds, and lived experience.

05/10/2025