Senior Director of Curatorial Affairs

Senior Director of Curatorial Affairs

About the Frye Art Museum

After years of welcoming the public into their home gallery—known as the “Frye Salon”—Charles andEmma Frye gifted their art collection and estate to the people of Seattle to establish a free public art museum. Founded in 1952, the Frye is now Seattle’s free art museum, bringing together art and ideas in a striking building redesigned by Olson Sundberg Kundig in historic First Hill.

The original museum, designed by Northwest architect Paul Thiry, underwent a major renovation in1997, adding a signature rotunda entryway, café and courtyard, and a Learning and Engagement Wing with an Art Studio. The 45,000-square-foot building includes 12,580 square feet of gallery space, a 142-seat auditorium, a Museum Store highlighting Pacific Northwest makers and designers, and the restaurant Mari Pili at Café Frieda, operated by chef Grayson Corrales.

Today, the Frye connects Seattle with the art and artists of our time. We collect, exhibit, and build community around a wide range of modern and contemporary art, with a strong focus on amplifying the voices of living artists. The museum is beloved for its always-free admission, commitment to accessibility, and uniquely innovative artistic program.

The museum’s Founding Collection of 232 oil paintings reflects the vision of Charles and Emma Frye and features late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century European and American art, including works by artists of the Munich School, Munich Secession, and American Post-Impressionism. In recent years, the museum has expanded its collection through gifts and acquisitions that reflect the breadth of its curatorial program and the global, multicultural context of contemporary Seattle. New acquisitions emphasize the modern era and works by living artists whose perspectives, identities, and forms of expression have been historically underrepresented.

The Frye presents eight to ten special exhibitions each year, including thematic presentations of the collection and regional, national, and international loan-based shows. The Frye Salon, a dramatic, floor-to-ceiling installation that evokes the founders’ original home display, has been presented in various forms since 2006. Guest curators—including artists, art historians, and other cultural figures—are regularly invited to organize ambitious exhibitions that challenge modern and contemporary narratives or reinterpret the museum’s holdings in ways that continually reframe the visitor experience.

Seattle and the Pacific Northwest

Living and working in the Pacific Northwest offers an exceptional quality of life shaped by natural beauty, cultural vibrancy, and civic consciousness. Seattle—situated on the ancestral lands of the Coast Salish peoples, including the Duwamish Tribe—is a city with a reputation for acknowledging its layered histories while embracing a progressive, forward-looking ethos. As a Pacific Rim metropolis, Seattle is deeply connected to global flows of culture, people, and ideas, with especially strong ties to Asia and the broader West Coast. The city is widely recognized for inclusive values and has long been welcoming to LGBTQ+ communities, immigrant populations, and others seeking a sense of belonging. Seattle is also home to a multiracial population, with fast-growing Asian American, Latinx, multicultural and multinational communities that continue to shape its evolving, globally minded identity. As the headquarters of major global companies and a magnet for startups and social entrepreneurs, the city also pulses with the energy of innovation—offering rich opportunities for cross-sector collaboration between the arts, technology, and civic life.

Seattle’s arts and culture scene reflects this same spirit: experimental, independent, and deeply engaged with the issues of its time. The Frye Art Museum is part of a dynamic constellation of cultural organizations that includes major museums, artist-run spaces, design studios, public art initiatives, and one of the most vibrant performing arts communities in the country. The region is undergoing a generational shift in arts leadership, with new voices bringing inclusive practices and bold vision to both legacy institutions and grassroots efforts. This moment of transformation offers fertile ground for collaboration, advocacy, and impact. For cultural professionals, Seattle presents a rare opportunity to participate in shaping a globally engaged, locally grounded arts ecosystem—one that values risk-taking, public service, and a deep commitment to social and cultural equity.

For more information on the Frye Art Museum, please visit https://fryemuseum.org/.

The Opportunity

The Frye Art Museum seeks a strategic, collaborative, and visionary Senior Director of Curatorial Affairs to oversee the museum’s curatorial and collections departments during a pivotal period of institutional growth. A member of the senior leadership team and a key partner to Executive Director https://fryemuseum.org/blog/frye-art-museum-appoints-jamilee-lacy-executive-director, this individual will shape and steward a programmatic vision that brings together the museum’s founding collection strengths in turn of the century European and American realism with its mission-driven commitments to modern and contemporary art and artists.

The Senior Director of Curatorial Affairs will lead a small and ambitious team of six to realize innovative, inclusive, and rigorous exhibitions; develop textual strategies that make complex concepts and artistic practices accessible and engaging to broad audiences; and oversee the study, care, growth, and diversification of the Frye’s collection. The role requires a scholar-practitioner who is equally adept at storytelling and shaping institutional strategy, managing people and processes, mentoring mid-career and emerging talent, and building meaningful partnerships across the museum and beyond.

This is a rare opportunity for a curatorial leader to play a defining role in shaping Seattle’s cultural landscape and to elevate a distinctive and beloved institution to new heights of global-local visibility.

Key Responsibilities

Vision, Leadership, and Strategy

As a key member of the Frye Art Museum’s senior leadership team, the Senior Director of Curatorial Affairs plays a vital role in shaping and advancing the museum’s institutional vision during a pivotal period of evolution and growth leading up to and beyond its 75th anniversary. In close partnership with the Executive Director, this leader will co-develop and implement a curatorial program that reflects the diversity, complexity, and creativity of Seattle and the global modern and contemporary art landscapes. The ideal candidate brings a solid curatorial track record, a proclivity for strategic thinking, and a commitment to curatorial and institutional innovation. They will provide collaborative leadership and strategic oversight for the museum’s curatorial, collections, and registration teams, ensuring alignment with the Frye’s mission and vision to serve as a free, dynamic third space for artists and audiences alike. The Senior Director will work across departments to embed curatorial thinking into broader institutional priorities, foster interdisciplinary dialogue, and cultivate an inclusive, forward-thinking culture. As staff liaison to the Board of Trustees’ Arts Committee, they will also guide conversations about programmatic direction, acquisitions, and long-term artistic strategy—positioning the Frye as a locally rooted and globally relevant museum for the twenty-first century.

Curatorial and Programmatic Oversight

The Senior Director of Curatorial Affairs will lead the Frye’s exhibitions and collections programs, ensuring great storytelling, scholarly rigor, cultural relevance, and public impact. With particular expertise in 19th- and 20th-century art, they will organize original exhibitions ranging from modern art shows built from loans and recent acquisitions to presentations that draw from and expand the museum’s Founding Collection. The Frye welcomes a wide range of geographic and thematic specialties within this time frame and encourages candidates whose work brings new insight to underexamined histories, transnational perspectives, or evolving interpretations of the modern era. The Senior Director will guide curatorial reports in organizing primarily contemporary exhibitions, artist commissions, collection-based presentations, and take shows. In close collaboration with the exhibitions team, they will engage guest curators, partner institutions, and artists to realize projects that align with the Frye’s mission and reflect its commitment to experimentation, equity, and community-centered practice. They will oversee the curators’ development of interpretive materials, publications, and other texts in partnership with editorial and communications staff, ensuring high standards of scholarship, legibility, accessibility, and audience engagement. Working alongside learning and engagement colleagues, they will contribute to interdisciplinary programs that connect diverse publics to the ideas and issues explored in the galleries. A visible presence at board meetings, previews, and public events, the Senior Director will serve as a key advocate for the Frye’s curatorial vision and help advance its reputation locally, nationally, and internationally.

Collections Stewardship and Development

The Senior Director of Curatorial Affairs will oversee the Director & Curator of Collections and provide strategic leadership in collections stewardship and development, guiding the creation and implementation of a long-range collections plan that builds on the museum’s historic strengths while addressing evolving institutional and community priorities. They will support the ethical and thoughtful stewardship of the Frye’s holdings, including acquisitions, deaccessions, conservation, and exhibition and outgoing loans. They require a high-level understanding of registration protocols and collections care practices, with the capacity to ensure alignment with professional standards and museum goals. The Senior Director will also advocate for and contribute to original research that deepens public understanding of the collection and the intertwined histories of the museum, its founders, and the city of Seattle—drawing on resources such as the Frye’s publications and archives to generate meaningful connections between past and present. In addition, they will help cultivate relationships with artists, collectors, galleries, and donors to shape and strengthen the collection in ways that reflect the museum’s mission, curatorial vision, and commitment to cultural relevance.

Team and Administrative Leadership

The Senior Director of Curatorial Affairs will lead and support a talented team of curatorial and collections professionals, with a particular focus on mentoring curatorial staff and fostering opportunities for their growth, visibility, and leadership. They will cultivate a departmental culture rooted in collaboration, creativity, and mutual respect, while modeling clear, direct communication delivered with kindness, accountability, and organizational clarity. A deep commitment to collaboration and diversity, equity, accessibility, inclusion, and belonging will guide their approach to team development, decision-making, and institutional stewardship. As a senior leader, the Senior Director will be expected to foster strong, collegial relationships across departments—contributing to a culture of trust, shared purpose, and open exchange among peers. In collaboration with the Chief Financial Officer and senior team, they will oversee departmental budgets and planning, aligning resources with strategic priorities. The Senior Director will also play an active role in fundraising and external relations—participating in donor cultivation, grant writing, and events in support of exhibitions, acquisitions, and the advancement of the museum’s artistic vision.

Ambassadorship and Relationship Building

The Senior Director of Curatorial Affairs will be an active ambassador for the Frye Art Museum, embracing their role as a cultural leader in Seattle while maintaining a visible and respected presence within the broader field. They will build and maintain meaningful relationships with artists, scholars, institutions, and communities across the city—strengthening the museum’s role as a free and innovative arts venue where visitors feel cherished. At the same time, the Senior Director will represent the Frye on the national stage through a combination of public speaking, service, and professional networks, ensuring the museum’s work is in conversation with leading practices in the field. This dual engagement—locally and beyond—is essential to advancing the Frye’s mission, elevating the voices of its artists and audiences, and positioning the museum as a vital player in contemporary museum practice.

Candidate Profile

While it is understood that no one candidate will bring every desired skill, characteristic, and experience, the following offers a reflection of the ideal candidate profile.

Qualifications

• A PhD in art history or related field, with a specialization in 19th- or early 20th-century art and/or modern art is preferred; a general knowledge of contemporary art and some experience working with living artists is also essential.

• Minimum 7 years of progressively responsible museum experience, including curating exhibitions and managing curatorial staff.

Key competencies and attributes for this role include:

Curatorial Vision and Leadership

• Demonstrated success organizing ambitious and meaningful exhibitions that center artists, expand narratives, and engage diverse publics.

• Proven leadership in building a curatorial program that strategically prioritizes the institutional vision, setting and achieving goals, managing ambitious teams and projects, and working cross-departmentally.

Communication and Collaboration

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with a talent for articulating ideas and coaching and collaborating with others to convey diverse artistic concepts to multiple audiences, from trustees and donors to artists and the general public.

• High emotional intelligence and a commitment to collegiality, collaborative leadership, and effective team management.

Strategic Thinking and Operational Execution

• Strategic thinker with the ability to balance big-picture vision with operational execution.

• Ability to manage people and processes, mentor mid-career and emerging talent, and build meaningful partnerships across the museum and beyond.

Artistic and Institutional Stewardship

• Deep belief in the power of art and artists to reflect, challenge, and connect communities and the world.

• Commitment to curatorial and institutional innovation, excellent scholarship, and both practical and ethical museum best practices.

Compensation & Benefits

The annual salary range for this position is $150,000–$170,000, commensurate with experience. The Frye offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical and dental insurance, generous PTO, paid holidays, a 403(b) retirement plan with employer match, commuter benefits, and more.

Contact

DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Naree Viner, Stephen Milbauer and Tenley Bank. Express interest in this role by https://talent-profile.dsgco.com/search/v2/22346 or emailing the search team directly at fryemuseum_SDCA@koyapartners.com. All inquiries and discussions are strictly confidential.

To apply, visit: https://apptrkr.com/6441675