In museums, people can see artworks and artifacts on display and learn about them. These items could be several hundreds of thousands of years old. They require great care to acquire, manage, and maintain in good condition.
The items must be checked to determine if they are fake or authentic. The visitors to the museum will also have to be educated. A museum curator supervises these processes. Typically, the roles of museum curators depend on the size of the museum, but there are general ones expected of every museum curator.
One thing that unites all museums together is the need to attract visitors. To attract visitors, the museum must have interesting items that they will like to see. The museum curator has to locate these artworks or artifacts and obtain them. They also have to consistently add new items that will readily and consistently attract these visitors. This might require curators to know marketing and attend conferences in various fields.
Many items in a museum, especially large ones, are several years old. Age makes them valuable; the older they get, the more valuable they become. The curator's role in a museum is to ensure that these artifacts are handled with care and kept in conditions that ensure their safety.
In addition to managing the artworks and artifacts, museum curators must keep records and plan events. Besides the items displayed in the museum, some items that could have been loaned out must be recorded. Inventory and bookkeeping have to be done.
Museum curators are also responsible for informing the public about the collections in their display. A museum curator can be considered a storyteller who educates people on important items on display in a museum or gallery. This will require them to hone their communication skills as this greatly influences customer loyalty (the chances of the visitors returning).
Museum curators should possess good writing and research skills. Part of their job description may be to write the material that gives visitors a description of the collection. They are also responsible for producing research about the items. This research could be written and posted on the museum's website for viewers to see.
They should also possess good communication skills because they spend much of their time discussing an artwork, collection, or artifact. Their presentation could influence the audience's understanding of the item. If they communicate well, they will be well understood by the audience and their employees.
Curators oversee the transportation and preservation of the museum's items, so they must possess managerial skills. They will come in contact with staff handling the above and must manage them. They also need to know how to manage exhibitions and events the museum hosts.
Many museum curators have master's degrees in museum studies, art history, history, and archeology. Some museums also take bachelor's degree holders and Ph.D. holders. To gain experience, students who want to be curators should take internships in museums. They could also pursue second majors in courses like marketing or business administration.
