Lilly Endowment Curator of Maryland Religious History

Lilly Endowment Curator of Maryland Religious History 

Lilly Endowment Curator of Maryland Religious History  

The Maryland Center for History and Culture (MCHC) seeks a dynamic Curator of Maryland Religious History, a leader who will create thoughtful and inclusive exhibitions and bolster access to the MCHC permanent collections through research, education, tours, and programs that promote understanding of the role of religion in Maryland history.   

The Lilly Endowment Curator of Maryland Religious History will report to the Vice President of Collections and Chief Curator as a key member of the Museum team, assisting with cataloging, collection moves, installations, and loans of the collection as well as other special projects that advance the preservation, interpretation, and accessibility of the objects and relevant information and records.  

The Lilly Endowment Curator of Maryland Religious History will curate a new exhibition on Maryland’s History of Religious Liberty opening in fall of 2026. As a signature initiative for MD250, its goals are to promote engagement, position the institution as the leading repository of objects and other documentation that inform an inclusive story, and critical look at Maryland’s identity as the birthplace of religious liberty, toleration, and pluralism in America. An exhibition catalog is planned in conjunction with the exhibition.   

The Lilly Endowment Curator of Maryland Religious History will also play an important role as a resource and connector to statewide houses of worship, collaborating closely with Library staff to advise churches, synagogues, mosques, and other faith-based community organizations on the preservation and care of their collections and records in some cases offering to be the permanent repository for them, or helping them care for collections themselves. This outreach will not only help MCHC build its base of support, but is also a means to become aware of, record, and track other important collections that help tell the story of religious liberty in Maryland.  

Learn more about the collaboration between MCHC and Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS) to explore religious diversity and tolerance in Maryland here; 

Responsibilities 

Collections and Curatorial  

• Work with members of the Museum, Library, and Education teams to create new exhibition concepts that highlight the museum and library collections at MCHC, focused on religious history; 
• Research the permanent collection to identify new perspectives through which to amplify the interpretation of inclusive religious stories, and the role of pluralism within democracy;  
• Identify privately held objects for loan, gift, or purchase that illuminate key themes or underrepresented faith communities;  
• Conduct collections research to help respond to patron inquiries – to support gift offers, loan requests, and potential accessions; 
• Curate exhibitions, selecting objects, and assisting with design, including writing label copy and catalog content;  
• Assist with installation and de-installation of exhibitions, including art handling and lighting;  
• Assist in the management of exhibition contractors including designers, fabricators, and installation teams; 
• Work with the Communications team, writing supplementary marketing and publication materials to promote exhibitions, through articles, social media posts, and blog posts. 

Advancing Accessibility and Outreach  

• Work collaboratively with Education Department to plan tour content and potential outreach, also consulting with the ICJS Program Manager for Museums and Libraries for community connection and reach;  
• Edit and add qualitative metadata for museum objects into the Digital Asset Management System (DAMS) to populate the digital collection portal on the MCHC website; 
• Coordinate with the Imaging Services and Library departments to digitize Museum collection objects to populate the DAMS;  
• Inventory parts of the collection, adding qualitative descriptions and information to the Collections Management (PastPerfect) records, including images; 
• Lead tours of exhibitions and behind-the-scenes visits, plan and deliver lectures on the exhibition or aspects of the collection;  
• Review existing physical files for valuable information and organize them to increase their use.  

Minimum Qualifications  

• Bachelor’s degree in History, Art History, American Studies, Religious Studies, or other relevant subject areas; 
• 3 years of museum curatorial experience and familiarity with descriptive conventions for a variety of object types;  
• Knowledge of museum best practices for collections care and handling;  
• Experience with PastPerfect software or other museum collections management system;  
• Good organization skills and an aptitude for detailed work;  
• Excels at both independent work and collaboration;  
• Passion for history, arts, and culture organizations; 
• Strong communication skills, both written and oral; 
• Demonstrated project management experience. 

Preferred Qualifications  

• Master’s degree in History, Art History, American Studies, Religious Studies, or other relevant subject areas; 
• Proven track record in museum curation;  
• Familiarity with, and interest in Maryland history; 
• Friendly and engaging, comfortable working with diverse communities to forge outreach and connections with faith communities statewide.   

About the Position  

This is a full-time, 35 hours per week, exempt position offering a full benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 403(b) retirement plan, and a health savings account. The salary range is $60,000–65,000 annually. MCHC offers a generous paid leave package, including 20 days of annual leave and 12 days of accrued sick leave annually. Free onsite parking is available for staff. Occasional evenings and weekend hours may be required with advanced notice.  

How to Apply  

Please email a cover letter, resume, three professional references, and a detailed list of relevant projects to jobs@mdhistory.org with the subject line “Curator of Religious History.” 

Review of applications will begin on May 1, 2025. Incomplete applications may not be considered. No phone calls, please.    

About MCHC 

The Maryland Center for History and Culture is an equal opportunity employer that seeks to educate people of all ages about the American experience through the rich history of Maryland using its collections, and to preserve important objects and archival materials from prehistoric Maryland to the present day. 

Founded in 1844, the Maryland Center for History and Culture is the state’s oldest continuously operating cultural institution. In keeping with the founders’ commitment to preserve the remnants of Maryland’s past, MCHC remains the premier institution for state history. With over 350,000 art objects and artifacts and seven million books and documents, MCHC now serves more than 100,000 people through its museum, library, press and educational programs. Learn more at mdhistory.org.