Curator of Global Sikh Art and Culture in Toronto

ROM is Canada’s largest museum of Art, Culture and Nature. Situated in Toronto, Ontario, ROM is well positioned for the future and for an even greater role on the world stage. By leveraging ROM’s strengths and capabilities and applying them in fresh and far-reaching ways, ROM is charting a new and bold way forward as it pursues its goal of becoming one of the world’s foremost museums.

ROM is uniquely positioned to become a vibrant hub for Sikh Art & Culture. The South Asian community is the largest visible minority in Canada, with the largest share being the Sikh/Punjabi community, numbering some 950,000 people, almost half of whom reside in Ontario. The achievements of the Sikh community are such that April has been established as Sikh Heritage Month in Ontario.

The Curator of Global Sikh Art and Culture will lead the programming and presentation of Sikh art and culture through galleries, exhibitions, and other initiatives, in line with ROM’s Strategic Direction and in collaboration with local communities, artists, and scholars, both locally and globally. The curator will develop and implement a strategy to build and interpret ROM’s Sikh art and culture collection.

The curator will expand the reach of ROM scholarship and museum initiatives through publications, lectures, and research. This curator will champion cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary perspectives to highlight the relevance of ROM’s collection of art, culture, and nature in contemporary societies.

The Global Sikh Art & Culture program will explore the varied histories and artistic contributions of Sikh and Sikh diasporic communities through connections within South Asia and with various cultures and traditions across the globe. The curator will be a specialist in the field but also interested in broader issues and questions related to Sikh art and culture that are relevant to diasporic Canada and the contemporary world.

The primary activity for the successful candidate will be to galvanize the growing collection to support the development of an ambitious program of Sikh art and culture across ROM. Anchor activities will include developing an inaugural gallery of Sikh art and culture in collaboration with Interpretive staff; building an increasingly significant collection of Sikh art and culture; and developing a public engagement framework of educational programs and activities for visitors and learners of a variety of ages and backgrounds – both Sikh and non-Sikh.

The Curator of Global Sikh Art & Culture will also develop temporary exhibition ideas aligned with ROM’s overall exhibition strategy, which features community engagement, inclusive representation, narrative-building grounded in shared authority, and transdisciplinarity. Resulting exhibitions will be developed to travel to other museums, including communities with large Sikh diasporic populations.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Within the context of the Global South Asia collections and suite of galleries, steward the Sikh art and culture collection, including growth, study, rotation and display, care and record-keeping, provenance research, digitizing and publication.
• Curate ROM’s Sikh art and culture collection with a commitment to collaboration, including with external community stakeholders and with internal curatorial colleagues and interpretive staff.
• Develop innovative and relevant interpretive approaches for the Sikh Art and Culture Gallery as a part of ROM’s museum-wide gallery planning.
• Establish a 10-year Sikh art & culture collection development plan in alignment with ROM’s mission, vision, and strategic planning.
• Enhance the existing collection and provide new opportunities for interpretation and public engagement through strategic acquisitions and loans.
• Work with Sikh partners and museum leadership to steward collaborations that may lead to the repatriation or restitution of objects, if needed, in accordance with ethical standards.
• Work collaboratively with museum educators and engagement staff to initiate programs and school curriculum related to Sikh art and culture.
• Engage the many Sikh diaspora communities in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada, and globally.
• In collaboration with fundraising staff, actively cultivate support for exhibitions, galleries, programs, symposia, acquisitions, research grants, and fellowships.
• Maintain professional affiliations in scholarly and museum curatorial organizations, professional societies, and relevant committees.
• Strengthen connections with colleagues from the University of Toronto and other academic institutions in the Greater Toronto Area.

Education & Experience:

• Advanced educational attainment in South Asian art history, visual culture, material culture, anthropology, history or a closely related field with a specialization in some aspect of Sikh or Punjabi art and culture.
• A strong record focusing on the Sikh arts and heritage through curatorial, academic, and/or community activities.
• An ability to read and write Gurmukhi is required. Competency with a modern South Asian language is desired; Punjabi is preferred.
• Embodied connection to the Sikh/Punjabi community and a demonstrated knowledge and sensitivity to contemporary histories, issues, and concerns of the community.
• A strong background in a museum environment, knowledge of peer institutions, and experience developing exhibitions.