Curatorial Researcher

Do you have a passion for British Art History? Have you experience of researching British Art and documenting historic art collections? Can you help us understand the stories of working class artists in our collection and their place in the wider British art landscape?
The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery offers innovative art exhibitions and displays treasures from the University Art Collection and the University Library Special Collections. We support opportunities for researchers, students and the general public to understand and appreciate our shared historical legacy, through preserving, researching and promoting our collections.
You’ll lead the research for our project ‘Working Class Artists’, investigating working-class artists represented in the University Art Collection and the artworks we hold by them, contextualising them within the wider British art landscape. You will also identify and research key artists (both historic and contemporary) from working-class backgrounds in Britain, especially those connected with Leeds and Yorkshire. The project will support the development of a new exhibition at The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery.
In support of this exhibition, your research may also include (but not limited to):
Research working-class stories and issues in our Special Collections with a focus on visual material (e.g. photographs, ephemera, prints, printed books, banners, etc.)
Recurrent themes explored by working-class artists and creatives
Barriers faced by working-class artists and creatives and how these intersect with disability, gender, race and sexuality, as well as the strategies used by working-class people to face those barriers.