curator

noun

cu·​ra·​tor ˈkyu̇r-ˌā-tər 

ˈkyər-;

kyu̇-ˈrā-;

ˈkyu̇r-ə-,

ˈkyər- 

plural curators

: a person who oversees or manages a place (such as a museum or zoo) that offers exhibits

"My passion for animal care and collection management really drove me to become a curator."

—Scott Newland

also : a person at a museum, zoo, etc. who is in charge of a specific collection or subject area

the curator of manuscripts

curatorial

ˌkyu̇r-ə-ˈtȯr-ē-əl 

ˌkyər-

adjective

curatorship

ˈkyu̇r-ˌā-tər-ˌship 

ˈkyər-;

kyu̇-ˈrā-;

ˈkyu̇r-ə-

ˈkyər-

noun

Did you know?

In a good-sized art museum, each curator is generally responsible for a single department or collection: European painting, Asian sculpture, Native American art, and so on. Curatorial duties include acquiring new artworks, caring for and repairing objects already owned, discovering frauds and counterfeits, lending artworks to other museums, and mounting exhibitions of everything from Greek sculpture to 20th-century clothing.

Examples of curator in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Fashion historian Alexandre Samson, a curator at the Palais Galliera museum in Paris, noted that fashion houses have peddled their own fragrances ever since Paul Poiret launched his own perfume in 1911, and fashion shows have historically provided a showcase for these ancillary products. —Jennifer Weil, WWD, 5 Nov. 2024

Director and chief curator Thelma Golden, the esteemed trustees, and donors welcomed guests including myself to an eventful evening. —Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 30 Oct. 2024

Put on by Ghanaian-American curator Larry Ossei-Mensah, the show gathers nearly a dozen artists working with materials like scrap leather, cosmetics containers and single-use plastic. —Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 30 Oct. 2024

Dealer and curator Eric Ian Hornak-Spoutz has filed suit against painter Scott Kahn, who is accused of breaching his contractual obligations to Hornak-Spoutz by abruptly terminating an exhibition at the Phillips in Hong Kong in order to join David Zwirner’s roster. —Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin cūrātor "one who looks after, superintendent, guardian," from cūrāre "to watch over, attend" + -tor, agent suffix — more at cure entry 2

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing curator

• co-curator

Kids Definition

curator

noun

cu·​ra·​tor ˈkyu̇(ə)r-ˌāt-ər  kyu̇-ˈrāt- 

ˈkyu̇r-ət-

: a person in charge of a museum or zoo

curatorship

-ˌship 

noun

Legal Definition

curator

noun

cu·​ra·​tor ˈkyu̇r-ˌā-tər, kyu̇-ˈrā-tər 

in the civil law of Louisiana : a person appointed by a court to care for the property of an absent person or to care for the person or property of someone mentally incapable of doing so compare committee, conservator, guardian, interdict, tutor

curatorship noun

Etymology

Latin, guardian, from curare to take care of