curator

A curator is a professional responsible for a museum's collection. Their duties include acquiring new items, preserving and repairing existing objects, identifying fakes, lending artworks to other institutions, and organizing exhibitions.1

Museums often start with an existing collection and then work to fill gaps or expand into related fields. Curators' expertise and interests can shape a museum's collection, though explicit collection policies are now more common to justify costs and define the museum's role.2

Museum operations involve various specialists, including curators, registrars for documentation, and conservators for preservation. Education, interpretation, security, and administrative staff also contribute to a museum's functioning. Training for museum personnel, particularly curators, has evolved significantly, with specialized courses becoming a recognized requirement in some countries.3