Katharina Schmidt has held leading positions with art museums in Germany and Switzerland, such as Kunsthalle Düsseldorf (1972–80), Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden (1980–85), Kunstmuseum Bonn (1985–92), and Kunstmuseum Basel (1992–2001), and curated numerous international exhibitions of classical modernism and contemporary art. She also served as a member of various international expert committees from 1980 until 2021.