Graduate Studies in Art History

[biblio_filia]

I'll be entering my senior year at a small, liberal arts women's college in September (I'm an art history/Italian double major). I'm beginning to get application materials together, have plans to take the GRE within the next month or so, etc., but I've realized that I have little guidance as to what programs I should apply to. My end goal is to do curatorial work, and my assumption is that, in a field as competitive as museum administration has become, it's necessary to have a Ph.D. On the other hand, many of the top-tier programs in the field seem focused on grooming future professors and academians. I love research; I wouldn't even consider applying to grad school if I didn't, nor would I want to become a curator, and I certainly wouldn't be volunteering to write an honor's thesis, but writing academic papers isn't the be all and end all of my desires for a life in this field. Should I consider getting a master's degree in museum studies and stopping there, or getting a master's in museum studies and then applying to Ph.D. programs?
   Secondly, how much does class rank count when it comes to admissions? I've never gotten a grade below a B+ in my undergrad career, and nothing lower than an A- in my relevant major (art history). My overall GPA is around a 3.72, and my major GPA is a 3.9, but I'm not in the top 10-15% of my class. Is a 3.72 cumulative a turn-off to admissions at top-tier schools? I'd like to try for Ivies if I go the Ph.D. route.
  I know there are a few art historians lurking around here, so thanks in advance for easing a kindred mind.