Assistant Director of Galleries & Exhibitions

Attention Current Willamette University Employees : In order to apply for posted positions, please close this window and log into your Workday account and apply through the Jobs Hub application.

ABOUT WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY

Willamette University is a nationally-renowned private liberal arts university with graduate programs in business, law, data science, and fine arts.

Founded in 1842, Willamette is the first university established in the western located in the heart of the PNW. Campuses are located in both Salem and Portland, Oregon close to the Oregon Coast, Cascade Mountains, and vibrant cities of the Pacific Northwest.

The university motto, Not unto ourselves alone are we born, captures the essence of this distinguished university. It speaks to the commitment to community service, to the extraordinary collaboration between faculty and students, and to the tradition of service and civic engagement that is typical of Willamette alumni.

Willamette University provides a highly-valued, well-rounded, and comprehensive benefits package to employees :

Instructions for Applicants :

Please read the following carefully before beginning the online application process. To be considered for employment at Willamette University, please complete our online employment application.

Your application and all required attachments listed at the bottom of the page must be submitted for each individual job post that you are interested in applying.

Once you submit your application you will not be able to edit your application.

Position Summary :

The Assistant Director of Galleries & Exhibitions will lead the development of exhibition planning & installation for the Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA).

They will serve as lead curator working with faculty, students, visiting artists and curators to plan, prepare and install an annual slate of exhibitions and associate programs.

They will serve as a key member of the public programs team working on community partnerships, events and programs on behalf of PNCA.

Duties and Responsibilities :

Curatorial / Exhibition Planning

Serves as lead curator working with students, faculty and community partners to plan and design exhibitions at PNCA.

Leads and develops comprehensive, long-term Exhibitions Calendar.

Creates implementation schedules for all exhibitions, establishes milestones for timely completion, and regularly checks adherence to deadlines.

Collates exhibition-related text for wall labels, title walls, panels, credit lines, and other printed exhibition support materials for external editing and design.

Coordinates the production of loan letters for all loan exhibitions working with registrars, artists and institutions as needed.

Leads the development of all exhibition budgets and keeps projects on schedule and within budget.

Drafts and negotiates artist, guest curator, and any other necessary professional service agreements as well as MOUs and contracts.

Prepares galleries for installation and troubleshooting during the installation period.

Processes all exhibition contract related payments and invoices to individuals and institutions.

Uses project management best practices, such as detailed project schedules, budgets,

and communication platforms.

Develops a network of peer institutions, curators, scholars, artists and collectors from which exhibitions may be created or borrowed, original scholarship commissioned, or programming developed.

Curriculum, Research & Program Development

Provides mentorship and professional leadership for students, interns and volunteers, and demonstrates a commitment to the academic initiatives and mission of PNCA.

Supports researchers, PNCA faculty and graduate students on curatorial-based research and scholarship.

Manages the PNCA Artist in Residence program including artist work scope, classroom curricular co-design with faculty, public programs and exhibits.

Serves as key member of First Thursdays in the North Park Blocks, designing monthly exhibition and program events as part of city-wide gallery crawl.

Provides mentorship and professional leadership for students, interns and volunteers, and demonstrates a commitment to the academic initiatives and mission of PNCA.

Supports researchers, PNCA faculty and graduate students on curatorial-based research and scholarship.

Collaborates with guest curators, Hallie Ford Museum of Art and other academic research centers at Willamette university to research, develop and execute curatorial projects that support cross-university collaboration.

Collections Management

Maintains catalog of permanent works in PNCA collection.

Supervises, with facilities the proper storage and management of art works in coordination with the Hallie Ford Museum and university collecting and risk management policies.

Catalogs and manages PNCA’s internal collection.

Administration

Leads exhibition budget planning and oversight.

Supervises Student Exhibitions Coordinator and MFA Curatorial interns and other student workers.

Works with the Public Programs Team to maintain brand standards with marketing and event materials.

Develops, in partnership with Events Director, press and media materials as necessary.

Collaborates with college departments on integrated functions, including but not limited to : Advancement, Communications, Continuing Education, Facilities, Finance, HR, and IT.

Assists on grant writing / reporting and communications support linked to curatorial projects.

Represents Exhibitions Department on various campus Committees.

Help ensure college-wide knowledge of exhibitions occurs in a timely manner allowing a curricular response.

Maintains the Exhibition and Events online calendar and works closely with the Communications Office to ensure they have the information needed to promote the exhibitions and events.

Minimum Qualifications :

Minimum of 4 years experience in gallery management, curatorial planning, museum or collections management.

or MFA in art, art history, design, museum studies or collection management and / or equivalent education or experience.

Expertise in contemporary art and design practice.

Excellent interpersonal skills.

Strong organizational and communication skills.

Demonstrated supervisory experience, especially of employees, interns, volunteers, and contractors.

Ability to solve problems proactively and creatively.

Ability to work collaboratively with diverse groups from the community at large (local, national and international).

Ability to prioritize a demanding workload, meet deadlines, and work flexibly under pressure.

Typical Work Schedule :

Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm. Occasional evening and weekend hours

You will need to upload the following documents as part of your application materials in the "My Experience" section labeled Resume :

Cover letter addressing the required / desired qualifications and presenting any other applicant characteristics which deserve emphasis

Current Resume

Position will remain open until filled; applications should be received by May, 10, 2024 for full consideration.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Believing that diversity contributes to academic excellence and to rich and rewarding communities, WU is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse faculty, staff and student body.

We seek candidates, particularly those from historically under-represented groups, whose work furthers diversity and who bring to campus varied experiences, perspectives and backgrounds.

BACKGROUND CHECK REQUIREMENT :

All University positions require that candidates submit to a criminal conviction record check prior to hire. Conviction does not automatically preclude candidates from being hired.

Nature of conviction will be considered relative to the duties of the position.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS STATEMENT :

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.