Chief Curator
About The Shed
The Shed is a new cultural institution of and for the 21st century. We produce and welcome innovative art and ideas, across all forms of creativity, to build a shared understanding of our rapidly changing world and a more equitable society. In our highly adaptable building on Manhattan’s west side, The Shed brings together established and emerging artists to create new work in fields ranging from pop to classical music, painting to digital media, theater to literature, and sculpture to dance. We seek opportunities to collaborate with cultural peers and community organizations, work with like-minded partners, and provide unique spaces for private events. As an independent nonprofit that values invention, equity, and generosity, we are committed to advancing art forms, addressing the urgent issues of our time, and making our work impactful, sustainable, and relevant to the local community, the cultural sector, New York City, and beyond.
About the Position
The Shed seeks a Chief Curator, an executive-level position, to lead the Visual Arts Department. The positionexemplifies and promotes The Shed’s values and works closely with the executive artistic team to conceptualize, develop, and execute exhibitions, commissions, projects/productions, as well as being responsible for the support and content of the exhibitions and related efforts. The Chief Curator will work closely with The Shed’s wider leadership team to ensure the realization of The Shed’s institutional strategic development, actively participating in shaping the organization’s vision and mission, while co-directing its artistic program.
Reporting to the CEO/Artistic Director, the Chief Curator manages the Visual Arts Department and all aspects of its operations. This role is a key spokesperson for the institution and must be at ease in a highly visible and public position. The Chief Curator must cultivate relationships with donors, collectors, co-commissioning institutions, cultural partnerships, and the broader art world, building support for The Shed’s artistic program through fundraising efforts and partnerships.
Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to
Program and Audience Development
- Work with the executive artistic team to establish a long-term schedule of commissions with a visual art focus, developing overarching vision, mission, and themes for Shed programs
- Research, develop, and curate a range of visual art exhibitions and commissions at The Shed, and supervise their realization
- Develop and implement an exhibitions program strategy, and management of multiyear exhibition planning
- Work with the Artistic Director to set the direction and master calendar for exhibitions
- Develop new programmatic strands in the calendar, such as the Shed’s Open Call and the new Digital Gallery
- Determine human, producing, financial, technological, and other resources required to realize these programs
- Manage and assign projects to in-house producers and assistant curators and/or to freelance producers and curators, as appropriate
- Oversee all curatorial and logistical aspects, including the approval of exhibition layouts and design, of all commissions/exhibitions
- Work in close collaboration with The Shed’s senior leadership and colleagues across the organization, as well as external partners and artists, to ensure that projects align with and advance institutional objectives as a center for artistic invention and distinguish The Shed within the cultural sector and beyond
- Work with the Chief Civic Program Officer and their staff to develop aspects of select civic commissions and public programs for and with diverse and local communities
- Co-lead organization (with Civic Programs Department) of Open Call, The Shed’s large-scale commissioning program for early-career, NYC-based artists
- Develop and manage relationships with co-commissioners for Shed exhibitions and commissions
- Develop relationships and manage existing relationships with mission-aligned cultural partners, to present touring exhibitions and partnership programs
- Represent the Visual Arts Department in all necessary meetings, internally and externally
- Attend all, and present at select, press previews
- Provide tours to press, members, and the general public
- Participate and present at select civic programs
- Participate in The Shed’s audience development strategy and the continued cultivation of audiences, with wider Shed leadership
- Working with Marketing and Communications, oversee communications, press strategy, and identity for exhibitions and wider Shed seasons
- Oversee and approve all relevant programmatic didactic and public relation materials
- Manage interpretation and scholarship, and serve as content authority for the exhibitions, ensuring balance of scholarship and value for audiences in the community and the art world
- Develop The Shed’s publication strategy, schedule, and budget
- Edit and author Shed publications, oversee and define content
- Work cross-departmentally to develop and produce publications
- Oversee and approve Shed publications edited by assistant curators or external curators
Leadership, Management, and Cultivation
- Work with other Executive team members to plan for, strategize, and move The Shed forward
- Serve on the Executive team to ensure the success of The Shed’s operations, fundraising, and revenue plans
- Manage the Visual Arts Department (Curatorial and Exhibition Production)
- Foster a collaborative, interdepartmental working environment, with an emphasis on internal professional growth for staff
- Responsible for all Visual Art initiatives, including overseeing budget development and management
- Oversee all departmental policies and procedures
- Work closely with the Chief Development Officer, the Chief Business Development Officer, and their teams to advance individual and corporate cultivation, as well as foundation support and rental opportunities
- Serve as a key member of the fundraising team to develop support for exhibitions and other programs
- Present program and conduct tours to current and potential Shed supporters and visiting groups
- Attend and present at the Board and Program Committee meetings on forthcoming programs and programmatic initiatives
- Build relationships with Board members and Shed supporters
- Attend internal and external events, including all Shed openings and Shed Galas
Qualifications and Qualities
Traits and Characteristics
The Chief Curator will be a thought leader, receptive to new ideas, methods, and opportunities, and will be driven by The Shed’s mission, program, and civic responsibility. Motivated by balancing past professional experiences with intuition, the Chief Curator will have frequent and focused communication with others. The job requires assertiveness, compassion, and decisiveness in dealing with situations that are artistic, intellectual, emotional, and pragmatic while adapting to various situations with ease.
Other key competencies include the following:
- Creativity, Innovation, and Futuristic Thinking: The capacity to imagine and create new approaches, designs, processes, technologies, and/or systems that achieve the desired shows and productions that have not yet previously been actualized
- Appreciating Others: The emotional intelligence to identify with and care about artists, colleagues, and audiences for the sake of artistic excellence
- Problem-Solving and Decision-Making: The ability to define, analyze, and diagnose all aspects of the program to formulate a solution based on sound and timely decisions
- Planning, Organizing, and Negotiating: The dexterity to establish courses of action that ensure work is completed effectively using logical, practical, and efficient approaches while listening to many points of view and facilitating agreements between multiple parties
Other Qualifications & Qualities:
- Master’s degree in fine arts or related field, or equivalent experience
- 13 or more years of work experience in a nonprofit museum or visual arts organization, with escalating responsibility and commensurate management experience
- Six or more years of management experience
- A strong professional track record in art administration, strategic planning, and building collaborative relationships, with demonstrable results
- Demonstrated excellence in organizing contemporary art exhibitions and publications
- Demonstrated excellence in working with living artists, their studios, and galleries
- Close familiarity with museum and contemporary art venue practices
- Knowledge of international contemporary art world, and broad knowledge of art history
- Knowledge of, and interest in, performance, film, music, theatre, and dance
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with significant public speaking experience and a demonstrable history of catalogue texts, essays, and didactic materials
- Significant experience with planning, budgeting, contracting, scheduling, and implementation of projects with a high level of attention to detail
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment
- Ability to work a flexible schedule as is common in the industry
- Experience in donor cultivation
Compensation
Compensation will be commensurate with experience. Please provide salary requirements with your application.
Application Process
Interested candidates should complete an application and submit résumé and cover letter in a single Word or PDF document saved as candidate’s first and last name through our Career Center page here. Only résumés and cover letters submitted in this format will be reviewed. No phone calls, please.
Please note: The Shed has adopted a Covid-19 vaccination policy to safeguard the health and well-being of our employees. As a condition of employment, Shed employees are required to be fully vaccinated for Covid-19, unless a reasonable accommodation is approved or as otherwise required by law.
The Shed is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to the goal of building a culturally diverse staff, and strongly encourages applications from minority candidates.
Caption: The Shed. Photography by Iwan Baan