KADIST San Francisco
For KADIST, art is a driving force for social transformation. KADIST’s programs often highlight a key issue of today through presenting the voices of artists who respond to the urgent social and political forces of our time. With permanent exhibition spaces in Paris and San Francisco, and offices in Guangzhou and Mexico City, KADIST produces exhibitions and programs across five continents, through curatorial collaborations, in order to responsibly address the complexity of local cultures. KADIST’s spaces in Paris and San Francisco present exhibitions and events, organize residencies and educational programs, and produce projects online and on social media. KADIST’s collection of 1600 contemporary artworks serves as a starting point and resource for these programs.
KADIST is a non-profit organization founded in 2001. It is operated in France by an endowment fund and by a 501c3 in the United States.
Position summary
KADIST is looking for an experienced arts administrator and registrar to serve as the Collection Manager/Registrar of KADIST San Francisco. Working in a collaborative, fast-paced arts environment, the Collection Manager is responsible for the administration, archiving, conservation, and visibility of the San Francisco section of KADIST’s collection (over 800 works) and participates in the onsite and offsite exhibitions of the institution. Reporting to the Director of Collections and the Director of KADIST San Francisco, the Collection Manager is committed to the organization’s mission and programming mandate defined by the organization. This position is based in San Francisco. A remote position with periodic in-person meetings at the KADIST San Francisco office is negotiable.
Responsibilities
Administration, registration, and conservation of the collection (30%)
• Manage collection inventory and logistics (incoming and outgoing shipping, San Francisco storage, archiving, conservation, insurance, media management)
• Administer external loan requests
• Follow internal loans for international offsite projects
• Liaise with Paris Collection Manager
• Liaise with San Francisco colleagues for technical aspects of Kadist Video Library (KVL)
Collection development and visibility (50%)
• Organize and prepare 4 acquisition meetings annually
• Liaise with collection artists, advisors, curators, or partners’ staff in the context of temporary exhibitions and projects
• Manage acquisitions and accessions of artworks and of artistic licenses
• Manage the archive of the collection and library online
• Assist with the development of partnerships with institutions in relation to the collection (KADIST Museum Collaborations, Schools or Universities)
Online content (10%)
• Manage and update the website on works in the collection
• Produce and coordinate collection-related editorial content for online platforms:
artwork descriptions for website (oversee editing and translation), lead and liaise production of short videos for social media (Kviews), brainstorm the representation of the collection on social media
Administration Assistant (10%)
The Collection Manager will also assist the Directors on day-to-day administrative tasks and reports. They will follow the acquisition and collection management budget closely with the Directors.
Qualifications
• Minimum 4 years of professional experience in the arts, preferably with collecting institutions or commercial galleries
• BA in Art, Art History, Art Administration, Museum Studies, Archival or Information Studies or related fields, and/or equivalent experience/training. MA strongly preferred.
• Excellent knowledge of contemporary art and its networks
• Excellent knowledge of the commercial art world
• Excellent knowledge in the conservation of contemporary artworks. Knowledge of digitization standards and best practices for photography and video collections management and conservation is a plus.
• Strong organization and logistics skills
• Motivation and interest in video and online editorial projects
• Strong ability to adapt, to work independently and in collaboration
• Technical skills: Web-savvy and strong computer skills including collection management database software (Collector System preferred), WordPress, Google Sheets and Excel, Google Survey, Adobe Creative Suite. Competency in Amazon S3, video editing, and transcoding is a plus.
• Excellent writing ability
• Proficiency in written and spoken English; foreign language skills a plus
Qualities
The ideal candidate is able to work in a fast-paced environment with great organizational, multi-tasking, and interpersonal skills. They have a proactive, rigorous, and autonomous working style yet thrive in environments that favor teamwork and collaboration. They are able to take initiatives and lead complex projects and are enthusiastic about participating in a wide range of organizational functions.
