Curatorial Assistant / Collections Archivist

Description:
About us:

The university’s second largest division, U of T Mississauga has 17 academic departments and offers 156 programs in 92 areas of study. Home to approximately 15,000 students and over 1,000 faculty and staff, the campus houses the Mississauga Academy of Medicine, Centre for Medicinal Chemistry and Institute for Management and Innovation. With its distinctive inter disciplinary programs such as forensic sciences and biomedical communications, U of T Mississauga offers a broad array of continuing education programs and professional masters programs. Established in 1967, the campus features award-winning architecture, robust community partnerships and a dynamic student environment set amongst 225 acres along the Credit River in Mississauga.

Your opportunity:

The Blackwood Gallery is a centre for contemporary art and research at the University of Toronto Mississauga. We respond to social, political and ecological urgencies through exhibition-led inquiries, discursive events, commissioned artistic works, performances, publishing platforms, and educational projects. We present curated exhibitions featuring the work of local, national, and international professional artists in multiple spaces on campus and our programming includes off-site projects and exhibitions. The Blackwood cultivates cultures of learning, provides mentorship, and facilitates professional development.

The Blackwood is at a critical and exciting moment of growth and change and this position represents an opportunity to play an important role in the gallery’s expansion. Our leadership team provides an open, professional environment that fosters a constructive culture built on respect, goal orientation, self-motivation, accountability, and teamwork.

Under general direction of the Director/Curator and general supervision of the Assistant Curator, the incumbent will assist with the preparation of publications, public programs, and academic outreach; oversee the gallery’s Permanent Collection; and coordinate the preparation and dissemination of materials for digital platforms, marketing, press, grants and reports.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Creating and editing documents including gallery publications, grant applications and final reports, documentation, press materials, academic outreach materials, and pertinent information on exhibitions and gallery programs
• Providing guided tours of facilities for class visits and publics
• Coordinating the schedule for program and event calendars and collaborating with Gallery staff in the development of public programs,
• Directing the activities of casual staff
• Maintaining information on digital platforms and databases, including content creation and editing
• Maintaining the Permanent Collection in its various locations (in storage and on loan in on- and off-campus sites)

Essential Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree or acceptable combination of equivalent experience.
• Minimum two years previous art gallery experience and knowledge of contemporary art.
• Excellent knowledge of physical handling of works of art in a diversity of media.
• Effective at leading gallery tours and making presentations for diverse publics.
• Experience providing administrative support including coordinating logistics of events, scheduling meetings, maintaining information on digital platforms and databases, arranging meetings, and minute taking.
• Experience compiling and archiving documentation, press, publicity and pertinent information on exhibitions and gallery programs.
• Excellent communications (oral and written) skills.
• Excellent organization and time management skills with the ability to multitask and meet strict deadlines.
• Effective problem solving and interpersonal skills, including demonstrated ability to exercise tact, diplomacy, empathy, sound judgment and discretion.
• Advanced computer skills (Microsoft Office, Excel, Word, Photoshop, In-Design, database programs, CMS/HTML).