Department Head, Contemporary Art | USA

Under the supervision of the Chief Curator, the Department Head for Contemporary Art at the ranking of Senior Associate Curator or equivalent establishes the strategic direction for the Contemporary Art Department in collaboration with the Director and Deputy Director of the museum; manages and leads the department staff including the Associate Curator of Contemporary Art, the Senior Educator for Contemporary Art, and the Project Manager for Contemporary Art; performs the full range of curatorial duties related to the exhibition and interpretation of art by contemporary artists from, by, and/or about Asia; plans exhibitions alone or in partnership with collaborators both on staff and from outside the museum; advises on educational programs in conjunction with Education department staff; conducts training for docents; contributes to the critical scholarly discourse on Contemporary Art through research and writing including essays and in-house publications; oversees the work of subordinate staff; sets goals and direction with regard to acquisitions for the growing Contemporary Art Collection; participates actively in the identification and cultivation of donors and the preparation of grant proposals; and serves as the staff lead for the Contemporary Art Committee of the museum’s board.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

1. Sets the direction and goals for the Contemporary Art department in alignment with the vision described by the Director of the museum, and as implemented by the Deputy Director, Art and Programs.
2. Identifies, classifies, describes, and interprets artworks by living artists for potential display; searches for, and makes recommendations for donated, bequeathed, or purchased acquisitions; evaluates and recommends works for temporary loan to the museum and from the museum’s collection.
3. Conducts research on Contemporary art in the museum collection; consults with other arts professionals on behalf of the museum to further our Contemporary initiatives; identifies areas for potential growth and focus as the collection, exhibition program, and presentation of contemporary art is developed annually.
4. Originates and organizes special exhibitions designed to meet the museums mission and vision with respect to Contemporary Art and the San Francisco audience.
5. Contributes to the recommendation of and adaptation of exhibitions organized by other institutions.
6. Contributes to the planning and interpretation of gallery installations of the museum’s Contemporary Art collection.
7. Conducts independent research; prepares interpretive and informational labels and brochures; compiles catalogues and writes scholarly articles and monographs; authors in-house publications.
8. Plans and organizes educational programming in conjunction with the Education department; conducts docent training.
9. Communicates, bilingually when necessary, with scholars, specialists, patrons, and the public, to effectively represent the museum, its collections and programs, both in the museum and out in the community; accompanies special visitors on art storage tours; provides ideas, suggestions, opinions, and assistance to various museum support groups and individual donors.
10. Participates in the planning and seeking of financial support for specialized curatorial activities; assists in the development of grant proposals as required; makes cultivation visits to potential donors (institutions or individuals) as needed.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Demonstrated professional expertise in Contemporary Art from Asia
• Seven years of professional work experience in a museum or related educational/research organization
• Record of professional accomplishments and publications
• Solid research skills; must be able to interpret the collections and to communicate knowledge relevant to the collection
• Superb writing skills; must be able to write effectively for both general and scholarly audiences
• Excellent organizational and planning skills; good public speaking skills
• Knowledge of museum operations and practices; budget development; general administrative principles, practices, and methods
• Language proficiency for research and for presentation to the public
• Ability to interpret information to diverse audiences; to train docents and others
• Ability to work independently and to exercise initiative and good judgment; extremely reliable and dependable
• Ability to establish and maintain positive and effective working relationships with staff, visitors, volunteers, donors, and representative of other institutions

For more information about this position and to apply, please visit: https://asianart.snaphire.com/jobdetails?ajid=8EkK7