VANCOUVER ART GALLERY ASSOCIATION
Permanent Full-Time Excluded Position
Director of Curatorial Programs
The Vancouver Art Gallery, one of the largest and innovative art museums in Canada, is undergoing a multi-phase organizational transformation after celebrating 90 years of operation. With a permanent collection of more than 12,000 works of art, the Gallery is implementing a campaign to build a new purpose-built gallery facility in downtown Vancouver planned to open in 2027. This is a moment of growth, exploration and change, as the Gallery re-articulates its relationship to communities and audiences and envisions the role of an art museum in the 21st century.
The new building designed by Swiss Architects Herzog and de Meuron will provide an optimal platform to reimagine the Gallery’s relationship with the world. The new Gallery building will be the most ecologically sustainable art museum in Canada. The creation of a world-class purpose-built art facility will enable the Gallery to foster deeper and wider community relations and expand audiences, celebrate Indigenous culture, and acknowledge the diverse heritage and histories of place and people in Canada and the ancestral and unceded territories of the Traditional Coast Salish Lands including the Musqueam (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm), Squamish (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw) and Tsleil-Waututh (səlilwətaɬ) Nations.
Complementing and building upon a rich institutional history of exhibiting photography and moving image, design, craft, material and popular culture—in an expanded field of visual culture—the Gallery further seeks the development of an online and virtual space—“a second building”—that blurs the line between the “real” and “virtual” worlds. Through innovative art programming, the Gallery will be a leader in interpreting Canada’s past, present and future.
Summary and Nature of Work
The Gallery is seeking an experienced leader in curatorial practice for the position Director of Curatorial Programs (DoCP). This position is part of an organizational restructuring and formation of the Program Leadership team that oversees the Programs Division and collaboratively develops projects.
The DoCP provides organizational leadership consistent with the core values of the Gallery to create paths that share perspectives, build and engage communities, and shape our collective futures together.
Reporting to the CEO, the DoCP directs the activities of the Curatorial Department, and works collaboratively with the Program Leadership (Director of Education and Public Programs, Director of Publishing and Content Strategy, and Director of Research) to develop inspiring and innovative exhibition and collections strategies that respond to the Gallery’s Strategic and business plans. The DoCP also works closely with the Director of Exhibitions and Collections to ensure the smooth and cost-effective operations of exhibitions and collections.
The DoCP participates in the overall management of the Gallery with the CEO and other members of the Senior Management team. This position interfaces with all areas of the Gallery and contributes to the long-term strategic planning of the organization, anticipates challenges, and creates lasting opportunities and sustainability. In accordance with the Gallery’s Mission, Vision, Values, and Strategic and business plans, this position plays a key role in guiding the organization’s ongoing operations, cultivating an appreciation for the arts and a culture of philanthropy, while creating a positive work environment and fostering a safer, more diverse, equitable and accessible environment that enables staff to contribute their best.
The DoCP provides managerial oversight of the Curatorial Department and leads the administration, coordination, and successful implementation of all operational aspects of curatorial affairs, including management and the cultivation of curatorial staff, exhibition planning and Department budgeting.
The DoCP is responsible for the management of the exhibition and touring program and works collaboratively with the Programs Leadership including the Director of Education and Public Programs on learning and interpretation initiatives, the Director of Publishing and Content Strategy on print and digital publishing initiatives, and the Director of Research on research and archive initiatives.
Department responsibilities include guiding the curators in creating new knowledge through the primary activity of research and administering research to wide-ranging publics through a variety of means including exhibitions, publications, learning and interpretive initiatives. Additional duties include research and development of the permanent collection and proposed acquisitions; nurturing relationships with artists, collectors, educators, donors and the public; and representing the Gallery among regional, national and international communities.
The DoCP will work closely with the Advancement Division to nurture support for the Gallery, including cultivating new and stewarding existing collectors and artwork donations; in addition to furthering prospects for new financial contributions.
Compensation & Work Environment
This is an excluded (non-unionized) position. Compensation package is commensurate with qualifications, experience, and ability. This is an in-office position at the Gallery’s downtown Vancouver location; however, some flexibility exists for working from home.
The Association offers a welcoming, team-based office culture. The Association is committed to providing equitable access to everyone. We actively support accessibility, anti-racism, LGBTQ2S+ inclusion and we encourage diversity in our staff, visitors, volunteers and programming. We seek to cultivate a safer space where all voices are heard, valued, and represented. The Association stands against hatred, discrimination, racism, homophobia, and transphobia.
For a full job description please visit https://www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/employment
Please send your cover letter and resumé, in confidence, to the Director of Human Resources, Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6Z 2H7, or email: hr@vanartgallery.bc.ca
Interviews for this position will commence on October 3, 2022, however the posting will remain open and applications will be accepted until the position is filled. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those short-listed will be contacted.
