Director, Visual, Digital and Media Arts

General  Accountability

The Director, Visual, Digital & Media Arts (DVDMA) is responsible for leading the vision and implementation of all visual/ digital/media arts programming at the Banff Centre.

The Director’s role is to create a compelling vision for programs that meet the ambitions and objectives of the Banff Centre strategic plan, meet the needs of Canadian and international artists in the 21st century and increase the profile and reach of our nationally and internationally renowned programs.

Visual, Digital & Media Arts (VDMA) is one of many disciplinary areas at the Banff Centre and the incumbent will work closely with Directors of all other arts disciplines at the Centre, and with the VP Arts, to plan and design not only specific portfolio programs, but also cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary programs where appropriate. The incumbent will also work closely with the Program Delivery team to ensure that innovative VDMA programs for artists, curators and practicums are delivered at the highest possible level. Banff Centre arts programs seek to create an environment within which artists can explore and push creative boundaries, create new work and develop both personally and professionally.

Excellent knowledge of contemporary arts practice is essential (including a broad working knowledge of ceramics, painting, sculpture, print-making, photography and digital arts which are overseen by artist/facilitators in these disciplines). An excellent professional network of contacts within visual arts communities in Canada, North America and internationally is also essential, along with a deep understanding of professional development at the post-secondary level and beyond. The success of programs rests on the ability of the incumbent to attract a roster of exceptional, sessional creative faculty and to attract high-quality applicants to the programs.

The incumbent has overall authority for the curatorial direction of the Walter Phillips Gallery. The Gallery has been at the leading edge of contemporary art exhibitions for over three decades. The Gallery focuses exclusively on contemporary art and has a collection of approximately 2000 works. The incumbent is also responsible for the Banff International Curatorial Institute, which supports research and professional development opportunities within the field.

The incumbent is responsible, with support from the team within Program Delivery, for balancing the artistic ambitions of the department with the delivery requirements necessary to function efficiently as part of a post- secondary institution.

Specific Accountabilities

a) Strategic Planning

• Works with the VP Arts to understand and implement the strategic goals and business objectives of Banff Centre as they relate to VDMA and arts programming overall.
• Provides strategic leadership, vision and program direction and design to the VDMA, including the Walter Phillips Gallery and the Banff International Curatorial Institute through experience and knowledge of the contemporary visual arts communities.
• Working with other Banff Centre arts Directors, and the Managing Director of Planning, creates a comprehensive VDMA program plan, annually and over a 3-year planning horizon, which includes program evaluation metrics.

b) Programming

• Creates an annual comprehensive and integrated program plan for the department, working with program managers and other subject experts. This includes designing residency programs and planning for their implementation and evaluation.
• Collaborates with Leadership Development at Banff Centre in creating new, joint programming opportunities and exploring other synergies through planning, program design and delivery of arts and leadership programming.
• Develops an active program of dissemination of the results of studio activities and exhibitions developed at the Centre through open-studio events, print and digital means.
• Collaborates with colleagues in the other programming divisions of the Centre to develop and deliver innovative cross-disciplinary and/or cross-sectoral programming and research.
• Works with the Public Programs Officcer to support creative public programs that engage local schools and citizens.

C) Operational Management

• Collaborates with the Vice President, Arts Programming to understand the program goals and business objectives of The Banff Centre as they relate to Visual, Digital & Media Arts.
• Assists in the development of donor proposals, government and other grant proposals with the Manager of Grants and Research.
• Contributes in identifying new potential donors, sponsors and partners with the Banff Centre Development team.
• Ensures that the human resources are in place to meet program objectives by working with the Delivery division to build a highly motivated, knowledgeable and accountable team.

d) Financial Management

• Manages the budget required to deliver excellent programming by working with Operations Manager within Program Delivery and the Director of Planning, while striving to increase the resources available to the Visual, Digital & Media Arts.

e) Collection Management

• Oversees the care, development and management of Banff Centre’s art collection, including chairing the Acquisition Committee and overseeing new commissions, in collaboration with the Curator of Walter Phillips Gallery and the Acquisitions Committee.
• Responsible for an active program of dissemination of the results of VDMA activities developed at the Centre, in print and digitally.

f) Relationship Building

• Utilizes effective contacts within the art, education and funding communities nationally and internationally to ensure the on-going relevance of Visual, Digital & Media Arts programs and Walter Phillips Gallery activities to artists and curators, while enhancing the value of these programming areas.
• Fosters relationships with donors to ensure good stewardship of past gifts, and working with Development to secure new funding and ensure that stewardship reporting is completed in a timely fashion.
• Contributes to the enhancement and safeguarding of the reputation and image of the Banff Centre with the community and the general public.

g) Communications

• Communicates the Centre’s vision and goals internally and to the broader external community.
• Maintains regular contact with all Departmental Directors to discuss opportunities and issues affecting stakeholder groups.

h) Employee Engagement

• Consistently communicates a clear vision.
• Strives to maintain the company’s reputation and demonstrate high ethical standards that allow employees to feel pride and loyalty working for the Banff Centre.
• Genuinely connects with peers and employees to demonstrate that they are truly valued within the organization.
• Ensures that we are providing challenging and meaningful work with opportunities for career advancement.
• Sets the expectation of a high performance culture by utilizing a consistent performance management process where leaders and employees work together to plan, monitor and review annual goals that benchmark their overall contribution to the organization.
• Provides employees with timely recognition.
• Where possible, invites employees to provide input by sharing their knowledge and ideas so that they are contributing to the organization’s success in a meaningful way.
• Rallies individuals to collaborate on organizational, developmental and group goals while excluding individuals pursuing self-interest.
• Creates an environment where employees feel welcome and safe from harassment and discrimination.

i) Leadership and Influence

•  Provides creative and strategic leadership, vision and program direction and design to Visual, Digital & Media Arts, including the Walter Phillips Gallery and the Banff International Curatorial Institute, through experience and knowledge of the contemporary visual arts culture and community.
• Leads a team in a unionized environment that achieves its financial and non- financial objectives within an environment of collaboration, communication, and innovation.
• Encourages a positive, respectful and professional workplace characterized by a commitment to learning and creativity and by high levels of personal fulfillment.
• Provides feedback to team members and help staff in reaching their full potential.
• Recruits, trains and motivates the departmental leadership team who will work to support set goals and objectives.
• Sound knowledge of the collective agreement and ensure compliance.
• Promotes the continuing development of an organizational climate which encourages creativity, innovation and risk taking, which rewards individuals for productivity and quality improvement.

j) Stakeholder Relationships

• Contributes to the overall success of the Banff Centre by participating in internal committees as required.
• Interprets the impact of decisions and policies on the Centre’s ability to promote and profile Banff Centre.
• Represents Banff Centre externally and convey the case for the Centre at multiple and varied public events.

k) Other

• Undertakes additional responsibilities as may be required from time-to-time.

Core Competencies    

Leadership
Creativity and Innovation
Planning (strategic)
Relationship and Consensus Building
Change Management
Decision Making
Business Acumen
Business Innovation/Strategic Agility

Qualifications and Educational  Requirements      

• 5+ years of proven collaborative and inclusionary leadership.
• Network and reputation in the Canadian and International art community to attract high profile artists to the Centre and build Banff Centre profile and reputation in the Visual, Digital and Media Arts/Curatorial/Gallery realm.
• Active member of the Visual, Digital and Media Arts and Curatorial associations and groups.
• Related university degree with a deep understanding of art education and professional development at the post-secondary level.
• Previous experience in setting a compelling vision and utilizing creativity, innovation and a strong business acumen to delivery on this vision.
• Background and or interest in working in a multi-disciplinary environment
• Operational awareness (budgets, grants and fundraising).
• Experience working with external donors and stakeholders from government, the private and public sectors
• 5+ years experience with all aspects of collections management with a focus on contemporary curatorial practice.
• Highly motived and energetic – contemporary and forward-looking while honouring legacy and what has been built.
• Effective communication and presentation skills.
• Adept in the planning and organization required to successfully launch multiple projects at once.
• Multi-lingual (preferred)
• Experience in capital projects (preferred)
• Working in an unionized environment (preferred)

How to apply

Apply directly on our careers page: Director, Visual, Digital and Media Arts – Career Page
Please note that only qualified candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
Competition will be open until a suitable candidate is identified.