Exhibition Designer/Associate Gallery Director

Bard Graduate Center, a division of Bard College located on West 86^th Street in New York City, is seeking a full-time Exhibition Designer/Associate Gallery Director

Founded in 1993, Bard Graduate Center offers MA and PhD programs in the study of the cultural history of the material world and is committed to the encyclopedic study of things, drawing on methodologies and approaches from art and design history, history of technology, philosophy, anthropology, archaeology and cultural history.

Bard Graduate Center Gallery has a worldwide reputation for scholarly exhibitions that cover a broad range of under-recognized aspects of the decorative arts, design history, and material culture. Curated by our faculty, consultants, and students these exhibitions are comprised exclusively of loans from public and private collections throughout the world.  Our ambitious shows derive from thought-provoking curatorial thinking and incorporate methods of interpretation that frequently employ digital media. The Gallery adheres to the highest museum standards for installation and display. For more information see www.bgc.bard.edu.

General Description:
Reporting to the Gallery Director, the Exhibition Designer/Associate Gallery Director fills an important leadership role in the Gallery and BGC and supervises the Registrar and the Chief Preparator. He/She is charged with creating temporary exhibitions that translate and expand upon the scholarly research of our curators. The Exhibition Designer will make critical design decisions and be able to both give direction and collaborate at the highest professional level, in a fast-paced environment where multiple exhibitions are developed simultaneously.

Primary Responsibilities

• Designs and oversees production of three exhibitions annually and 9-12 exhibitions for future years.
• Manages exhibition projects by balancing creativity, a finely tuned aesthetic sense, practicality, and pragmatism.
• Works collaboratively with project team to realize exhibitions in compliance with the highest level of museum standards for installation, art handling, and conservation.
• Works closely with each project team to ensure rigorous translation of curatorial thinking and interpretative goals.
• Works with the chief curator, the curatorial team, chief preparator, and registrar to prepare and implement schedules for assembly, installation, and dispersal of exhibitions
• Collaborates with the faculty in developing student exposure to exhibit design, both in the classroom and in the gallery.
• Creates budgets for each exhibition and oversees expense allocation
• Creates exhibition graphic design, in collaboration with the Art Director.
• Coordinates all exhibition-related digital technology.
• Designs and facilitates production of exhibition furniture.
• Responsible for oversight and maintenance of extensive inventory of Gallery furniture and lighting.
• Responsible for subcontract relationships with preparators, mount makers, woodworkers, and others.
• Primary on-call contact for all Gallery-related emergencies; in this, works closely with the Facilities and Security Directors.

Qualifications

• At least five years’ experience as exhibition designer in major museum or gallery.
• Proven record as supervisor of exhibition staff.
• Experience creating three-dimensional digital renderings in Sketch Up, AutoCad, or other design software.
• Expertise in museum lighting with record of lighting object-based exhibitions.
• Demonstrated record of designing object-based exhibitions with a broad range of content, including complex tow-dimensional and more complex three-dimensional objects.
• Proven experience working with curators; graduate level teaching experience would be a plus.
• Proven experience working with museum loans.
• Budget management and staff supervisory experience.
• BA in art related field; MA preferred.

To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume and contact information for three references to gac@bgc.bard.edu . No telephone calls please. Bard Graduate Center is an equal opportunity employer and we welcome applications from those who contribute to our diversity. AA/EOE