Exhibition Manager

Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art

Reporting to the Director, and in partnership with the Exhibition Designer, Curatorial team, the Registrar and other museum departments, the Exhibitions Manager oversees the planning and implementation of special exhibitions and collection-based installations.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Create and maintain, in coordination with the Director, a comprehensive, long-term Exhibitions Calendar.
• Coordinate all in-house exhibitions and permanent collection gallery changes striving to anticipate issues and solve problems as they arise.
• Create implementation schedules for all exhibitions, establishes milestones for timely completion, and regularly check adherence to deadline.
• Collates exhibition-related text for wall labels, title walls, panels, credit lines, and other printed exhibition support materials for external editing and design.
• Coordinates the production of loan letters for all loan exhibitions through liaison with the Curatorial team and the Registrar.
• Lead the development of all exhibition budgets and keep projects on schedule and within budget. Monitor actuals versus budgets to ensure that expenses stay within budget, and flag overages on a timely basis. Works closely with Finance and Development to ensure budgets stay accurate and current.
• Draft and negotiate artist, guest curator, and any other necessary professional service agreements as well as MOUs and contracts.
• Liaise with the Exhibition Designer to prepare galleries for installation and troubleshoot during the installation period
• Process all exhibition contract related payments and invoices to individuals and institutions.
• Schedule all museum-wide Exhibition meetings as well as regular check-ins related to the implementation of specific projects and update the Museum calendar accordingly.
• Use project management best practices, such as detailed project schedules, budgets, and communication platforms.
• Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities:  None, responsible for own work

Requirements

Minimum Education and Experience:

• Education:
  • Bachelor’s degree in art history, museum studies, arts administration, or a related field.

• Experience:
  • At least three years administrative and project-management experience in a not-for profit setting, preferably in a museum environment, or the equivalent education and experience.
  • Demonstrated experience managing and maintaining departmental and/or project budgets
  • Demonstrated experience working collaboratively and professionally under pressure while sustaining a high level of attention to detail

Required Skills and Abilities:

• Attention to detail and excellent organizational, project management, research, writing, and editing skills.

• Ability to lead and facilitate cross-departmental teams while maintaining a great deal of organization and advance planning.

• Demonstrated ability prepare and meet timelines and budgets.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and under pressure while prioritizing multiple projects with competing deadlines.
• Demonstrated flexibility and ability to work well with artists and curators.
• Ability to collaborate with internal colleagues and external partners and create ways to meet mutual goals
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office software, in particular Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel and collection management systems.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an Exhibition Managerencounters while performing the essential functions of the role:

• Climate controlled art museum with display galleries, standard offices, cafe, library/archives, theater, museum shop, and other non-public spaces.
• Work is performed primarily indoors and occasionally outdoors, in lobbies, art display galleries, public spaces and non-public offices and storage areas.
• Compliance with Museum health and safety-related protocols.

Physical/Mental/Sensory Demands

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with a disability to perform the essential functions to the extent the Wadsworth may do so without undue hardship. The term “Qualified individual with a disability” means an individual who with or without reasonable accommodation can perform the essential functions of the position.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to receive oral and written instructions and information in English and to clearly communicate in English in person, over the telephone, through email and through other electronic means.
• The employee is required to move about their work area, between galleries and storage areas, ascend and descend stairs; and stand and/or sit for extended periods of time.
• The employee is occasionally required to lift, drag and/or move up to 15 pounds unassisted.
• The employee is required to identify, observe, and assess visually or otherwise.
• Must be able to lift and carry boxes of printed materials, up to 25 pounds
• Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time; frequently moves about inside the offices, including ascending/descending a short flight of stairs; operates a computer and other office equipment such as a calculator, copy machine, etc.
• Frequently communicates with staff and others and must be able to exchange accurate information.