Current Opportunities

The Allen Memorial Art Museum (AMAM) at Oberlin College is seeking applicants for the position of head of the Education department at the assistant, associate, or full curatorial level. The incumbent will oversee the museum’s public outreach, and will collaborate with other museum staff to engage the general public, including K-12 students, community members of all ages, and Oberlin College faculty, staff, and students, in a broad range of public programs. The curatorship is a 12-month (i.e. continuing) Administrative and Professional Staff position at the Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin College, reporting to the Director of the Museum.

Responsibilities:

The Eric and Jane Nord Family Curator of Education is responsible for the management of the Education department, and the development and implementation of creative and engaging education and public outreach programs, events, and activities that serve the museum’s teaching mission.  The incumbent will:

• Conceive, manage, and often present public activities and programs pertaining to the permanent collection and exhibitions, including Tuesday Tea talks, First Thursday events and opening receptions, and other museum-sponsored events, such as guest lectures, musical programs, film screenings, workshops, Community Days, and Sunday Object Talks
• Schedule and conduct gallery tours
• Conceive and manage activities and projects related to primary and secondary education for children, teachers, and families
• Oversee, develop curricula for, and teach the Winter Term “Practicum in Museum Education” student docent training program, held each January for Oberlin students
• Oversee the scheduling and implementation of tours and other educational programs at the Weltzheimer-Johnson Frank Lloyd Wright house, and liaise with other campus and community members regarding activities at and maintenance of the house
• Train, supervise, and mentor student assistants
• Train and supervise museum volunteers and Frank Lloyd Wright house volunteers (adult community members)
• Foster and maintain excellent relationships with community representatives and educators, and with them co-organize events such as kids’ and teens’ summer camps, and the annual Oberlin Chalk Walk; identify and develop new opportunities for community engagement
• Actively participate in identifying and writing grants, including narratives and budgets
• Perform administrative duties related to the position’s functions, including maintaining records and internal and external reports relating to visitorship, statistics, and metrics, and manage program budgets
• With other staff members and student assistants, oversee the museum’s public outreach via social media, on such platforms as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Vimeo, and others, and create and manage online educational resources, as well as podcasts and gallery audioguide tours
• Participate in exhibition planning and interpretation to optimize the educational potential of collection installations and exhibitions
• Prepare gallery guides, museum brochures, and other printed matter as appropriate, in conjunction with other museum staff members
• Provide or coordinate basic audio-visual support for museum events
• Complete other duties as assigned

Requirements:

As an important liaison between the museum and community members, including donors and supporters, the successful candidate must be an outstanding collaborator with a passion for community engagement and with highly developed administrative and organizational capabilities and a deep commitment to public education, as well as demonstrated integrity and professionalism in all matters.  The following are requirements of the position:

• An M.A. in art history, museum education, museum studies or related discipline, with a minimum 5 years’ experience planning, developing, and implementing education programs in an art museum, preferably in a supervisory capacity
• Familiarity with primary and secondary school education curricula and working knowledge of museum education inquiry- or object-based theories of learning
• Excellent public speaking, writing, and editing skills
• Ability to maintain excellent working relationships with a diverse range of individuals, including staff, faculty, students, volunteers, community partners, and the public with an emphasis on tact, diplomacy, flexibility, professionalism, and discretion
• Proficiency with basic computer programs and current social media, as well as audience evaluation and implementation of visitor surveys
• Ability to assess and manage multiple competing priorities and work well under pressure, with excellent time management, organizational, and creative problem-solving skills
• Ability to adhere to museum policies and support management decisions in a professional manner
• Ability to take part in programs outside of normal office hours, including on evenings and weekends
• Ability to work effectively in a changing environment, including changing work demands, procedures, technology, or priorities
• Ability to climb stairs, lift and carry 30 lbs., and stand or sit for extended periods of time

The following attributes are preferred:

• Previous experience in a college/university museum
• Past experience with primary and secondary teacher training
• Experience working with underserved groups, and with the development of tours and programs for visitors with special needs
• A history of service to the museum education field, including active participation in the national art education community

Compensation:

Within the range established for this position, salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience and includes an excellent benefits package.

To Apply:

Candidates should submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae, names, addresses and phone numbers of three references, and a maximum 2-page description of candidate’s involvement in one museum project that he/she has organized or coordinated (this is considered the "writing sample" when documents are uploaded), by February 26, 2017 via Oberlin College’s PeopleAdmin system at https://jobs.oberlin.edu/postings/3886. Review of applications will be ongoing and applications received after the deadline may be considered. All applications must be received via the PeopleAdmin portal; if you have a question, please contact Sally Moffitt, AMAM Administrative Assistant, at smoffitt@oberlin.edu.

About the Allen Memorial Art Museum (AMAM):

For more than a century, Oberlin College has been committed to promoting direct study of original works of art to foster visual literacy and a deeper understanding of the diversity of the world’s cultures. Today, the AMAM houses an encyclopedic collection of more than 14,000 works selected to provide a comprehensive overview of the history of art and is recognized as one of the five best academic museums in the country. The AMAM serves a broad regional audience and operates on the premise that learning about art is important for everyone, a principle demonstrated by free public admission, offered since its founding in 1917.

The AMAM’s holdings span six millennia and many world cultures, with significant collections of African and Oceanic, American, ancient, Asian, European, Latin American, modern and contemporary, Native American, and Pre-Columbian works. The museum also holds the Eva Hesse Archives (the largest collection of material about and created by Hesse in any public institution, including working drawings, collages, photographs, diaries, datebooks, and letters) and a large poster collection, and since 1940 has overseen an innovative Art Rental program for students and community members.

The museum complex includes a 1917 building designed by Cass Gilbert. In the 1970s, Robert Venturi designed a gallery dedicated to the presentation of modern and contemporary art, the architect’s first museum commission. The AMAM also shares responsibility with Oberlin College for a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house, the first Usonian house in Ohio, located in Oberlin.