Job Description

Director of University Art Galleries - School of Arts & Sciences-17001007
Description


On July 1, 2016, the renowned School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and (SMFA) became part of the School of Arts and Sciences at Tufts University. The acquisition of the SMFA, long committed to the view that art is an essential form of human expression and civic engagement, and the University's blossoming relationship with the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) inaugurate a new art-centered era at Tufts, one in which art-making, the University's own art collections and those of the MFA, as well as Tufts' new and longstanding exhibition venues will play a central role in campus life.

In this exciting environment, Tufts seeks a visionary Director of University Art Galleries to oversee operations at the Tufts University Art Gallery, located on the Medford/Somerville campus, and the exhibition spaces at the SMFA, located across the street from the MFA in Boston. The Director will be a key contributor to the development of the University's relationship with the MFA through collaborative exhibitions planning, public programming, and arranging for regular long-term loans of objects to Tufts for teaching and exhibition purposes. Mindful of the variety of opportunities that this position affords, the successful candidate for this position will articulate a cohesive vision for making art a central, highly visible part of academic and co-curricular life at the University, which also includes a health-sciences campus in downtown Boston and a school of veterinary medicine in Grafton, Massachusetts.

The Tufts University Art Gallery on the Medford/Somerville campus is well-known for its thought-provoking exhibitions of contemporary art from around the world, which are developed for and with faculty and students, as well as guest curators. The Tufts University Art Gallery mounts two major and many smaller exhibitions per year. In addition, Tufts' popular Directed Looking Gallery helps visitors hone their visual literacy and pattern-recognition skills.

In its multiple galleries and other dynamic spaces for displaying art, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts mounts two major cutting-edge contemporary art shows per year, along with dozens of exhibitions featuring the work of students across its many disciplines. The SMFA also sponsors a robust roster of talks and workshops from visiting artists, curators, and other art-world luminaries.

The SMFA Art Sale, a signature Boston event held each November, features thousands of artworks by students, faculty, staff, affiliated artists, and alumni. SMFA community members collaborate on a daily basis with the curators and administrators at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and regularly co-organize events at the Museum.

Reporting to the Dean of the SMFA, the Director of University Art Galleries will have the opportunity to develop a broad vision for art exhibitions, collections, education, and outreach to our community neighbors. Responsible for oversight of four named gallery spaces in Medford/Somerville as well as the Grossman Gallery and other exhibition spaces at the SMFA. Provides executive leadership for the management of a dynamic cultural arts program, working closely with faculty, students, renowned artists and MFA on exhibitions and initiatives to enhance the University's core teaching and research mission. Develops and refines a cohesive plan for the University's permanent art collection, maintaining, accessioning and deaccessioning works of art and arranging for long-term loans of works of art from the MFA. Responsible for a budget which may be in excess of $1,000,000 and for gallery-related fundraising activities including the annual SMFA art sale. Manages assigned staff, including new hires as applicable, and is responsible for commercial revenue generation. In addition to overseeing exhibition programs on both campuses and working with University Advancement on the SMFA Art Sale, the Director will be responsible for stewarding the more than 2,000 pieces of artwork in the University's permanent art collection. The Director, who will be expected to travel, will also work with University Advancement and other Tufts administrators to accession and steward gifts of art.


Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• Advanced degree in studio art, art history, arts administration, non-profit management, museum studies, curatorial studies, or another relevant discipline or field.
• 5+ years as an art historian /curator or related experience, including successful managerial and leadership experience as a director in a museum or art institution or in a comparable position.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and relationship building / networking skills
• Action-oriented, results-focused, entrepreneurial, with a demonstrated agility and innovative approach to business planning.
• Knowledge of museum programming for diverse audiences
• A thorough knowledge / understanding of fine arts and history; museum management theory, fundraising principles and techniques, public relations, exhibition design and installation and modern management principles and techniques.
• Proficient with MS Office applications.
• Demonstrated project and staff management experience, budget and finance proficiency, grant-writing skills, and fundraising and donor cultivation experience.


Preferred Qualifications:

Continuing professional education (especially management, finance and accounting).



Special Work Schedule Requirements:
Overnight domestic and international travel 3 to 10 times per year (average) for exhibition development and curatorial research, donor cultivation, Contemporary Art Circle (CAC) events, other fundraising; evening receptions and public programs on campus (6 to 10 per year), donor cultivation events, and other special events; attendance at at least one national and one regional conference per year, plus other special workshops and meetings as relevant.




Tufts University is an AA/EO employer and actively seeks candidates from diverse backgrounds. Please see the Tufts University non-discrimination statement.


Primary Location: United States-Massachusetts-Medford/Somerville
Job: Other
Organization: Art Gallery
Employee Status: Regular
Schedule: Full-time
Job Posting: Jan 6, 2017, 1:29:56 PM



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