MUSEUM DIRECTOR
The Trustees and the Search Committee of the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art seek an exemplary leader, to partner with the CEO as the museum’s senior artistic executive and by virtue of the position to serve as a member of the Wadsworth Atheneum Board of Trustees.
Background
For more than 175 years, the Wadsworth has inspired audiences as Connecticut’s flagship visual arts institution. The global arts community recognizes the museum for its peerless collections and as a place of engaging programming. Dynamic and varied special exhibitions have captured the public’s interest for nearly a century, enriching the conversation about the art of the past and the art of today.
An active acquisitions program and generous patrons have enabled the Wadsworth’s collections to grow from the original core group of 87 paintings to more than 50,000 high-quality works of art representing a broad range of cultures — from Mediterranean antiquity to the art of our modern times in a wide array of media. The museum is home to one of the finest collections of European Baroque through Nineteenth Century art, American art and material culture, and remarkably rich 20th Century art holdings in areas such as Surrealism, Conceptual Art, sculpture, and post-WWII abstraction. The Wadsworth’s last eleven exhibitions in a row have garnered national press and critical acclaim.
The museum’s educational programs engage and inspire by offering creative, diverse, and awe-inspiring experiences with art to the broad public. We team with institutional and community partners, artists, filmmakers, performers, scholars and educators to co-create and deliver innovative and expansive programs. We also embrace/welcome new challenges as the institution adapts to ever-changing digital demands and a call to action in response to a national reckoning around systemic racial injustice.
Operations
A $110M investment base comprised of unrestricted and restricted operating funds as well as restricted funds for the purchase of art, underpins a $10.5 million operating budget. More than half of the museum’s physical structure and space was renovated in a $33M capital project between 2010 and 2015. Described as “stunning and astute” by The New York Times, the project renewed the museum’s historic structures with an eye toward an improved visitor experience. It added 17 new galleries and additional special exhibition space now totaling more than 50,000 square feet, plus fundamental upgrades to multiple collection storage areas. There is an emerging plan for incremental capital improvements to interior and exterior public spaces over the coming five years to better equip the museum to display its vast array of artwork and offerings to the public.
Quality of Life
The greater Hartford, CT community is a place of immense artistic vitality and diversity, home to people of diverse cultural backgrounds lifestyles, experiences, and interests. In common with so many historic cities, Hartford is actively reshaping itself to thrive in the 21st Century. The city’s positive energy centers around a wide spectrum of cultural and entertainment offerings such as the Wadsworth, the historic homes of Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe, the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, and an emerging, eclectic dining scene. Located in the center of a stunningly beautifully region, US News & World Report recently ranked Hartford as one of the top 25 Best Places to Live for Quality of Life in the United States.
The Opportunity
Inspiring everyone to experience and appreciate excellence in art and culture requires a team effort and the talents of a diverse, highly motivated group of people. The quality of this institution emanates from the collective work and talent of our staff. In partnership with the CEO, the Museum Director will work with museum staff, curators, cross functional leaders, and management to develop, implement, and oversee the artistic, curatorial, and interpretive strategies of the Museum – bringing a 21st-century perspective to the task of defining the museum's scope and direction of exhibitions, programming, and collections management. Managerially, the Director will oversee the care and display of the museum’s collections and lead the curatorial, exhibition, conservation, education, publications, and programming functions in support of the museum’s mission.
Essential Functions
Measures of Success
Note: “Success” will be jointly defined and agreed upon as part of CEO and Board collaboration.
Minimum Qualifications Needed to Perform Essential Functions
Any combination of education and experience providing the required knowledge, skills and abilities for successful performance would be qualifying. Typical qualifications would be equivalent to:
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Physical, Mental, Sensory, and Environmental Demands
Climate controlled art museum with display galleries, standard offices, café, 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. 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. Local, in-state, out of state, and international travel is required. 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. 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.
Disclaimer
The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and essential functions and responsibilities of work performed by the employee in this job position. It may not contain a comprehensive list of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required for this role. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.
How to Apply
Wadsworth Atheneum is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. To apply please submit a letter stating the reason for your interest, your CV noting your experience and credentials plus a list of professional references to Jeffrey Brown, CEO, at director@thewadsworth.org. Applications will be reviewed as received and accepted until such time as the position has been filled.