Ballinger | Leafblad is pleased to conduct the search for a Chief Executive Officer at Plains Art Museum in Fargo, North Dakota.

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW
Plains Art Museum is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization governed by a board of directors.
Plains Art Museum features 56,000 square feet, of which 9,000 have security, climate, and light control properties. The building is fully accessible and contains the Hannaher’s, Inc. Print Studio, The Dawson Studio, The Store, the Goldberg Art Lounge, meeting and reception space, frame shop, wood shop, visitor services center, performance areas and permanent collection storage and care areas.

The Katherine Kilbourne Burgum Center for Creativity is a multipurpose arts facility offering classes for the entire community, as well as studio and exhibition space for learning, discussion, and display of creative work. The Plains Art Museum’s studio programs focus on developing people’s potential for deeper learning and problem solving through 21st-century skills: creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication. A skybridge connects the original museum building with this 25,500 square foot expansion.

The Museum offers approximately 12 special exhibitions along with smaller exhibitions each year. These exhibitions feature art of the 20th and 21st centuries and are free to the public. Classes, lectures, studios, collaborations with other disciplines as well as social events and performances complement the exhibition schedule.

Plains Art Museum is the largest, and only accredited, art museum in North Dakota, reflecting its “demonstration of the highest professional standards for education, public service and collections stewardship, and a commitment to continued institutional improvement.” Less than 7 percent of American museums have the distinction of being accredited.

The Museum raises funds through community support, business support and grants and through a North Dakota state program allowing nonprofit arts organizations to conduct charitable gaming activities.

HISTORY
Plains Art Museum began as the Red River Art Center in 1965 and was housed in the former post office in Moorhead, Minnesota. The Museum acquired its present name in 1975 and maintained residency in Moorhead until 1996. The Museum renovated a turn-of-the-century International Harvester (IH) branch house in downtown Fargo, North Dakota, and opened to the public in October 1997.

Throughout its history, the Museum has collected, preserved, exhibited and interpreted art. Today, its permanent collection contains approximately 4,000 works including national, international, regional fine art, and ethnographic objects.

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
Plains Art Museum enjoys a culture of inclusivity and engagement. Staff describe the work environment as collegial and collaborative. They look forward to welcoming a leader who will build on a warm and inviting culture, and offer strong and steady direction for the future.

MISSION
Plains Art Museum connects art, artists, and audiences to foster creative, resilient, and welcoming communities.

VISION
Envisioning communities where people are engaged in the creative process, and value and support the contribution of art and artists.

VALUES
Learning – Plains Art Museum respects the knowledge and experiences that visitors bring to the museum, providing an environment that links generations of life-long learners to the powerful experience of an art museum and creative art-making in order to develop 21st century skills of creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication.
Access – Plains Art Museum believes creativity lives in all of us and advocates for all by being accessible and welcoming in programming and facilities.
Commitment – Plains Art Museum believes in commitment to each other, its audiences, and its community by being respectful, good listeners, communicative, accessible, dependable, and responsive.
Stewardship – Plains Art Museum strives to be good stewards of its relationships and resources, including its collections, financial assets, and facilities.
Integrity – Plains Art Museum operates with integrity by being accountable, transparent, honest, ethical, and professional.
Excellence – Plains Art Museum strives for excellence by being innovative, reflective, rigorous, and attentive to museum research, and by adhering to high quality standards.
Dynamic Workplace – Plains Art Museum promotes and supports a dynamic workplace by working as a team to be visitor-centered, adaptable to change, and results and growth oriented.

COMMITMENT TO DEI
Plains Art Museum connects art, artists, and audiences to foster creative, resilient, and welcoming communities. It exists in service to the greater good and a commitment to values of Learning, Accessibility, Stewardship, Integrity and more. It lives these values by: engaging with all communities to discover what they have to teach us, providing free general admission and working to break down other barriers to participation and belonging, providing transparent stewardship of resources and the land that it acknowledges, and operating with a commitment to the needs of, and respect for, the knowledge of its audiences. Plains Art Museum recognizes that art can be a valuable means to build empathy and connection, enlighten audiences to buried histories or difficult realities, reveal injustice, and promote multiculturalism. Plains Art Museum also recognizes that when institutions see implicit biases and historical and contemporary roles in institutional racism, we begin to live our anti-racist aspirations. The organization advances its work through multiple initiatives that support and elevate the artwork and voices of Native Americans, people of color, women, and also that increase accessibility for people with disabilities.

PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
EXHIBITION
The Museum offers approximately 12 special exhibitions along with smaller exhibitions each year. These exhibitions feature art of the 20th and 21st centuries. Classes, lectures, studios, collaborations with other disciplines as well as social events and performances complement the exhibition schedule.

EDUCATION
The Plains Art Museum’s studio programs focus on developing people’s potential for deeper learning and problem solving through 21st-century skills: creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication.

THE STORE
The Store at Plains Art Museum offers unique, exciting, and original merchandise such as jewelry, books, artwork, clothing, home decor, notebooks, cards and children’s toys. Proceeds from The Store benefit museum programs.

POSITION PROFILE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
The Chief Executive Officer provides leadership, vision, and direction of the Plains Art Museum in accordance with the mission and values of the organization as established by the Board of Directors. As an organizational and community leader, the CEO plays an integral role in the cultural life of the community, the programmatic decision-making ecology of the Museum, and builds support for the successful growth of the Museum’s mission and capacity. The CEO manages a budget of $3.7M. including gaming operations Net. In addition, the Museum has a Campaign goal of $4.1M in 2023-2024.

MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
The Chief Executive Officer reports to the Board of Directors and oversees the Programs and Operations of Plains Art Museum. With the assistance of the Executive Assistant, the CEO oversees the Director of Curatorial and Operational Logistics, Director of Earned Income, Director of Development, Director of Impactful Giving, Controller, Director of Indigenous Programs, Graphics and Communication Manager, Voice of Creative Change Coordinator, Director of Education and Executive Assistant. The Museum has 32 full-time and 18 part-time employees. The Museum also values the contributions of 57 committed volunteers.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Successfully complete the Museum’s Capital Campaign designed to transform, expand and provide cohesion to the Museum’s campus.
• Build on, support and integrate the Museum’s DEI initiatives.
• Provide leadership, artistic vision, and direction in the areas of exhibitions and permanent collection, education programs, public art and social engagement activities, finance, development/fundraising, staff management, marketing and public relations, facilities and operation, special resources, volunteer development and other development, and other programs and operational areas.
• Provide thoughtful and strategic resource allocation, strong fiscal management and accountability in collaboration with the Museum’s Controller.
• Provide cohesive and creative direction for collections, exhibitions, and educational programs of the Museum consistent with the mission.
• Work directly with the Executive Committee and other Board Committees and the Board of Directors overall to support the Board’s capacity to serve the organization’s needs.
• Lead fundraising activities in collaboration with Development staff and Board members.
• Nurture, support, and provide leadership to the Museum staff in order to implement and meet the goals of Plains Art Museum.
• Uphold the highest standards in the Museum fields as outlined by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD).
• Build co-beneficial partnerships.
• Stimulate and facilitate short- and long-term strategic planning to formulate and meet goals, working closely with the Board of Directors, staff, and community.
• Build on the Museum’s various philanthropic and earned income streams which includes charitable gaming.
• Serve as a spokesperson for the organization in a manner reflective of its mission.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree in Art History, Art, or related field or in Public Administration, Management, or Business with concentration in Art History or Liberal Arts background.
• Five or more years of senior level arts/museum or nonprofit management experience.
• Ability to maintain confidential information that is sensitive to donors, members, and Board members and their relationships with the museum.
• Possess high ethical standards, integrity, understanding and diplomacy.
• Excellent communication and public speaking skills, internally and externally. Able to be an effective ambassador of the organization in a multitude of settings.
• Strong financial and budget management skills, including ability to use resources creatively for maximum impact.
• Demonstrate experience in program development and/or special events, ideally in arts or cultural programs.
• Strategic planning skills and ability to share and communicate the organization’s vision.
• Positive, collaborative leadership style. Ability to attract, develop and retain a talented team.
• Proven ability to establish and maintain relationships across a diverse group of stakeholders, including staff, Board members, partner organizations, members, donors, funders, elected officials.
• Experience with fundraising and/or social enterprise, including the ability to cultivate relationships and secure donations and bring innovative approaches to fundraising and member development activities.
• Able to build, grow and deepen strong relationships within the communities served by Plains Art Museum.
• Proven ability to work with a nonprofit governing board.
• Alignment with mission, vision, and values of Plains Art Museum.
• Knowledge and interest in educational endeavors.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
The salary range for this position is $125,000-$150,000. Compensation includes participation in the comprehensive benefits plan.

TO APPLY
Inquiries may be directed to Holly Kelsey-Henry: holly@ballingerleafblad.com
Applications will be accepted until August 31, 2023 or until the position has been filled, which may be earlier. There will be an immediate and ongoing review of candidates, so we encourage and appreciate early applications. All inquiries will remain confidential.

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