Oberlin College invites applications for the position of John G. W. Cowles Director of the Allen Memorial Art Museum (AMAM). This is a continuing, full-time, 12-month Administrative and Professional Staff position reporting to the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences.

One of the most distinguished college or university art museums in the United States, the AMAM inspires curiosity, inquiry, learning, and connection through experiences with original works of art for the broadest audience possible, both on campus and beyond. The museum boasts an outstanding comprehensive and growing collection of more than 17,000 works spanning many of the world’s cultures, multiple media, and 6,000 years, and plays a significant role in Oberlin College’s teaching mission. AMAM staff are committed to enhancing students’ learning, engagement, and critical thinking skills through broad examination of the museum’s collection and its integration into the curriculum through innovative academic programs. Over the past decades the museum has become ever-more connected to teaching across almost all disciplines at the College – in the humanities, sciences, and social sciences – and within Oberlin’s Conservatory of Music. Its talented staff also engages with students in ways both co- and extra-curricular, by facilitating experiential learning, supporting career-readiness, promoting student-community engagement and alumni connections, and encouraging dialogue on urgent contemporary issues. The museum is also an important and long-standing resource for the local and regional community, and has been free and open to the public since it opened in 1917, with a national and international reputation for excellence through its collection, exhibitions, and programs.

The museum has an exceptional program of interdisciplinary collaboration with the academic departments of Oberlin’s College of Arts & Sciences and Conservatory of Music. During academic year 2023-24, the museum had 5,755 visits by students as part of classes, engaging with 176 distinct courses and 108 faculty members. The museum also engages in significant outreach to the broader community, presenting and facilitating scores of talks, tours, and events year-round. The departments of art history and studio art, as well as a major art library, are housed in quarters adjoining the museum, and use the museum extensively. The museum was re-accredited by the American Alliance of Museums in 2023.

Further information about the AMAM is available at https://amam.oberlin.edu. The museum’s most recent strategic plan can be found at https://amam.oberlin.edu/about/strategic-plan .

The Director supervises the AMAM’s staff of 20, and will have the opportunity to fill the newly-created position of Deputy Director. The Director works closely with the Office of Advancement and many other stakeholders on campus, including faculty and students, and is responsible for developing and working with the museum’s Visiting Committee, an advisory group. The Director plans and designs strategies for all aspects of museum programs and fundraising and will play a key role in planning for the museum’s expansion. The Director will have a courtesy appointment in the Department of Art History with the opportunity to teach courses in the department.

Requirements:

Ph.D. degree in an object-focused field of study (such art history, studio art, anthropology, or archaeology)

Extensive professional museum experience in curatorial and leadership positions

Success in administration, including hiring, staff relations, budgeting, and planning

Broad knowledge of art and material culture as represented in the AMAM’s collection, and experience with issues currently affecting museums today (including cultural property)

Highly developed communication skills, collegiality, and a demonstrated ability to work effectively individually and as part of a team

Desire to collaborate with colleagues regionally, nationally, and internationally, as well as with a broad range of constituencies including students, faculty, staff, alumni, artists, visitors, volunteers, collectors, and donors

Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously

High degree of professionalism

Substantial supervisory experience

Demonstrated commitment to fostering a welcoming, inclusive environment for all.

For full details and to apply, go to: https://jobs.oberlin.edu/postings/15799