Assistant Curator and Community Outreach Coordinator

Job Description

Job Title : Assistant Curator and Community Outreach Coordinator .75 FTE

Department : Center Art Gallery

Reports To : Director of Exhibitions

Status : Part time

SUMMARY

Thanks to a generous gift, Calvin University is poised to launch an exciting new Visiting Visual Artist (ViVA) Series. Each year, a guest visual artist will be invited to exhibit a solo show in the Center Art Gallery, as well as interact with students and the broader Calvin community through lectures, workshops, and critiques, among other events.

The position of Assistant Curator and Community Outreach Coordinator will support the launch and ongoing operations of the new ViVA Series, as well as provide support to the Center Art Gallery.

Funding has been provided to cover the first five years of developing and hosting the ViVA Series, including support for the Assistant Curator position, and Calvin University has committed to continue to fundraise with an eye to making the series permanent.

The primary focus of the Assistant Curator and Community Outreach Coordinator will be the development and implementation of an annual visiting artist series hosted by the Center Art Gallery.

More broadly, the Assistant Curator will serve as both a technical and administrative support for the Center Art Gallery : its exhibition spaces, permanent collection, and all gallery programming.

As a member of the gallery team, the Assistant Curator facilitates programming, marketing, communication, and academic partnerships surrounding exhibitions in order to further the mission of the Center Art Gallery.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Center Art Gallery :

Curation / Gallery Management :

1. Project manager for the Visiting Artist Series program, including coordination of the artist selection process, communication with the visiting artist, planning and logistics for events related to the visiting artist, etc.

2. Member of exhibitions committee selecting and planning exhibitions and long-term planning surrounding the gallery, assisting in planning exhibition gallery schedule, overseeing logistics surrounding loan objects and gallery furniture needs, and discussing programing possibilities.

3. Member / Co-Chair of the visiting artist committee..

4. Assist in executing all aspects of gallery installation and reclamation of the gallery spaces including unpacking and packing of artwork;

designing layout, hanging, installing, lighting and de-installing of exhibitions; wall preparation and repair; and building pedestals and mounting surfaces as needed.

5. Prepare and design all related educational materials for gallery exhibitions.

6. Coordinate data management and facilitation of paperwork for in-coming and out-going loans.

Marketing Communication

1. Develop a yearly plan for publicizing department exhibitions and events.

2. Coordinate and support Center Art Gallery exhibitions, programming and events through website development, social media posts, mailings, press releases, announcements, and other tasks as necessary to encourage awareness of gallery exhibits and programming opportunities.

3. Maintain the Center Art Gallery events mailing and email lists.

Gallery Outreach / Events

1. Serve as the programming coordinator for the Center Art Gallery developing connections and opportunities for academic departments and appropriate campus personnel to utilize the gallery space and more intentionally participate with exhibitions.

2. Coordinate with local and regional arts administrators to foster collaborative partnerships with community arts organizations.

3. Plan, facilitate, and manage public arts workshops, receptions, and space rentals in the gallery in coordination with gallery team members and University events staff.

General Arts Support :

1. Coordinate with other arts administrators to produce a calendar of arts events and to promote arts events and academic programs at Calvin University through social media, email, mailings, announcements, and other methods.

2. Serve as liaison with those who organize arts activities and events in the student life division.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Supervise student workers for short periods of time

QUALIFICATIONS To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and / or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION and / or EXPERIENCE

This position requires a Bachelor’s Degree from a four-year college or university or equivalent in Fine Arts; one-to-three years of related experience;

or equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience working with arts in academic settings and grant-writing experience is helpful.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

The position requires the ability to draft and edit correspondence, to communicate effectively with other administrators and with students, to instruct student employees and interns, and to handle confidential information.

COMPLEXITY

The position requires the ability to carry out detailed written / oral / diagram form instructions. Deals with standardized situations involving several variables.

ACCOUNTABILITY

The position follows practices or routines that are established by others and / or provides support to employees within multiple departments.

DECISION MAKING / JUDGMENT

This position regularly requires independent judgment in setting priorities and organizing work to accomplish results. Some of the responsibilities of this position are performed in accordance with existing procedures and instructions.

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

The position requires regular participation with employees and deals with items of a routine nature with occasional supervision.

Employee must strive to foster teamwork and a spirit of collaboration. Employee uses information and expertise to influence outcomes and solve problems.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS / WORK ENVIRONMENT The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

The work in this position requires exposure to potentially hazardous or unpleasant conditions and / or physical effort of some duration.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical demands include :

1. Ability to lift and / or carry objects weighing 40 pounds.

2. Ability to push and pull carts, dollies, etc.

3. Ability to climb ladders, scaffolding, and the like.

4. Ability to drive an automobile, van, or truck on public roads and highways.

Visual demands include :

1. Ability to proofread and check documents for accuracy.

2. Ability to use a computer for entering, retrieving, and transforming data.

3. Ability to closely examine and inspect both written and aesthetic materials.

4. Ability to utilize a computer monitor for 2 hours or more at a time.

JOB LOCATION

Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States

FAITH and EDUCATIONAL COMMITMENT

1. Commitment to the educational mission of Calvin as a Christian liberal arts University affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church.

2. A commitment to the Christian faith and to the integration of faith, learning, and student development.

DIVERSITY COMMITMENT

Demonstrated awareness and commitment to effectively establishing relationships and positive communication across multiple dimensions of diversity including, but not limited to, race, gender, physical limitations, class, or religious perspectives.