Director of University Galleries

Description

The University of San Diego is searching for a dynamic Director of University Galleries, who will oversee a nimble exhibition program and purposefully focused collections that position the Galleries as a unique and vibrant model among west coast institutions. The Galleries collect and exhibit compelling works wrought by artists over time, focusing on prints—from Rembrandt to Julie Mehretu—photographs, time-based art, and Native American art and material culture. Engaging a broad audience of students, faculty, staff and interested community, the Galleries serve as places of encounter and learning, and of dialogue across disciplines.

Department Description:

The majority of works in the University Galleries’ collections (totaling some 6,000 objects) can be found in an online database. Artists included in the collections range from Albrecht Altdorfer, Albrecht Dürer, Hendrick Goltzius, Peter Paul Rubens, Giovanni Battista Piranesi, William Hogarth, Angelica Kauffmann, Francisco Goya and Jacques Callot, to Honoré Daumier, James Abbott McNeill Whistler, D.Y. Cameron, George Bellows, Isabel Bishop, Elizabeth Catlett, Lee Krasner, Ai Weiwei, Johnny Bear Contreras, Gary Simmons, Shahzia Sikander, Lorna Simpson, Enrique Chagoya, Kerry James Marshall, Salomón Huerta, Wendy Red Star, Sadie Barnette, and Mickalene Thomas. Exhibitions have probed questions and themes—The Gout and the Guillotine: The Satirical Imagination in Britain 1790-1799; Prints in the Artist’s Studio: Rubens’s Print Collection Reconstructed; Xerografia: Copyart in Brazil, 1970-1990 (part of Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA); Political Skeletons: The Art and Afterlife of Jose Guadalupe Posada—and have focused on aspects of the work of individual artists—Rembrandt, Goya, Georges Rouault, Jasper Johns, Wayne Thiebaud, Corita Kent, Matika Wilbur, Marie Watt. The Screenings series—in the Humanities Center Gallery—has included works by Joan Jonas, Lorna Simpson, Ja’Tovia Gary, Eve Fowler, Wangechi Mutu, Joan Perlman, Victoria Fu.

The University Galleries have published a momentous succession of scholarly exhibition catalogues, and have partnered with a number of institutions, among these the Getty Museum, the British Museum, and the Timken Museum. Gallery programs and exhibitions have been attentive to USD’s location twenty miles north of the San Ysidro / Tijuana port of entry—a confluence of Latin and North America that is one of the most steadily traveled border crossings in the world.

Partnerships with colleagues across the university have fueled many University Galleries projects. Exhibitions in the Humanities Center Gallery are driven by the programming goals envisioned and curated by the Center’s Director and the Humanities Center Gallery ‘Element Chair’, working in collaboration with the Director of University Galleries. Each year, a number of undergraduates take up semester-long internships in the galleries. Endowments provide a base of support for acquisitions and exhibitions, augmented by grants from a variety of foundations and institutions. Funds from the Legler Benbough Foundation support an innovative program to acquire works proposed by students.

University Description:

The University of San Diego, a contemporary and engaged Roman Catholic institution that exists on the historic lands of the Kumeyaay Indian nation, was founded by the Diocese of San Diego and the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1949. Governed by an independent board of trustees since 1972, USD remains committed to a liberal arts education grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition and the pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty. Inspired by this centuries old tradition of Catholic higher education, the University welcomes people of all faith traditions and any, or no, religious background. The future success of USD relies on the contributions of those who seek to foster the development of engaged global citizens and an earnest confrontation of humanity’s urgent challenges.

Posting #: 4151

Responsibilities

Programming:

The Director of University Galleries will oversee a robust program of exhibitions, publications, lectures, screenings, and events in four distinct spaces and will work to build the related collections.

• The Hoehn Family Galleries, in Founders Hall at the heart of campus, are dedicated to exhibiting prints. The adjacent Print Study Room houses the University’s substantial print collection and print research library and is open to the campus community during weekdays.
• Nested within the Humanities Center, the small, elegant Humanities Center Gallery presents Screenings, together with exhibitions that dovetail with the diverse and innovative practices of the Center, including interdisciplinary research, digital humanities, and engagement with the public humanities.
• The David W. May Gallery is the display space for the university’s collection of American Indian art and material culture, and has established a steady rhythm of exhibitions of contemporary Native American artists.
• The Fine Art Galleries in the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice focus on photography, with exhibitions examining issues related to peace and social justice. These themes are at the center of a small but growing collection of photographs.

Administration:

The Director works with a team that includes the Hoehn Curatorial Fellow for Prints (a three-year appointment); a May Collection / NAGPRA Specialist; an Operations Coordinator; and student gallery guides. More broadly, the Director will:

• Oversee the curatorial, administrative, legal, fundraising and budgetary workings of the galleries.
• Develop support and relationships for the galleries on campus and further afield.
• Negotiate loans and partnerships.
• Collaborate with the Department of Art, Architecture + Art History—and with colleagues across the university—to weave the work of the galleries into the curriculum and student experience.
• Oversee the University Galleries website and online database of the permanent collections
• Track progress of the current Strategic Plan (through 2024) and lead a new strategic planning process.
• Work with USD’s tribal liaison and NAGPRA consultants to complete the repatriation of sacred objects.

Fundraising/Grant-Writing:

• Shepherd gallery and collection endowments in harmony with their purposes, together with other budgetary resources.
• Work with USD’s Office of Sponsored Programs to pursue funding from foundations, individuals and government agencies.
• Maintain relationships with existing supporters.

Other Professional Activities:

• Pursue scholarly research as time permits.
• Participate in professional associations that are pertinent for the galleries.
• Engage with relevant internal and external committees.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in art history or related field.
• Minimum five (5) years relevant experience.
• A track record of organizing exhibitions and publications.
• Organizational skills in multi-institutional collaborations.
• Familiarity with NAGPRA.

Preferred Qualifications:

• PhD in art history or related field.
• 5 years of experience directing a museum or non-profit gallery or leading a museum department.

How to apply

Special Conditions of Employment:

The University of San Diego is requiring all employees to follow our Covid-19 vaccine requirement process. More information here.

Background check: Successful completion of a pre-employment background check.

Degree Verification Requirement: Persons offered employment in this position will be required to provide official education transcripts for degree verification purposes.

Posting Salary:

Commensurate with experience; Excellent Benefits

The University of San Diego offers a very competitive benefits package including; medical, dental, vision, a retirement contribution given to you by the University, and access to on-campus Fitness Centers. Please visit the benefits section of our website to view all of the perks and benefits that USD has to offer.

Special Application Instructions:

Resume and Cover Letter Required

Click Apply Now to complete our online application. In addition, please upload a cover letter and resume to your application profile for the hiring managers’ review.

Please forward a letter of application, a CV, and contact information for three recommenders, together with supplemental materials, such as exhibition catalogues and/or grant proposals.

If you have any questions or difficulties please contact the Employment Services Team at 619-260-6806, or email us at jobs@sandiego.edu

Additional Details:

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Closing date: Open until filled. The review of applications will begin on May 23, 2022.

Note: External job postings will be up for at least five days. After that time, applications will be reviewed by the hiring manager/committee throughout the posting period. A candidate may be selected at any time which could then close this posting on a date earlier than listed.

The University of San Diego is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion and is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the campus community.

The University of San Diego is a smoking and tobacco-free campus. For more information, click here.

Advertised: June 24, 2022

Applications close: Open until filled

To apply, click here.

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