Director of Gallery

China Institute in America in New York City is seeking a Gallery Director. China Institute in America was founded in 1926 by American and Chinese educators, John Dewey, Paul Monroe, Hu Shih, and Kuo Ping-Wen, to expand American awareness of China’s extraordinary civilization. Since 1954, China Institute has organized more than 120 exhibitions on Chinese art and culture. Early exhibitions reflected the collaboration of passionate collectors, scholars, curators of distinguished museum collections and dealers of ancient Chinese art. China Institute Gallery developed a productive relationship with many museums in China that helped brought exhibitions of famous and rare collections to New York from China.

Job Summary

The Gallery Director will work closely with the CEO and the Board of Trustees of China Institute to implement the artistic identity and vision for the Gallery. The Director will work with the Institute’s Gallery Committee and staff team to plan two exhibitions annually and to represent China Institute locally, nationally, and internationally. The ideal candidate will be a scholar bilingual in English and Chinese, with a successful track record of developing exhibitions, publications, collaborative projects, and one who is adept at public speaking and fundraising. Preference will be given to applicants whose expertise aligns with China Institute’s mission to introduce Chinese art and culture to American audiences.

Responsibilities

• Supervise gallery staff, outside specialists, and vendors; negotiate loans, exhibition contracts, and service arrangements to ensure the successful execution of exhibition projects.

• Oversee the production of at least two exhibition per year, with affiliated publications, education programs, catalogue sales, and media exposure.

• Build and maintain relationships with museums, scholars, and the Chinese art world both domestically and internationally to ensure submission of quality exhibition proposals. Collaborate with other organizations for exhibitions. Guide curators in approved proposal generation, content development, and checklist preparation.

• Manage and balance the Gallery’s budget to ensure financial oversight and expense control. Collaborate with all CI departments to secure funding through individual and corporate donors, foundations and government grants and other fund-raising initiatives.

• Serve as general editor for exhibition catalogs and didactics; oversee content development, bilingual text editing for high quality and timely production.

• When appropriate, author materials such as books, articles, exhibition catalogues, and digital content.

• Work with staff on exhibition marketing materials. Participate in the development and implementation of programming and events as needed.

• Represent the Gallery within the academic community, as well as in the arts and culture community, by attending and participating in events, and presenting gallery talks and public lectures as appropriate.

• Proactively drive and support donor cultivation opportunities.

• Recruit members of and maintain a vibrant Gallery Committee.

• Working with other departments of the Institute such as Programs to design and develop short period (one to two week) art shows leveraging the Institute’s space outside of the Gallery.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: university bachelor’s degree or higher in related field. Work Experience: Minimum of 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Preferred Qualifications Education: PhD in art history or related a strong plus. Experience: Extensive curatorial experience.

Preferred Competencies

• Knowledge of museum best practices as well as current and emerging trends in the academic museum field.

• Ability to effectively manage and mentor staff reports in a diverse environment.

• Strongly promote and support teamwork within the Institute and develop diverse Gallery audiences.

• Ability to work positively and collegially with staff, researchers, colleagues, students, community partners, and donors.

• Well-developed written/oral communication skills with the ability to communicate clearly and effectively.

Working Conditions

• Travel nationally and internationally as needed.

• Salary commensurate with experience.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)

• Cover Letter (required)

• Professional References Contact Information (3) (required)

To apply * Please send a resume and required documents to operations@chinainstitute.org. No phone calls please

• China Institute in America is an equal opportunity employer.

• Only those candidates considered for an interview will be contacted

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $100,000.00 - $200,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday
• Weekends as needed

Work Location: In person

Salary : $100,000 - $200,000