What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director Western Gallery position at Western Washington University?
Western Washington University, with nearly 15,000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school, is nationally recognized for its educational programs, students and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham, Washington, a coastal community of 90,000 overlooking Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Western has additional sites in Anacortes, Bremerton, Everett, Port Angeles, and Poulsbo. Western is recognized nationally for its successes, such as being named one of the top public master's-granting institutions in the Pacific Northwest for 25 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report.
Western Washington University is committed to achieving excellence through advancing inclusive success, increasing our Washington impact, and focusing on transformational education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and based on innovative scholarship, research, and creative activity. Western's greatest strength is the outstanding students, faculty, staff, and alumni/ae who make up its community. Western supports an inclusive governance structure for all and provides a learning and working environment in which everyone can thrive. In pursuit of this excellence, individual employees are expected to establish and maintain productive and effective inclusive working relationships amongst diverse populations including staff, faculty, administration, student, and external constituents. Further, individual employees are expected to have the ability to operationalize sustainability concepts (economic, societal, environmental) into all aspects of performing their job duties.
The Western Gallery, the contemporary art museum at Western Washington University, engages its regional audience with exhibitions, public programs, gallery encounters, and more. It programs a world-class campus sculpture collection—now 36 strong and growing—with artists including Isamu Noguchi, Do Ho Suh, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Fred Wilson, and Richard Serra. Twice the campus sculpture collection has been identified among the top ten university public art collections in the country.
With 4,500 square feet of gallery space and a staff of three, Western Gallery presents interpretive, interdisciplinary programs and acts as a center for the discussion and exchange of ideas on contemporary art. With generous state and private support, it is a catalyst for learning, embracing the campus and public communities through experiences that explore our world today.
Manages all aspects of the Western Gallery including budget, strategic planning, and general operations;
Position Duties and Responsibilities
- Recruits, trains, supervises and evaluates gallery staff including Preservation and Museum Specialist and Museum Educator, and works with the staff to oversee work study students and gallery interns.
- Provides artistic direction, exhibition development, and additional programming for the Western Gallery. The Director will also provide or oversee interpretive texts and promotional materials for all gallery activities.
- Oversees all aspects of the Outdoor Sculpture Collection including siting, maintenance, new commissions, and public awareness
- Manages the university’s collections which includes research, documentation, procuring legal documents, and oversees the registration of new works
- Works with WWU capital planning staff, state legislators and the State of Washington Art in Public Places Program to secure half percent art funding on new construction
- Collaborates with faculty and staff from College of Fine and Performing Arts ("CFPA") academic programs to integrate the gallery into the core mission of those programs
- Forms and chairs ad hoc artist selection committees for new commissions
- Chairs and works with Acquisition/Deaccessioning Committee to review (portable) works for addition to the Western Gallery Collection
- Master’s Degree in a relevant field and at least five years of progressive leadership experience in museum or gallery curation, management, and/or direction
- Strong leadership and interpersonal skills, with experience supervising and mentoring staff, volunteers, and student workers and a commitment to fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment
- Experience with public art and outdoor sculpture, including expertise in curating, conservation, and maintenance of site-specific works and knowledge of environmental and material preservation challenges
- Proven track record of curating, producing, and publicizing impactful exhibitions and multidisciplinary programming that engage diverse audiences
- Demonstrated expertise in securing external funding through successful grant writing, donor cultivation, sponsorships, and effective financial and operational budget management
- Experience overseeing and stewarding permanent, temporary, and circulating collections, including acquisitions, cataloging, and conservation
- Commitment to fostering an inclusive environment by collaborating with artists, audiences, and the greater-campus community to create culturally relevant, accessible and engaging programming
- Proven ability to build and sustain long-term relationships with donors, patrons, alumni, and stakeholders, fostering community support and partnerships
- Exceptional oral and written communication skills, with demonstrated ability to effectively advocate for gallery initiatives, engage with media, and deliver compelling public presentations
Benefits Overview for Administrative Professional Position.
A cover letter and resume are required and should address your experience related to the position responsibilities and the required qualifications. Please include the names and contact information of three professional references. References will only be contacted if necessary, with notice provided beforehand.
Western Washington University (WWU) is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained faculty and staff. Women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. In compliance with applicable laws and in furtherance of its commitment to fostering an environment that welcomes and embraces diversity, WWU does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and parenting status), disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status or genetic information in its programs or activities, including employment, admissions, and educational programs. See WWU’s Policy on Ensuring Equal Opportunity and Prohibiting Discrimination and Retaliation. Inquiries may be directed to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance, Title IX and ADA Coordinator, Western Washington University, Old Main 126 (MS 9021), 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225; 360.650.3307 (voice) or 711 (Washington Relay); crtc@wwu.edu
WWU is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to request an accommodation, please contact Human Resources Disability Services, 360.650.3751 or 711 (Washington Relay).
Annual Security and Fire Safety Report: This report is provided pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act ("The Clery Act"). It includes statistics for the previous three calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on Western's campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Western; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. You can obtain a copy of this report in printed or alternate formats by contacting the Office of the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services at vpsa.office@wwu.edu. The report can be found at: Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.
All new employees must comply with the immunization policy and show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service before beginning work at WWU. A thorough background check will be conducted on all new hires which includes a sexual misconduct background check.
Salary : $100,443 - $115,510
