Associate Director Curatorial Affairs

Overview

Department: Block Museum
Salary/Grade: EXS/12

Location: Evanston, Illinois

Job Summary:

The Block's Associate Director of Curatorial Affairs plays a central role in realizing the museum's artistic and intellectual priorities and enhancing its reputation through their leadership of the museum's program in three key areas: exhibitions and publications, collection and curricular teaching, and administration and planning. The ideal candidate will have expertise in art history or a related field, and a geographic specialization that relates to the curricular or research strengths of Northwestern University, such as Africa and its diasporas, the Caribbean, Indigenous North America, the Middle East, South Asia, or Turkey.

The Associate Director maintains an active campus, national, and international profile through activities including: affiliate academic appointments on campus, participation in professional organizations and meetings, and the production of scholarship. In their work, the Associate Director builds upon the context, priorities, and resources of Northwestern University and its commitment to research excellence.

The Associate Director reports to the Director and supervises four full-time staff members, as well as a varying number of part-time staff, graduate fellows, undergraduate interns, and work-study students. Serving as mentors to students and junior colleagues, they are role models for ethical practices and have considered the responsibility of museums as public-facing shapers of knowledge. They oversee a creative program that reaches across geographies and time frames, engaging with underrepresented histories or telling histories through new perspectives.

While bringing perspectives garnered from area specialization and interdisciplinary study, the ideal candidate will have a wide-ranging intellectual curiosity, and willingness to ask questions, and the capacity to engage competently across topics and disciplines, including with contemporary artistic practice. They are excited to explore innovative approaches to curatorial work and to reach beyond their individual experience and interests and are committed to relating their work to issues of our time.

Specific Responsibilities:

Exhibitions and Publications (35%)

• Conceptualize and oversee a robust exhibition program that supports the museum's mission and strategic plan, working in coordination with the Director and others. Coordinate an exhibition schedule that balances original, innovative, research-based exhibitions with external traveling exhibitions that support The Block's priorities. Participate with other Block curators in curating original exhibitions, promoting their travel to other venues when appropriate, and overseeing the installation of external traveling exhibitions at The Block.
  
  Work collaboratively with the Engagement team on exhibition-related programming and participate in programs. Support curators and grad fellows in exhibition development and implementation. Maintain open communication with the Director of Exhibitions, Engagement, Visitor Services, and other relevant museum teams. When appropriate, oversee the development of publications related to Block projects in coordination with the project curator. This role requires outstanding writing and public speaking skills.

Collection and Curricular Teaching (30%)

• Shape and oversee The Block's collection strategy, which is a living document, and implement acquisitions (gifts and purchases) that support the strategic growth of the collection. Working with curators and the director, pursue purchases based on institutional priorities, values, and goals and in line with available funds. Assess and process gifts in consultation with Curatorial team, director, and Collections team. Consult on and support The Block's Collection Council and Block Museum Student Associate art purchases.
• Actively engage with and supervise the work of the Curatorial Coordinator for Collections Information and Digital Interpretation, focused on collections cataloguing, interpretation, and access. Ensure that the museums database (TMS) and eMuseum reflect The Block's values and effectively support teaching and learning.
• Lead strategy for and supervise The Block's curricular teaching initiatives in collaboration with the Academic Curator and the Associate Curator of Academic Programs. In dialogue with Collections Management and Engagement Departments coordinate teaching activities in exhibitions, The Block's dedicated object-based teaching classroom, and the Eloise Martin Study Center. Model object-based teaching best practices.

Administration and Planning (25%)

• Oversee the daily operations of the Curatorial Department. Supervise a department staff includes Academic Curator, Curator of Global Modern and Contemporary Art, Associate Curator of Academic Programs, Curatorial Coordinator for Collections Information and Digital Interpretation, Curatorial Assistant, two graduate fellows, two undergraduate interns, and…