Traveling Exhibition Manager - Art Bridges Foundation
Job Description
Art Bridges is seeking a skilled, highly motivated and entrepreneurial individual to join the team as a Travel Exhibitions Manager. The ideal teammate will have the ability to apply considerable experience organizing exhibitions for travel and providing venue support.
About the Position
Youll join a top-notch team and work to analyze, develop and implement efficient systems to facilitate excellent communication and the exchange of exhibitions between institutions, ensuring that numerous day-to-day details are taken care of.
You must be comfortable with, and proficient at, collaborating with numerous stakeholders and quickly responding to multiple and overlapping projects. You will keep colleagues updated on any issues or changes in project scope, and ensure all communications are clear, timely, helpful, and documented.
What you will do
You will be responsible for managing exhibition projects, traveling with Art Bridges financial support and assisting partner organizations as they develop and implement exhibition projects. In addition to supervising and providing mentorship to the Traveling Exhibitions Specialists, you will collaborate with teams, provide crucial information and support in the presentation of exhibitions and installations which provide greater access to American art.
Responsibilities
Manages planning, logistics, and provides customer service for multiple, overlapping traveling exhibitions
Hires, supervises, mentors, coaches, and provides professional development opportunities for direct reports
Assesses, prioritizes, assigns, and manages department workflow including implementation and delegation of the responsibilities outlined below.
Adapts and reviews contracts for Art Bridges, and monitors organizing partners and venues to ensure obligations are met in an appropriate and timely manner
Develops, communicates, and tracks schedules and budgets
Tracks spending against project budgets, makes suggestions for keeping projects on budget, and alerts AB staff and partner institutions to potential budget issues
Markets exhibitions and secures venues; develops and implements tour schedules
Collaborates with internal colleagues to assemble exhibition prospectuses and project contents (i.e. texts, interpretives, a/v media, and design plans) and provides them to partners in a cohesive, easily understandable and actionable package;
Collaborates closely with relevant staff
Schedules timely meetings, prepares agendas, and facilitates positive and productive meetings
Tracks project budgets, and generates financial reports as requested; insures project-related invoices and payments are handled in a timely manner
Performs other duties as assigned
Who we are looking for
You are professional, pleasant, proactive, highly organized and an outstanding problem solver. You have the energy and ability to balance and quickly execute multiple tasks in a rapidly changing start-up environment. You are flexible, have a roll up your sleeves work style and have a high degree of discretion in your approach to handling sensitive information.
Personal attributes that support your success
Flexibility, creativity, a positive attitude, and a good sense of humor are essential
Natural ability to effectively multitask in a fast-paced environment
Highly organized and detail oriented
Ability to work independently, and with diverse personalities
Ability to understand and maintain the highest levels of confidentiality and discretion
Additional Helpful Experience Includes
Experience with FileMaker, Microsoft Project, and other scheduling software
Physical demands
Occasionally, while performing the duties of this job, the employee may be required to travel independently.
In the work environment described below, position requires working at a desk and utilizing a computer and a telephone for prolonged periods of time and good eye/hand coordination. Vision abilities required by the job include close and distant vision.
When not in the office, the person in this position will require the capability to move and be present in galleries during construction, installation and deinstallation, and be able to navigate through different Museum buildings and on the trails and grounds.
When working in public spaces and galleries, physical stamina is needed to lift and carry supplies, and at times, assist with installation of labels, objects, and other exhibition related elements.
Work environment
Work will be performed in an office environment, museum spaces, outdoors, and in the communities served. When not in the office, the employee will be spending extensive amounts of time in the Museum buildings, outdoors, galleries, and library. The noise level in the Museum work environment is usually low to moderate.
About the Art Bridges Foundation
Art Bridges is a new foundation, founded by Alice Walton, whose mission is to share outstanding examples of American art with those that have limited access to them. Art Bridges organizes and administrates exhibitions of American art for display at public and academic art museums of all sizes. These exhibitions draw from Art Bridges growing collection, and the collections of partner institutions, foundations, and private collectors.
The exhibitions supported by Art Bridges are engaging, content-rich, and include in-depth educational and interpretive materials. They range from single-object loans to fully developed thematic exhibitions, and include support for programming, community outreach, audience engagement, and meaningful evaluation.
As a growing organization, Art Bridges contracts directly with Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art to provide expertise and services vital to the care of its collection, and launching major initiatives. Presently, Art Bridges has fewer than five (5) staff members, and it is time to expand the team as the program is growing rapidly.
Walton Enterprises is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building and maintaining a culturally diverse workplace. We encourage women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status of protected veteran, among other things or status as a qualified individual with a disability.
Basic Qualifications
Associate or Bachelors degree in art history, museum studies, arts or business administration, communications, or equivalent degree/experience
Documented success in traveling exhibitions project management, and in meeting deadlines within fast-paced work environments
Demonstrated experience with accounting and database software
Demonstrated knowledge of current practices in exhibitions management, including adapting and reviewing exhibition contracts, and conducting contract and tour date negotiations
4+ years demonstrated exhibitions project management experience in a museum or gallery (tracking budgets, developing and tracking schedules, adapting, reviewing, and finalizing contracts, organizing and facilitating meetings, and coordinating traveling exhibitions)
2+ years experience hiring, mentoring, coaching and supervising staff
Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
Experience with or the ability to quickly learn specialized software systems such as TMS, EMS, PowerPlan, Tableau, and Financial Edge
Willingness to work weekends and evenings, and adjust hours, as required
Ability to travel domestically as need to support art exhibitions
