Curating.info

Contemporary art curating news and views from Michelle Kasprzak and team

Opportunity: Call for curators, DownStreet Art

Posted by Michelle Kasprzak • Friday, December 31. 2010 • Category: Jobs & Opportunities

DownStreet Art is pleased to announce a call for artists and curators for the 2011 season.

DownStreet Art 2011 will run for from June 23rd till October 11th (Columbus Day Weekend). It will begin with a kick-off celebration on June 23rd and will hold four "DownStreet Art Thursdays" (with all galleries hosting opening receptions and downtown performances); and it will all culminate in North Adams Open Studios weekend on October 11th. Please note that as a public art project, DownStreet Art is dependent on available/empty spaces, sufficient funding and adequate staffing. While we are planning for 2011, the number of available/empty spaces (and thus opportunities) is uncertain at this time.

DownStreet Art is a program of MCLA’s Berkshire Cultural Resource Center (BCRC) a non-profit organization that provides professional development training, resources, and support to the artists, art managers, and creative workers of Berkshire County run by the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, MA, USA. Through it’s multiple programs and presentations, BCRC brings the best of performance and art to the Berkshires and showcases the best of the Berkshires to the world.

DownStreet Art is a public art project designed to revitalize downtown North Adams. A post-industrial city in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts, North Adams first began its cultural revitalization with the opening of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) in 1999. More than ten years later, the city is in its second wave of economic development through the arts and other creative economy business.

By harnessing existing arts organizations and events and transforming vacant and open spaces into arts destinations, DownStreet Art defines North Adams as a cultural haven, driving tourists and community members’ downtown in a four month celebration of the arts. Since its inception in 2008, over 50,000 visitors came downtown and through the doors of DownStreet Art’s galleries and exhibits. For DownStreet Art 2011 our goal is to build on what we have accomplished to date while deepening the dialogue between our community and the arts. DownStreet Art gives artists and curators competitive opportunities to exhibit their work and to be promoted on a national and international level.

For more information and to download the application please refer to the DownStreet Art website.

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Review: A Brief History of Curating by Hans Ulrich Obrist

Posted by Michelle Kasprzak • Monday, December 27. 2010 • Category: Reviews & Resources


Hans Ulrich Obrist, renowned art world figure who hangs out at the top of the ArtReview Power 100 (which is indicative of something, no matter what one thinks of that list) released a book of interviews with eleven pioneer curators entitled A Brief History of Curating. Despite his status as super-curator, whilst reading this book the larger-than-life personality named on the front cover will fade into the background, as Obrist wields a light touch throughout.

The interview format is a tricky one to master. I attempted to include interviews as a key feature of Curating.info (see my interviews with Karen Gaskill and Alissa Firth-Eagland), but I put the series on permanent hiatus precisely because the format is demanding on both the interviewer and the interviewee. Interviewers are susceptible to overt attempts to appear clever with unnecessarily ornate questions (one envisions a desperate goose trying to lay a golden egg) and interviewees can veer on the side of over-cautiousness in their responses.

Obrist takes the interview format and works it well. He name drops, but rarely does the reader get the sense that he's doing it gratuitously. Obrist sometimes refers to other interviews that he's included in this book when posing questions, which cleverly develops links between the otherwise discrete stories for the reader. His questions are mostly brief and keep the focus off of him and where it belongs, which is on his subjects. He takes a difficult form that looks easy, and makes it look really easy.

Readers will be appreciative that he is so expert at orchestrating these conversations, because the subjects are truly fascinating. The curators interviewed in the book mostly began their careers in the 60s and 70s, and some of them are now deceased. The book intentionally focuses on this time period, which is not far behind us at all, but feels like a different planet compared to the contemporary art world today: Pontus Hulten describes bringing a "Mondrian to the gallery in a taxicab"; Jean Leering recounts jumping from studying architecture and doing military service to becoming Director of the Van Abbemuseum. While some of those stories are extraordinary and highlight difference, other interviews show that little is changed as well, for good and for ill: Walter Zanini describes how it is "normal" for museum officials to work collaboratively with artists, something that happens routinely today; and Lucy Lippard described protests at MoMA over "neglect of women artists" (among other things), a situation which definitely persists. One cannot help but read the situations described by the curators in the book and speculate on how these same situations might be handled today, and this is fine: it helps us understand what the past was like, get to grips with what our situation is like now, and imagine what ideal amalgam of past and present attitudes we might hope to forge for the future.

This book is definitely for those embedded in the art world. There are too many key exhibitions and historical moments and figures mentioned by both Obrist and his interviewees to make the book accessible to a wider public. That said, in a time of "for Dummies" manuals on one end and highly academic texts on the other, it's wonderful to have a book that is simply an informative and easygoing read, with the interviews so smoothly woven together, and yet still for a specialised audience.

More info and to buy: A Brief History of Curating by Hans Ulrich Obrist

Defined tags for this entry: , history, , obrist,

Review: New Media in the White Cube and Beyond, edited by Christiane Paul

Posted by Michelle Kasprzak • Saturday, December 25. 2010 • Category: Reviews & Resources


New Media in the White Cube and Beyond: Curatorial Models for Digital Art is a collection of essays edited by Christiane Paul (curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art), addressing several topics of concern to new media art curators. The twelve essays cover the full range of territory that curators will encounter, from understanding how artists use the medium to considering how to preserve works far into the future.

Paul's introduction to the book is a solid briefing for curators interested in new media art but who haven't ventured far into this area yet, and it also usefully summarises the many issues in the field for veteran new media curators. Though each essay is generous with concrete examples, a case studies section is also included. The case studies provide intense and practical examinations of detail which also serve to bolster the points made in the essays.

The book focuses on addressing the proverbial elephant in the room when it comes to new media and museums, which could be glibly summed up as "why don't museums get it?". As the introduction explains and several essays reiterate, museums are in the business of presentation, interpretation, and conservation, and the very nature of new media art makes those three actions difficult. In Jon Ippolito's essay "Death by Wall Label", he says "Like a shark, a new media artwork must keep moving to survive". Museums in their current configuration are clearly a little more at ease with a stationary shark (in the natural history wing, stuffed; or in the contemporary art wing, preserved nicely in formaldehyde, perhaps?) rather than the restless shark-like character of new media. There is no "set it and forget it" if you are in the business of presenting this kind of work.

So what can be done? Several of the contributors offer concrete ways of addressing the gap. Sarah Cook proposes some metaphors for curatorial thinking around these exhibitions: exhibition as software programme/data flow; exhibition as trade show; and exhibition as broadcast. Metaphor and analogy is a tool used throughout, by multiple contributors: Sara Diamond also uses the metaphor of flows in her essay; Caitlin Jones and Carol Stringari use the analogy of removing old, darkened varnish from a nineteenth-century painting when considering the challenges in conserving media works. The heavy use of metaphor and analogy, and making direct links to traditional conservation as Jones and Stringari do with their painting example, will surely make the issues seem less alien to those who are relative newcomers to the presentation and conservation of new media.

Overall this book is an excellent reference and insight into new media from leading thinkers such as Sarah Cook, Jon Ippolito, Charlie Gere, Sara Diamond, and Christiane Paul herself.

More info and to order: New Media in the White Cube and Beyond: Curatorial Models for Digital Art

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Opportunity: Curatorial workshop: Towards Curating as a Critical Practice

Posted by Michelle Kasprzak • Thursday, December 23. 2010 • Category: Jobs & Opportunities

First call for applications
Curatorial workshop: Towards Curating as a Critical Practice
April 27th - 28th, 2011
Novi Sad, Serbia

We are pleased to launch an open call for applications for a curatorial workshop targeted at individuals who have started a career in contemporary art as curators, writers or critics. This workshop will be part of the 10 years of D.B. Mangelos Award program (YVAA network) and is aimed at starting a dialogue about contemporary artistic/curatorial practice in S/CEE region.

The workshop will take place in Museum of Contemporary Art of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Serbia on 27th and 28th of April 2011 (Wednesday and Thursday) and is organized by Remont, DEZ ORG and Ilija and Mangelos Foundation.

Towards Curating as a Critical Practice

Context outline:
Is there such a practice as a critical curating and what would it assume? In today's conditions of cultural and knowledge production and general flexibilization and professionalization of labor, it could be said that particular figure of a curator lives its expanded role as a cultural producer. Indeed, the role of a curator in contemporary production of art&culture goes way beyond mediation of art works towards the audience, since it includes variety of activities ranging from basic conceptualizing and mounting of the exhibition, to handling complex institutional network of relationships and financial logistics. Curators' role today is expanded indeed, but that expansion also comprehends imperative to network, to improve managerial skills, to communicate and cooperate, which is pointing out a new form of professionalization in cultural field of post-fordist labor market. That position often encompasses ambivalences which are present in practice of curating as a representational, an intermediary strategy between art world and society's power structures/institutions. On the other hand, the curatorial practice is very much involved with theoretical reflection, with knowledge and knowledge production, and it is rich with a potentiality, as a point of access to engagement in political aspects of society. Last but not least, although loaded with different influences, what should be remembered as a bottom-line of this particular practice in the art world is curator's responsibility towards audience and the public.

Two-days long workshop in Novi Sad will try to open space for discussion among younger generation of curators from South East Europe, by enrolling and challenging theoretically on what they observe and do in the field of contemporary curating, and on what could be done. The discussions among curators and art critics will be accompanied with lectures and conversations with renowned international and regional curators and art theorists, which will serve as a further discussion booster. The workshop aims to map wider context of contemporary curating practice and to try to imagine discursive alternative strategies to it by answering the question: Is there such a practice as a critical curating and what would it assume? The workshop will be led by art critic Branka Ćurčić.

Branka Ćurčić is a writer, art critic and program editor in the New Media Center_kuda.org, Novi Sad (kuda.org), since 2002. She graduated Fine Art and Theory of Art and Media (MA) in Novi Sad and Belgrade, Serbia. In the Center_kuda.org, she is the editor of publishing project (kuda.read), which is focused on examining critical approaches towards new media culture, new cultural and political relations, contemporary artistic practice and the social realm. She actively participates in (co-)curating exhibitions, in organizing lectures, conferences and workshops regarding contemporary art theory and practices. She also takes part in several international research projects and her essays have been published in many magazines and publications in the region and internationally. She lives and works in Novi Sad, Serbia.

Documents to apply:
In order to apply, please email the following information in English to dezorg -at- gmail.com by January 31st, 2011:
- A motivation letter explaining your background, why you are interested in participating in the workshop.
- A short biography, presenting recent relevant projects, or project/s you are currently involved with.

Selection process:
Ten applications will be accepted. Applicants living/working in the S/CEE region are welcomed to apply.
Primary attention will be paid to applicants' motivation letter. All applicants will be notified of the selection results by the end of February 2011.
Workshop will be held in English.
For any additional info please write to dezorg -at- gmail.com
Defined tags for this entry: novi sad, , serbia,

Opportunity: Collaborative Research Residency

Posted by Michelle Kasprzak • Wednesday, December 22. 2010 • Category: Jobs & Opportunities

BAC, Baltic Art Center in Visby, Sweden; The Factory of Art and Design (FFKD) in Copenhagen, Denmark and Hordaland Art Centre in Bergen, Norway jointly invite professionals within the field of visual art to apply to our new Collaborative Research Residency.

The Collaborative Research Residency offers one month residencies spring 2011 for research groups of three collaborators where at least one has a contemporary visual arts background (artist/curator/art critic). The programme encourages new relationships and should be seen as a chance to try out different types of collaborations, which may have an inter-disciplinary character. We welcome applications from research groups of three people, where a minimum of two people are based in or coming from the Nordic and Baltic countries.

This residency programme is a pilot project, and differs from our other residency programmes in two ways: it focuses on collaborative rather than individual practice, and it emphasises the research phase.

The application should outline the initial research idea, how you imagine the collaborative research process, as well as a clear motivation for why you wish to collaborate and how you see that your respective practices can enrich each other.

In 2011 we offer residencies to three groups of three people each to stay for one month in one of the three host institutions. A stipend of €1400 per month for each person, travel costs up to € 1000 for the group, accommodation and a studio or office facility will be provided. €500 will be allocated to each collaborating unit for expenses associated to their research.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

The application should include: a description of the initial idea, an outline of the imagined process and a clear motivation for the collaboration.

A minimum of two applicants must be from any of the Nordic or Baltic countries, or be professionally based in any of these countries.

Please see www.crresidency.net for detailed information.

Application deadline: 1 February 2011

Residency duration: one month (30 consecutive days) residency

BAC: March-June 2011/ FFKD: April-June 2011 / HKS: either April or May 2011.

THE HOSTS:

Baltic Art Center is a production office and work place for artists, curators and contemporary art writers located at the Swedish island Gotland. BAC runs a variety of different production- and residency programs. It is a flexible organization placing the artistic process at the centre of its activities it therefore has no permanent studios or exhibition rooms. BAC is working actively with questions concerning the relationship between artistic process, institution and society with the aim to continuously assess and re-think our working methods.

www.balticartcenter.com

The Factory of Art and Design (FFKD) is an artist-run institution in Copenhagen, Denmark. FFKD houses 55 studios for professional visual artists and designers and a 1000m2 production hall, which is used for exhibitions and events. We run a variety of different international residency programs and collaborate equally on a local, national and international level in issues dealing with the conditions of artistic production.

www.ffkd.dk

Hordaland Art Centre based in Bergen, Norway was established 1976 as the first artist run art centre in Norway. Its activities are based around the exhibition programme with equal emphasis on seminars, presentations and dialogue. Since 1987 Hordaland Art Centre has had a residency programme, from 2008 open to international artist, curators, writers and other art professionals. Hordaland Art Centre is situated in one of the oldest remaining school buildings in Bergen where we focus on local commitment in an international every day.

www.kunstsenter.no
Defined tags for this entry: bergen, collaboration, copenhagen, denmark, norway, ,

Opportunity: Crossover: Collections and Archives

Posted by Michelle Kasprzak • Saturday, December 18. 2010 • Category: Jobs & Opportunities
How can the stories and histories, the hidden gems and treasures contained within archives, museum, library and gallery collections inspire innovative uses of digital media? Do you have the skill and imagination to devise crossplatform or transmedia projects that can engage new audiences, making archives and collections accessible using IPTV, the web, mobile or other platforms?

The Wellcome Trust and Crossover Labs are delighted to invite curators, archivists, archive rights holders and producers with experience in film or television, social media, web design, games, mobile and location based services to participate in an intensive 5 day ‘creative lab' with a specific focus on developing innovative digital projects inspired by archives or museum and gallery collections.

Crossover: Collections and Archives will bring curators and archivists together with creative professionals from diverse disciplines to share understanding of a rapidly changing mediascape, to form new interdisciplinary collaborations and generate ideas for projects.

The Lab will provide a space for exploration and development, a unique opportunity to forge meaningful partnerships capable of creating new kinds of access to archive material. As well as producers with a background in film and television, we are particularly interested in attracting applications from writers with experience in fiction and drama, as well as games developers.

Date: 16 January 2011 to 22 January 2011
Venue: Wellcome Collection, Euston Road, London, UK

For further information please contact Tom Gatis - tom -at- sidf.co.uk and visit the Crossover website.


Defined tags for this entry: archives, collections, lab, ,

Opportunity: esse No. 72, Curators and Curating

Posted by Michelle Kasprzak • Tuesday, December 14. 2010 • Category: Jobs & Opportunities
CALL FOR PAPERS
Theme: Curators and Curating
esse arts + opinions no. 72
Deadline: January 10, 2011

Send your text (1,000-2,000 words) to s.babin -at- esse.ca before January 10, 2011. Please include a short biography (50-80 words), an abstract of the text (100 words), as well as postal and e-mail addresses. We also welcome submissions (reviews, essays, analyses of contemporary art issues) not related to a particular theme (deadlines: September 1, January 10 and April 1).

Curators and Curating
The practice of curating is flourishing. A rising number of exhibiting institutions and events are inviting curators to mount shows in their venues. Ever since Harald Szeemann was credited with inventing the genre in 1972, the role of independent curator has indeed undergone enormous changes, along with the issues related to the task. Not only are curators are quite visible when their exhibitions are presented but they are also the subject of increasing theoretical investigation, which testifies to the practice’s in-depth transformations.

esse invites authors exploring current curating conditions, in particular how the limits of artistic artmaking and exhibition as gestures are being redefined, to submit papers. What is one to make of the fact that numerous artists are taking on the role of curator aside from their own production? What about the "critic-curator"? Does a curator have more influence today on the career of an artist than an art critic? How are the curating practices of museum curators different from those of guest curators, many of whom insist on their "independent" title? Are the debates on the rivalry between artist and curator, fuelled by Daniel Buren, still acceptable in today’s context? Is the curator usurping the artist's place by pretending to have a right to sign his or her name? Is the personalization of curating practices a required condition for the marketing of biennials and events that are burgeoning across the world? The figure of the star curator is part of what system?

We could also reflect upon new strategies used by curators to anticipate their viewers' expectations, or address transient or media arts based practices. How are the practices of curators stimulated by museums that invite them to redisplay their collections? What is the most sought after quality in a curator? Is it as author, administrator or designer? Writers are invited to examine these and other questions in our upcoming thematic issue on Curators and Curating.

For information about esse, the editorial policy, copyright policy, and more: www.esse.ca

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Opportunity: Residency at La Galerie

Posted by Michelle Kasprzak • Tuesday, December 14. 2010 • Category: Jobs & Opportunities
La Galerie, a non profit Contemporary Art Centre located in the suburbs of Paris, hosts each year a foreign curator in residence for a period of three months. First organised in 2006, the aim of the residency is to put on an exhibition at La Galerie within the context of a public art centre, and to meet artists and professionals working in the contemporary art field in France.

Residency dates: 7 April – 9 July 2011
Exhibition dates: 28 May– 23 July 2011
Deadline: application to be emailed at the latest 10 January 2011.

Free accommodation is provided (including costs of electricity, gas, internet, phone and public transport) in a 65 m2 flat in the centre of Noisy-le-Sec (10 minutes by train from Paris + 15 minutes walk). The flat includes a bedroom, a living room/kitchen and a workspace. In addition there is a cellar connected to the flat. A total budget of 25,000 EUR is provided by the art centre to cover all expenses of the exhibition including artists' and curator"s travel costs, the curator"s fee (3000 !), transport of art works, insurance costs, production costs, publicity (invitations, flyers, poster, etc), the publication of a 16 page bilingual French/ English leaflet and of a 12 page leaflet for children.

INFORMATION ABOUT LA GALERIE
La Galerie is part of the d.c.a network of Contemporary Art Centres in France. It is publicly funded by the City of Noisy-le-Sec, the DRAC Ile-de-France - Ministry of Culture and Communication, the Seine-Saint-Denis département and the Ile-de-France region. Founded in 1999, La Galerie offers a programme based on the notion of art as a sensory experience and a reflection of our relation to the world through a conceptual approach. Four exhibitions a year (two monographic, two thematic) offer hitherto unseen works by internationally recognized artists together with those of emerging French artists. The centre's main activities are to produce art works, publish bilingual reference publications, host artists and curators in residence and develop educational activities in relation to the artistic programme.

EXHIBITION SPACE
The exhibition space is 140 m2 on street level + project rooms in the basement.

MORE INFORMATION
www.noisylesec.fr (no specific website yet)
La Galerie is a member of: tram, Paris/Île-de-France contemporary art network: http://www.tram-idf.fr
d.c.a, French association for the development of art centres: http://www.dca-art.com

APPLICATION CRITERIA
Each candidate must submit an exhibition proposal which he/she would be able to implement with the help of La Galerie's team. The exhibition can be a group show, a duo, a solo show.

In addition, the curator would be required to:
- Take into consideration the general artistic programme of La Galerie
- Have an interest in the French art scene
- Engage as much as possible with the context of the art centre and participate actively in public talks and events organised by La Galerie
- Write an introductory text and accompanying texts on the works for the press release and the exhibition leaflet.
To facilitate communication with the La Galerie team and the public, the curator should speak French or English.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Applications have to be e-mailed to lagaler[email protected] to the attention of: Marianne Lanavère, Director

Applications should contain only 2 attached files in PDF format (maximum total weight: 4 Mo)
1) The curator's CV/résumé (PDF file) with his/her name, address, phone and email contacts, list of curated exhibitions, pieces of writing etc
2) An exhibition proposal (PDF file) including:
- a text (maximum 2 pages) explaining the idea behind the exhibition
- a list of considered artists (even if they're obviously not confirmed at this stage)
- a short text about each considered artist specifying how his/her work relates in the exhibition (5 lines maximum)
- one picture (reproduction of an art work or exhibition view) for each artist.
In the case of a duo or a solo exhibition, please provide pictures of various works.
Applications sent by postal mail will not be accepted.
For additional information please email: lagalerie -at- noisylesec.fr
Deadline: application to be emailed at the latest 10 January 2011.

After an initial evaluation, 4 to 5 pre-selected curators will be invited to present their project to a selection panel during a conference call mid January 2011. The other candidates will be informed by email after the selection panel.
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Opportunity: Certificate Program, Institute for Curatorial Practice in Performance

Posted by Michelle Kasprzak • Saturday, December 11. 2010 • Category: Jobs & Opportunities

Institute for Curatorial Practice in Performance offers new certificate program, deadline Feb. 1, 2011
The ICPP brings artists, presenters, managers, and other performing arts professionals together to develop a responsive curatorial practice that takes the best from the fields of visual arts and performance.

Starting in summer 2011, the ICPP will offer a professional certificate program in Curatorial Practice in Performance at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. Students will study artistic and curatorial practice, social and cultural context, and entrepreneurial strategies and complete an independent project in consultation with an advisor. Through a close examination of the practical and theoretical concerns of performance work, graduates of the ICPP certificate program will:
-deepen their knowledge and skill base
-enhance their professional relationships
-become better advocates for performance in the marketplace

Instructors include ICPP Director Samuel A. Miller, Wesleyan professors Katja Kolcio and Claudia Tatinge Nacimento, and field professionals Doryun Chong of MoMA, Philip Bither of the Walker Art Center, and Judy Hussie-Taylor of Danspace Project. The certificate is a low-residency, nine-month program. Students will complete work online in between on-campus intensives at Wesleyan University. Dates for the 2011-12 on-campus intensives are: July 9-24, 2011, November 18-20, 2011, and March 3-5, 2012.

APPLICATIONS FOR 2011-12 ARE DUE ON FEBRUARY 1, 2011

For more information and to apply:
http://www.wesleyan.edu/icpp
http://www.facebook.com/WesICPP


Defined tags for this entry: certificate, , performance

Job: Curator of Exhibitions and Displays, Tate St Ives

Posted by Michelle Kasprzak • Tuesday, December 7. 2010 • Category: Jobs & Opportunities

Location: St Ives, Cornwall

Contract type: 12 months fixed term

Salary: £24,450 per annum

About Tate:

Tate offers one of the world's most varied and ground-breaking exhibition and learning programmes across its four gallery sites and on-line. Tate St Ives is developing as an international centre of art and exchange at the heart of the South West, and presents a diverse programme of modern and contemporary exhibitions, collection displays, special commissions and related events in the unique context of Cornwall. The curatorial team is responsible for the delivery of the programme of exhibitions and collection displays, ensuring the highest standards of content and delivery of this programme.

About the role:

You will work closely with the Artistic Director and with Curators in the Exhibitions and Learning teams to research and realise the programme of exhibitions and displays. You will lead on the co-ordination, management, effective and cost efficient delivery of the projects. In addition you will write press releases, wall texts, captions, scholarly texts for catalogues and will contribute to the broad interpretation of the projects.

About you:

You will have demonstrable experience of working in an art gallery, museum, or with a collection, and a strong interest and engagement in modern and contemporary art. Effective and proven budget management skills are essential, as are excellent organisational, planning and project-management skills. You will have a strong aptitude for managing different types of relationships both internally and externally.

Contact details / How to apply:

For further information and to download an application pack, please visit the Tate website at www.tate.org.uk If you’re unable to access the website please email jobs -at- tate.org.uk quoting ref: 10109. Closing date: Friday 17 December 2010.

Our jobs are like our galleries. Open to all.
Defined tags for this entry: cornwall, ,

Job: Curatorial Assistant, Walter Phillips Gallery

Posted by Michelle Kasprzak • Tuesday, December 7. 2010 • Category: Jobs & Opportunities

Position Objectives:
Reporting to the Curator, you will be responsible for providing organizational support and collection-registration assistance to meet the diverse needs of the Walter Phillips Gallery (WPG) programs, the Banff International Curatorial Institute and related projects.

Responsibilities:
Provide organizational and administrative support to the Curator, artists and guest curators and coordinate WPG programs.
Liaise with artists and/or their dealers to discuss the organization of loans and/or commissions in coordination with the Curator and Director.
Implement all aspects of registration, insurance, customs, conservation, maintenance, packing, shipping, storage, inspection and condition reporting, and acquisitions of art and collections in accordance with WPG protocol.
Maintain schedule for Gallery and related events, coordinating all Gallery activities and related new works projects.
On occasion, work in the Gallery space, interacting with the audience and ensuring general maintenance, cleanliness, and security of the exhibition.
Conduct Gallery exhibition and facility tours, coordinate opening receptions and special events for the Gallery, and ensure smooth running of events.
Coordinate and monitor all touring exhibitions and publications.
Maintain liaisons with the general public, professional organizations and associations specifically related to the Gallery and assist in establishing and maintaining effective contacts with the arts, cultural, government and business communities locally, nationally, and internationally.
Provide organizational support to the Gallery Program Assistant for the development and coordination of all WPG promotional materials, and for the distribution and archiving of all Gallery materials including publicity, reviews, slides, photos, audio/visual material and files.
Provide support in grant research and preparation, final reporting and other fundraising efforts.
Track budgets relating to Gallery programming, providing regular updates to the Operations Manager, Visual Arts and the Curator Assistant in the hiring, supervision, and training of the Gallery Assistant.

Qualifications:
University degree in art history, curatorial studies, fine arts, media arts and/or museum studies with a specialization in contemporary art.
Excellent planning and organizational skills with close attention to detail and function.
Highly developed verbal and written communication skills and the ability to deal diplomatically with a wide variety of people including The Banff Centre staff and the public.
An independent worker who is able to prioritize effectively to produce work of a high standard while working on multiple projects.

Special Requirements:
Candidates offered a position with the Centre, in this capacity, will be required to obtain a criminal record check through the local R.C.M.P. detachment, verifying a clear record before a final job offer can be made.
You may be required to work irregular hours, including weekends.

This is a CUPE local 4318 salaried support staff position, with a 6 month probationary period. This position pays $3183.38 per month increasing to $3537.63 per month after probation, working 37.5 hours per week.

Date Closes: December 17, 2010
The start date for this position is February 21, 2011.

For information and to apply: Banff Centre careers website
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