"Director of Payne Gallery"

Job Details

CLASSIFICATION: Administrative

DEPARTMENT: Art

FLSA STATUS : Exempt

SUPERVISION RECEIVED: Associate Provost and Dean, College of Arts & Sciences

SUPERVISION EXERCISED : Student employees and contracted workers/vendors

POSITION SUMMARY: The Director position is a 12-month, full-time role overseeing Payne Gallery and its permanent collection, one of the University’s key cultural assets. The Director will uphold the mission of the Payne Gallery to facilitate an understanding and appreciation of creative visual expression and the place of the visual arts in a liberal education by curating exhibitions and programs that feature a diverse range of regional and national artists. With the recent designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Moravian Church Settlements–Bethlehem, the director will also collaborate with the Institute for Moravian History and World Heritage (IMHWH) to promote international understanding of Moravian culture.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Moravian University Gallery Spaces

• Craft exhibition and educational programming strategies that directly support the interconnected missions of the gallery, the art department, and the university.
• Provide comprehensive operational management for the gallery, encompassing fiscal administration and reporting, collections management, and facility security. Key responsibilities include managing budgets, negotiating loan agreements, arranging insurance, maintaining official records, and overseeing the security of the gallery and its storage facilities.
• Oversee the entire exhibition lifecycle for a regular schedule of annual shows, from initial planning and curation (including the engagement of guest curators) to final execution. This involves managing all logistical details—such as shipping, insurance, security, and documentation—and ensuring the timely and professional installation and deinstallation of each exhibit.
• Oversee the hiring, training, supervision and mentoring of gallery staff/student workers based on operational needs and exhibition schedules. In consultation with the University Safety Officer, ensure that all gallery staff are in compliance with annual training guidelines.
• Act as a consultant for exhibitions in alternative campus spaces and community partnership spaces when necessary.
• Oversee the marketing and publicity for the Galleries, the permanent collection, and all exhibitions that support a broad mission of public engagement and enhancement of the regional and national reputation of the Moravian University Art Galleries.
• Maintain an effective working relationship with the college's Art Department to support all relevant educational activities including support of student and faculty research initiatives involving the permanent collection, and future and past exhibitions.
• Consult with college administrators to best maximize the role of a college art gallery and museum in college life.

Moravian University Permanent Art Collection/Collections Management

• Manage the permanent collection by presenting options for works of art for acquisition within the framework of art acquisition strategic plan to the art department and other key stakeholders.
• Catalog, cite, maintain, preserve and conserve works in the collection according to standard museum practices; supervise collection maintenance and build curatorial files on the collection to provide accurate and timely records and ensure the permanent collection, which includes holdings from Moravian University, is well maintained and available for loan.
• Maintain the digital collection archive for internal and external inquiries, scholarship, and online presence.
• Strategically place and rotate artwork from the permanent collection throughout campus to allow for greater accessibility and awareness of the collection and exhibition program.

General

• Cultivate relationships with international and local donors, cultural heritage organizations, and university partners to secure support for preservation, exhibitions, facilities, and special projects.
• Promote the site's outstanding universal value by serving as a cultural ambassador through community outreach, gallery programming, and heritage tourism initiatives.
• Work collaboratively with the Center for Inclusive Excellence to build and create initiatives focused on supporting the needs of staff & faculty with diverse, multiple and intersecting identities.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders to update the Payne Gallery Mission and Vision statements to reflect the gallery's role in interpreting and celebrating World Heritage designation and Moravian heritage.
• Follow best practices as outlined in the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries Professional Practices Document.
• Performs other related duties as assigned or requested.

World Heritage Collaboration (Distinctive Dimension)

• Develop and maintain partnerships with other Moravian World Heritage sites to facilitate collaborative exhibitions, artist exchanges, and shared programming.
• Use the UNESCO connection to position the gallery as a destination for cultural tourism by leveraging the World Heritage designation to showcase the universal value and global significance of Moravian heritage to national and international audiences
• Gradually enhance the prominence of the site's World Heritage connections by developing programming that explores its universal themes and by strategically acquiring works that reinforce the collection's ties to Moravian heritage.
• Collaborate with IMHWH on complementary programming and digital humanities initiatives that connect art with heritage.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Effective interpersonal, communication and presentation skills
• Ability to work collegially and collaboratively with faculty, staff and students
• Ability to demonstrate a high level of professionalism in interactions with all constituencies
• Working knowledge of historic and contemporary art
• Knowledge of digital humanities applications in cultural institutions (preferred)

QUALIFICATIONS: The Director should hold a graduate degree in museum or curatorial studies, fine art, art management or art history. Applicants without a graduate degree must have a record of accomplishment and eight (8) years of gallery administration, educational program management and collection management. Demonstrated ability to manage professional and student exhibitions in keeping with the mission of the University. Demonstrated understanding and appreciation of art, combined with the business and marketing skills to manage a team and run an efficient operation.

Preferred qualifications include experience with UNESCO World Heritage Sites, cultural heritage tourism, international cultural partnerships, or digital humanities projects. Experience working with historic preservation, community heritage interpretation, or cross-cultural programming is highly valued.

TO APPLY: Qualified candidates should attach their cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references to the online application by clicking “Apply Now”. Please attach documents as a PDF file.

Moravian University will not sponsor applicants for a U.S. work visa for this position.