The University of Vermont (UVM) seeks a dynamic director and scholar to lead its Fleming Museum of Art into the next stage of the museum’s engagement with the University and the larger community. The Director will also hold an affiliate faculty appointment in the newly created School of the Arts within the College of Arts and Sciences.
The Fleming Museum is one of Vermont’s leading museums of art and culture, with a diverse collection of more than 25,000 objects including art, historical, and ethnographic objects from diverse time periods and cultures. As an academic museum, the Fleming’s mission is tied to that of the University of Vermont, serving UVM students, faculty, and campus partners, as well communities across Vermont. The museum is a gateway for active cultural exchange and critical thinking, and an essential learning resource for our communities and the University of Vermont. As part of its fulfillment of this academic mission, the Fleming recently launched the Fleming Reimagined initiative to transform the museum’s practices of collection, display, and engagement with on- and off-campus communities.
Job Description:
Leading a professional staff of 8, the Director will have budgetary and administrative responsibility for the Fleming Museum collections, programs, services, and staff. The Director will also provide leadership and long-range strategic planning to advance the Museum’s mission, and in collaboration with the UVM Foundation, advance fundraising and development to meet the Museum’s goals.
The new Director will offer leadership and outreach for expanding internal partnerships across the University, increasing use of the collections for teaching and learning, and be an active participant in creating academic opportunities for students in the area of Museum Studies. The Director will offer up to one course a year in Museum Studies or in a related area that reflects their scholarly focus.
Working with Museum staff and both on- and off-campus partners, the Director will seek to expand community access to, and partnerships with, the Fleming, as well as representing the Museum’s work to a larger audience regionally and nationally.
Description of Duties:
· Provide leadership and administrative oversight of all Museum activities, exhibitions, and programs.
· With the University administration, Museum staff, and other partners, develop and implement a DEI strategic plan that aligns with the University’s commitment to inclusive excellence.
· Develop annual budgets and strategic budget plans for the Museum; approve and oversee budget expenditures.
· In collaboration with the UVM Foundation, advance fundraising and development to meet the Museum’s goals. Cultivate and maintain ongoing relationships with major Museum donors.
· Establish advisory council(s) comprised of faculty, students, staff, and community members for input on strategic curatorial and programmatic decisions and alignment with the University’s values and strategic imperatives.
· Work with University leadership and the Fleming Museum’s Board of Advisors on public relations and outreach efforts.
· Offer up to one course a year in Museum Studies or in a related area within the School of the Arts.
Qualifications:
The successful candidate will hold, at minimum, an MA or MFA in Art History, Fine Arts, Museum Studies, Visual/Material Culture Studies, or other related field, with a PhD preferred, and also have 5-10 years of experience in a museum setting.
Evidence of successful fundraising, personnel management, and a career demonstrating progressive leadership responsibilities are required, with at least two years of experience in a curator, associate director, or similar leadership role preferred.
Evidence of scholarship or creative work related to an aspect of the museum’s collections or in museum studies, and currency of knowledge regarding best practices in curatorial research, collections care, and exhibition and program development are required.
Teaching experience in academic or applied (e.g. workshops, public talks) settings and evidence of ability to provide excellent instruction are required.
Evidence of engagement with the museum field is required. Examples would include participation and leadership in national and regional professional organizations; conference and public presentations on museum topics; participation/leadership in cross-institutional consortia or collaborations; and publications on topics in contemporary museum studies.
The successful candidate will have a demonstrated commitment to justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and show evidence of engagement with diverse communities and audiences in the museum setting.
Applications are due July 1, 2022. They should be submitted through the university’s electronic recruitment site: http://www.uvmjobs.com and must include:
· Cover letter explaining interest in and qualifications for the position
· Current CV
· Three references
· A separate diversity statement outlining the applicant’s approach to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice, and documenting efforts, initiatives, and outcomes related to this work.
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