POSITION VACANCY January 6, 2020
Full-Time, Exempt, Salaried, Administrative Staff Appointment
Founded in 1813, Colby is one of America’s most selective colleges. Serving only undergraduates, Colby’s rigorous academic program is rooted in deep exploration of ideas and close interaction with world-class faculty scholars. Students pursue intellectual passions, choosing among 58 majors or developing their own. Independent and collaborative research, study abroad, and internships offer robust opportunities to prepare students for postgraduate success. Colby is home to a community of 2,000 dedicated and diverse students from around the globe. Its Maine location provides easy access to world-class research institutions and civic engagement experiences.
In a period of fast-paced progress, Colby is building on its strong foundation while remaining committed to excellence, to supporting students and faculty at the highest levels, and to the College’s deep liberal arts traditions. This new chapter includes the creation of innovative academic initiatives and partnerships, strengthening the connections between the liberal arts and the professional world, revitalizing downtown Waterville, and pursuing significant capital projects for performing arts and athletics. Colby invites applicants to apply for the position of:
Founded in 1959, the Colby College Museum of Art is a teaching museum, destination for American art, and place for engagement with local and global communities. Located on the Colby College campus in Waterville, Maine, the Museum holds more than 10,000 works of art and offers more than 38,000 square feet of exhibition space. Major works by American artists including Albert Bierstadt, Winslow Homer, James McNeill Whistler, Mary Cassatt, and William Merritt Chase form the core of the historical collection, along with significant holdings of American folk art. The modern movement is represented by artists including John Marin, Marsden Hartley, Georgia O’Keeffe, Jacob Lawrence, Joan Mitchell, Isamu Noguchi, and Alma Thomas. The Museum also maintains a significant collection of contemporary American art including works by Alex Katz, Agnes Martin, Sol LeWitt, Maya Lin, Kara Walker, Elizabeth Murray, Martin Puryear, and Julie Mehretu. Other principal areas of the collection include Greek and Roman antiquities, European prints and drawings, and early Chinese art.
Works in the collection strengthen the Museum’s mission to offer Colby students new perspectives on their classroom studies and expand their understanding of diverse subjects through art. The recent donation of more than 1,500 artworks from Paula and Peter Lunder expands that scope, and the creation of the Lunder Institute for American Art enhances the Museum’s engagement with scholarly and creative production. The Museum welcomes more than 3,000 Maine school children each year and offers a vibrant calendar of family and public programs that are free and open to all. In addition, the Museum serves as a key contributor to the revitalization of downtown Waterville through its membership in Waterville Creates! and its active participation in the programmatic initiatives of Colby College.
Established in 2017, the Lunder Institute for American Art supports innovative research and creative production that expands the boundaries of American art. The Lunder Institute invites visiting artists, scholars, and fellows to engage across disciplines with Colby faculty and students, the College’s network of institutional partners, leading experts, and other creative collaborators. Through incubator grants, fellowships, and symposia addressing regional and global concerns, the Lunder Institute amplifies marginalized voices, challenges convention, and provides a platform for generative dialogue through art and scholarship.
The Colby Museum is deeply committed to strengthening diversity, inclusion, and equity across all strategic and programmatic areas of the Museum, actively building a multiplicity of perspectives and backgrounds represented on our staff and Board of Governors, outreach to diverse audiences, inclusive exhibitions and programs, and a broad-based, expansive collection. We encourage inquiries from candidates who will contribute to the diversity of our college, including its cultural and ethnic diversity.
Central to the Museum’s mission is its role as a teaching and research institution and as a center for cross-disciplinary object-based learning. A grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in 2013 to expand and deepen curricular engagement with the Museum’s collection was instrumental in advancing work with students and faculty. In 2018 the academic curator position was endowed by the Linde Family Foundation, allowing this work to continue indefinitely. With more than 100 class visits annually, from courses ranging from biology to philosophy, the Museum is deeply embedded in the liberal arts curriculum at Colby. A pillar of the current strategic plan is the Museum’s goal to lead as an academic museum. The Museum’s long-standing relationship with the Art Department remains a critical partnership in our shared goals to create distinctive curricular and co-curricular student experiences in the visual arts. Simultaneously, the current plan advances outreach and engagement with faculty and students across the College through a sustained program of interdisciplinary initiatives.
The Linde Family Foundation curator of academic engagement will expand the teaching mission of the Colby College Museum of Art by serving as a liaison between the Museum and the academic community of Colby College. The curator will engage with the expertise of Colby faculty and visiting Lunder Institute for American Art artists and scholars to make the Museum integral to the Colby liberal arts experience through multidisciplinary engagement. The curator will work closely with faculty in all disciplines to create curricular connections for Colby students. The curator will also collaborate with faculty members to plan class visits, exhibitions, assignments, workshops, and other projects that engage the Museum’s resources. We encourage inquiries from candidates who will contribute to the diversity of our College, including its cultural and ethnic diversity.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Lead and develop innovative models for the Museum’s programs of academic engagement
- Facilitate faculty access to the Museum’s exhibitions, collections, and programs
- Assist faculty in selecting relevant works of art for installation in the Museum’s curricular gallery and Landay Teaching Gallery and facilitate and co-curate student and faculty curricular exhibitions
- Provide administrative oversight for all academic engagement in the Museum and serve as the chief liaison representing faculty interests to the curatorial and collection departments
- Work closely with the Mirken curator of education and engagement to co-lead the planning, coordination, and execution of public and academic engagement initiatives and programs
- Collaborate with the Mellon postdoctoral fellow for artistic and scholarly engagement and programs and Lunder Institute for American Art colleagues to engage Colby faculty and students with LIAA visiting artists, scholars, and initiatives
- Develop sustained partnerships with Colby’s academic departments and lead class sessions in the Museum
- Rigorously evaluate and improve the Museum’s academic programs and engagement initiatives
- Plan and oversee workshops for faculty on object-based teaching, visiting artists, and interdisciplinary initiatives
- Pursue loan requests to support teaching at Colby and develop independent curatorial projects
- Collaborate with leading academic museums nationwide through conferences, workshops, publications, etc.
- Supervise and guide the coordinator of academic access, research assistants, and interns
- Manage the budgetary expenses related to academic programs in the Museum
- Perform additional duties as assigned; duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent in education and experience, advanced degree in art history/Ph.D. preferred
- At least three years of relevant museum experience and experience with object-based teaching and research
- Broad subject knowledge in art history
- Deep curiosity for teaching and learning across disciplines
- Two years of management experience (including budgets and employee supervision)
- Demonstrated history of professional collaboration
- Creative approach to problem solving
- Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills
- Genuine interest in engaging and mentoring students
- Ability to make an impact through work as a member of a team and diverse and inclusive community
KEY RELATIONSHIPS:
This position reports to the deputy director, serves on the Museum’s curatorial & engagement and education & engagement teams, and works closely with Lunder Institute, curatorial, collections, and preparations staff to coordinate curricular-based collection access and use. Duties require the position also to interact with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and museum guests.
WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
General open office and campus environment. Position involves sitting, although frequent movement is necessary. Computer usage involving repetitive hand/wrist motion is also necessary.
TO APPLY:
Interested candidates should apply electronically by clicking the “Apply Now” button on the Colby College website. Please submit a letter of interest including salary requirements, resume, and the contact information of three professional references. Materials should be addressed to:
Linde Family Foundation Curator of Academic Engagement – Search Committee
Office of Human Resources
Colby College
5500 Mayflower Hill
Waterville, ME 04901-8855
A review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
Colby is a private, coeducational liberal arts college that admits students and makes employment decisions on the basis of the individual’s qualifications to contribute to Colby’s educational objectives and institutional needs. Colby College does not discriminate in its educational programs or employment on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, religion, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, or military or veteran’s status. Colby is an equal opportunity employer and operates in accordance with federal and state laws regarding non-discrimination. Colby complies with Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in an institution’s education programs and activities. Questions regarding Title IX may be referred to Colby’s Title IX coordinator or to the federal Office of Civil Rights. We encourage inquiries from candidates who will contribute to the cultural and ethnic diversity of our college.
For more information about the College, please visit our website: www.colby.edu.
Categories: Job Postings