Director, University Art Museum: University of New Mexico

The University of New Mexico seeks an energetic, visionary leader for the position of Director of the University Art Museum.

Located in Albuquerque, the largest city in New Mexico and one of the fastest growing in the Southwest, UNM is a Carnegie Very High Research University, a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution, and the state’s flagship institution of higher learning.  University Art Museum is a dynamic part of UNM and is first and foremost a teaching museum.  Founded in 1963, the University Art Museum is the foremost teaching collection and the largest fine arts collection in the State of New Mexico.

The mission of the University Art Museum is to encourage an understanding and appreciation of art and its multiple roles in society by collecting, preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting works of art drawn from its permanent collection and traveling exhibitions.  Through a combination of teaching, active research, public programming, and open conversation with members of the university community, as well as other communities that are local, regional, national and international in scope, the museum cultivates engaged, interactive learning about the arts.

Its particular strengths are in works on paper that include more than 10,000 prints (dating from the Nuremberg Chronicle of 1493 to the present), 10,000 photographs and early cased objects (dating from 1843 to the present), and nearly 1500 drawings (dating from the 17th century to the present).  The University Art Museum also holds the Tamarind Lithography Archives (over 6000 lithographs) and the Raymond Jonson Collection (over 2400 works by Jonson and other artists).  Other collections include painting and sculpture from Europe and the Americas, African art and Mata Ortiz ceramics.   Housed in the Center for the Arts, the recently renovated museum (15,700 square feet) has three floors of exhibition space, a state of the art collections vault for works on paper and an adjoining print seminar room, and a suite of administrative offices.  For further information, go to www.unm.edu/~artmuse/.

The Director of the University Art Museum reports directly to the Dean of the College of Fine Arts and will be responsible for developing and managing the museum’s annual budgets; coordinating and supervising 8 current staff members; overseeing and promoting the museum’s collections, including acquisitions, exhibitions, and publications; developing and implementing strategies for generating new resources; developing a long-range strategic plan and securing AAM accreditation; and representing the University Art Museum both inside and outside the university. Two of the University Art Museum’s major goals that the successful candidate must be able to effectively address are moving the institution toward accreditation and digitizing the collection.

Qualifications:

Required:

  • At least five years’ management experience in a museum, cultural institution, arts organization or administrative experience in a related field.
  • Administrative experience with managing budgets and long-term planning
  • An advanced degree in Art History, Art, Arts Management, or related field.
  • A demonstrated ability to create and foster a collaborative work environment.
  • A demonstrated ability to work with multiple constituencies and communities in the arts.

Preferred:

  • Successful record of raising funds and securing gifts from individuals, corporations, foundations, and other private sources of support.
  • Demonstrated experience supervising staff.
  • Record of writing and securing grants from non-profit and public granting agencies.
  • A demonstrated ability to provide institutional leadership and vision in the arts.
  • The ability to contribute to scholarly publications.
  • Curatorial experience.
  • Knowledge and experience with at least one area of the museum’s collection.

Applications can be submitted online at https://unmjobs.unm.edu referencing posting # 0831603

Application can be submitted online at: https://unmjobs.unm.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=84304

The University of New Mexico is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and educator.

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