DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

 

The Sarasota Museum of Art, a division of Ringling College of Art and Design, seeks an experienced, creative, passionate and strategic public education professional to partner with and support the Executive Director in all aspects related to education, outreach and public engagement. Reporting to the Executive Director, and working closely with the museum’s senior leadership team, the Director of Public Engagement will be responsible for the development, coordination and administration of dynamic ground-up programming relevant to the museum’s diverse audiences and committed to our ethos of diversity and inclusion. The Director will be responsible for expanding public engagement, establishing and nurturing community partnerships in strategic and tactical ways, and designing programs and initiatives that deepen the relationships between the Museum and the wide-ranging communities and schools we serve. The ideal candidate will be rigorous, curious and multifaceted in their communication and engagement, able to engender trust and inspire potential in our communities.

 

The Museum has partnered with Ringling College of Art and Design to transform the historic Sarasota High School into a state-of-the-art destination, with the art museum as its anchor project. The comprehensive campaign includes plans to renovate the high school, establish the Museum, provide a home for the College’s School of Continuing Studies and endow the project as one of Ringling College’s primary strategic initiatives. 

 

Scheduled to open in early 2019, Sarasota’s first museum of contemporary art will be a dynamic center for exhibiting innovative and compelling visual art of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. A vital part of Sarasota’s rich cultural landscape, the Museum will inter-weave exhibitions, educational programs and community outreach initiatives to engage a diverse audience and to serve as a destination for creative discovery and discourse. 

 

The Director of Public Engagement will be responsible for designing, building and implementing the museum’s educational programs and other public programming initiatives as we lead up to our grand opening, including deep and wide community engagement around the Museum’s grand opening. When the Museum is fully operational, the Director will be responsible for oversight and management of the public engagement and education department. The ideal candidate will be committed to a collaborative and innovative approach to developing an engaging, multigenerational, inclusive outreach program that is aligned with the Sarasota Museum of Art’s mission, while taking into account the needs of the community, the schools and our global visitors. The Director must be able to communicate effectively with various constituent groups, have strong organizational and operational skills, and must be creative, self-directed and a team player. Other key attributes include the ability to build collaborative relationships and to attract and maintain new audiences.

 

The Director of Public Engagement collaborates with Museum personnel and regional partners to ensure overall institutional goals are maintained, educational and outreach programs are effectively conceived and promoted, and that the Museum’s public engagement staff is well supported. The Director is expected to balance the creative and intellectual process of educational programming with duties associated with administrative and financial oversight and planning.

 

The successful candidate will cultivate strong relationships with local and global colleagues; provide exceptional thought leadership regarding trends in education, community relations and outreach, in particular relative to contemporary art and museology; possess a comprehensive understanding of professional standards and best practices with regard to art museum ethics as established by the American Alliance of Museums; maintain a genuine and deep commitment to diversity and inclusion in the widest sense; and proactively ensure the organization is a thought leader in social justice, social access and full social inclusion.

 

Minimum Qualifications:

• 5 years leadership experience in museums or equivalent nonprofit educational environment
• Master’s Degree in Art History or related discipline. An equivalent combination of education and related art museum experience may be considered

 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Multi-lingual
• Multicultural Education/Cultural Competency training or certification

 

Open until filled.  For full consideration apply by December 15, 2017.

 

Apply on-line at www.ringling.edu/employment  

 

Ringling College of Art and Design is an Equal Opportunity Employer.