Description:

The Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts at the University of Houston seeks a visionary leader to hold the position of Jane Dale Owen Director and Chief Curator of the Blaffer Art Museum.

The mission of the Blaffer Art Museum is to create experiences with contemporary art and artists that ignite wonder and curiosity, challenge preconceptions, and expand ways of seeing and thinking in order to nourish the human spirit and drive empathy, understanding, and engagement with today s world.

The successful candidate must be a gifted curator and experienced manager, capable of orchestrating exceptional exhibitions, public programs, and educational experiences while attracting funding and other support from the cultural and philanthropic communities. The Blaffer Art Museum is a visible and highly regarded component in the University of Houston s broad commitment to the fine arts; the Director will be responsible for articulating an innovative, compelling, interdisciplinary curatorial vision. The Director must be an engaging leader with an international perspective; capable of building relationships and fostering broad engagement with faculty, students, community members, and donors; and prepared to draw on strong relationships in the contemporary art world to advance the reputation of the Museum, College, and the University.

The Blaffer, which offers free admission to visitors, is a premier non-collecting institution with a history of engaging international contemporary artists who have placed the museum at the center of a global dialogue on the arts and established the University of Houston and the City of Houston as important cultural incubators and destinations. The Blaffer has organized or co-organized wide-ranging exhibitions that have traveled to major institutions, including the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Phoenix Art Museum, the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, the MIT List Visual Arts Center, Kunsthalle Zurich, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among many others. Renovated in 2012, the Blaffer offers flexible exhibition, performance, and multi-media spaces to support the presentation of art in all media and a wide range of collaborative and interdisciplinary events and activities.

The position will be a non-tenure-eligible Research Faculty appointment at a rank commensurate with qualifications. Salary is commensurate with qualifications. The University of Houston offers faculty members an attractive and comprehensive range of fringe benefits.

The University of Houston is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Minorities, veterans, women, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

The search committee will begin reviewing applications immediately. Preference will be given to applications received before September 30. A complete position profile is available upon request to kgmdean@central.uh.edu.


Qualifications :
The successful candidate will possess qualifications commensurate with an appointment as Research Professor (Assistant, Associate, or Full) of Art History, including at least a master s degree in art history, curatorial studies, or other relevant field or research area; and will have an international perspective with a specialization in contemporary art. 

The candidate must have museum experience in the contemporary art world, including experience with curatorial practice, exhibition planning, development of catalogs and other published materials, educational programming, operations, fundraising, public relations or marketing, and budget management. The candidate must be a collaborative manager with a team-building style that engages a broad range of constituencies. The candidate must be proactive and committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in staffing, culture, programming, and outreach.

The candidate will have demonstrated excellent communication and presentation skills; have a record of curating progressive, substantial exhibitions of both public and academic shows; and possess the ability to establish rapport with university faculty and relate intellectually with a wide range of disciplines. He or she will travel on behalf of the museum. Experience in an academic environment is preferred, but not necessary.


Notes to Applicant:
Official transcripts are required for a faculty appointment and will be requested upon selection of final candidate. All positions at the University of Houston are security sensitive and will require a criminal history check. Incomplete applications may not be considered.

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