Assistant Director of Exhibitions / Staff Advisor to SITE and INCUBATOR

JOB SUMMARY: Oversees the administration of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s student-run SITE Galleries (SITE 280 and SITE Sharp) and INCUBATOR project spaces, especially regarding supervision of student staff, scheduling, resource management, installation planning and execution, and daily operations. Assists Director of Exhibitions and exhibiting artists with developing and implementing other exhibitions and programming as assigned.

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• Job Classification: Full-Time Salaried Staff
• Grade Level: 7

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

SITE GALLERIES EXHIBITIONS

• Oversees and is responsible for building a robust professional practicum program for all students working with the SITE Galleries and additional students working on projects in interstitial and INCUBATOR spaces on campus. This includes direct training, daily oversight of workflow, setting goals and agendas, processing loan agreements and other required contracts, accounting and budget management, and nuanced mentoring for best professional standards in the field.
• Coordinates and chairs student staff meetings to review proposals and make final selection of exhibitions for two SITE Galleries and rotating exhibitions for designated INCUBATOR spaces in the lobby of the Neiman Center
• Oversees student-developed process for proposing exhibitions, including workshops and informational sessions, residencies, and jury and studio visit process
• Advises and oversees student staff meetings and studio visits with exhibiting artists
• Reviews installation plans with SAIC staff for the assignment of crew, as well as with IRFM and other SAIC staff for safety and security concerns, and communicates with the Art School Considerations (ASC) Committee when appropriate
• Coordinates all exhibition installation and programming to ensure projects adhere to best practices and SAIC’s health, safety, and ASC guidelines
• Oversees planning, set-up and oversight for events, workshops, guest speakers, performances, and community/public programing and events as related to SITE or as assigned
• Oversees, trains, and advises student staff for installation, media equipment, and other exhibition needs in coordination with the Department of Exhibitions staff. This includes the production of labels, signage, and price lists for SITE exhibitions.
• Oversees and advises student staff to develop publicity materials in coordination with the SAIC Communications Department and Department of Exhibitions for all SITE exhibitions and other shows as assigned
• Oversees and advises students, faculty, and guest curators to develop and implement programming in coordination with exhibitions in the two SITE galleries
• Coordinates the documentation of gallery shows and maintains shared archives for all operations and past exhibitions.

NON-SITE GALLERIES EXHIBITIONS

• Oversees planning and implementation of exhibitions as assigned, which currently include the annual ArtBash exhibition, in collaboration with the Contemporary Practices Department, and the annual Chicago Public School (CPS) exhibitions in collaboration with the Department of Admissions and CPS
• Oversees planning, set-up and oversight for events, workshops, guest speakers, performances, and community/public programing and events as assigned
• Collaboratively manages the institutional “On-Campus Installation Form” that facilitates student and faculty requests for display of student work as part of a class or through individual requests
• Coordinates requests from faculty for scheduling of on-campus class exhibitions in interstitial campus spaces

OTHER CURATORIAL

• Additionally, the Assistant Director of Exhibitions may propose for review original curatorial projects that can be executed with SITE student staff in a SITE gallery, SAIC Galleries, or other on or off-campus site, and that can serve as a teaching exercise, while being of interest to SAIC and public audiences
• Keeps informed of current activity in areas of interest through research, gallery and museum visits, studio visits, and publications to bring ideas to student staff.

GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE

• Trains and oversees SITE student staff in the development and implementation of exhibitions and gallery operations
• Regularly re-examines structure and working methods and recommends and implements changes in consultation with Director of Exhibitions and SITE Advisory Committee
• Schedules, attends and chairs SITE Advisory Committee meetings
• Liaises with the SITE Advisory Committee
• Coordinates professional development opportunities for student staff
• Interviews potential SITE student staff and conveys recommendations to Director of Exhibitions for final approval
• Coordinates exhibition calendar for SITE Galleries and attendant spaces in the Neiman Center and assesses viability in consultation with Director of Exhibitions
• Maintains exhibition archives including documentation and registrarial records for SITE Galleries and other interstitial exhibition area initiatives
• Updates training manuals for student staff
• Manages activity within allotted budget
• Performs other duties as assigned

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED (an equivalent amount of training, education and experience will be considered)

• BA or BFA degree in fine art, or related field
• Two years of museum or gallery art handling, exhibition preparation, and exhibition/event management experience.
• Teaching experience and/or a demonstrated commitment to hands-on mentoring of
• Knowledge of art installation methods and supervisory experience in an academic
• Demonstrated experience with audio/visual technology, computers, and other
• Management experience, creating and managing schedules, budgets, and the creation and use of spreadsheets

UNION: This position is part of a bargaining unit represented by AFSCME Council 31.

The Art Institute of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits, hires and promotes qualified individuals without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, veteran status or citizenship. The Institute complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact the Department of Human Resources at apply_help@artic.edu.