Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art (Tephra ICA), a 501c3 non-profit in its 50th year dedicated to enriching community life by promoting involvement and excellence in contemporary art, seeks an Executive Director & Curator (combined role). The Executive Director & Curator must have a commitment to the institution’s contemporary art mission, relevant postgraduate qualification, and demonstrated ambition, ability, and enthusiasm to continue the institution’s trajectory as a regional and national contemporary arts leader.
The Executive Director & Curator will have both operational and creative/content decision-making authority across the organization’s principal pillars: exhibitions (including nationally and internationally recognized artists at the main gallery and innovative local and regional artists at the Tephra ICA at Signature gallery, accompanied by robust interdisciplinary public programming), educational programs (notably the county-wide, K-12 Emerging Visions program and Summer Art Camp), and the nationally ranked Tephra ICA Arts Festival. This position reports directly to and will have the support of an engaged board of directors.
Combining the roles of Executive Director & Curator reflects the organization’s primary mission as a content leader. It is expected that the candidate will have experience curating contemporary art exhibitions and that such work demonstrates innovation, is impactful, and of high quality. Curatorial work will be supported by an experienced staff (currently five full-time employees, including an Associate Curator who has been responsible for exhibitions at Tephra ICA at Signature, and, as assigned, main gallery exhibitions) and outside guest curators, if and as desired, with the Executive Director & Curator retaining overall decision making and control.
Candidates are applying during the institution’s 50th anniversary and ongoing capital campaign, the centerpiece of which is creating a fund to identify and secure Tephra ICA’s next home, a world-class space that will be eligible for accreditation with the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and will allow the ambitious extension of gallery exhibitions and related programming.
Tephra ICA is committed to social and cultural equity. A full list of our equity commitments can be found here: https://www.tephraica.org/attachment/en/5fb6e97213a8377f7c340a14/DownloadableItem/6064d33824c93a75f93c4752
The Executive Director & Curator will be a person with:
- A minimum of a master’s degree in art history, arts management, museum or curatorial studies, or related field.
- Proven leadership, organizational skills, and management capabilities, that should include planning and budget experience with prior P&L responsibility and experience managing direct reports.
- The interest and initiative to ensure that ongoing administration and annual and capital fundraising are successful (to include prior successful grant writing and obvious ability to complement and grow the organization’s development capacity). Demonstrated experience is a plus.
- An ability and commitment to implement and extend the institution’s leading Equity Commitments, consistent with our determination to reflect and program for the diverse audience and stakeholder populations that we serve.
- The ability to confidently represent the organization and develop and articulate its vision. This must include excellent oral and written communication skills.
- If no prior experience leading a contemporary visual arts organization, then a passion and career interest in leading an organization whose mission is the promotion of contemporary art, and, in all cases, a clear interest and ability to network and collaborate with, and extend the organization’s reach within the regional and national contemporary art communities in support of that mission.
- A demonstrated capacity for strategic and innovative thinking and visioning that will advance key objectives, allow the organization’s essential assets to flourish, and live up to the aspirations reflected in our branding as Tephra ICA: a belief in the combustibility of the creative process, the regenerative power of the arts, and contemporary art’s ability to broaden or shift perspectives.
- Proven capability of collaborating effectively with staff, a board of directors, artists, sponsors, and supporters, particularly in a non-profit organization.
Complementing these qualifications, the Executive Director & Curator will have a supportive and flexible team-management style and possess creative problem-solving capabilities essential for an evolving and growing organization determined to make important and relevant contributions that help shape the region’s contemporary art landscape.
For a detailed description of the institution and its programs, please explore our website at https://www.tephraica.org/. Salary will be competitive with the market and commensurate with the skillset the candidate offers.
Applicant should provide a curriculum vitae or resume together with a letter of interest as soon as possible (interviewing will begin as early as July or sooner) to jobs@tephraica.org. If applicable, applicant should also provide digital portfolios of curatorial work submitted as a PDF of no more than 25 MB or via a cloud link.