Association of Academic Museums and Galleries

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

Posted June 2019

Open until filled

The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, part of the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis, seeks a passionate arts educator to lead the Museum’s community engagement efforts as we enter a dynamic new phase in our institutional history. In fall 2019, after a year of construction, the Kemper Art Museum will reopen to the public with expanded space, new amenities, and a higher campus profile through increased visibility and enhanced accessibility. New galleries will double the space allotted for display of the Museum’s world-renowned collection, providing exciting opportunities to build public education programs based on the collection as well as on the Museum’s stimulating special exhibitions.

The Head of Museum Education at the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum guides the creative vision, strategic development, and implementation of academic and public educational programs at the Kemper Art Museum. A leadership position reporting to the Museum director, the Head of Museum Education is responsible for advancing the Museum’s mission to provide excellence in object-based learning and engage the campus population, its visitors and alumni, the St. Louis region, and the global art community. The position plays a vital role in teaching visual literacy and critical thinking skills based on the Museum’s collection and exhibitions, developing tours, educational guides, and public programs that interpret curatorial and art historical scholarship for a broad range of audiences. The Head of Museum Education will build on existing programs and implement new ones to deepen community engagement; oversee the integration of Museum resources into university curriculum; and collaborate with partners both on and off campus to build diverse Museum audiences. As a member of the senior staff, the Head of Museum Education contributes to the formulation and achievement of short- and long-range institutional goals. The position supervises the University Academic Programs Coordinator, the Assistant Educator, student educators, and other part-time student assistants.

Responsibilities

• Develop, in collaboration with the director and curatorial staff, and manage public lectures, panel discussions, symposia, performances, film, and other arts-related events in conjunction with temporary exhibitions and permanent collection displays
• Develop, research, and write educational materials in collaboration with curatorial and editorial staff, including visitor guides to exhibitions, educator resources, and other educational content both online and in print
• Oversee the development and implementation of outreach programs targeted at the St. Louis regional community and K–12 students and teachers
• Oversee the development and implementation of curriculum-based programs and other initiatives that integrate the Museum’s permanent collection and special exhibitions into faculty and student teaching, learning, and research
• Oversee the development and implementation of the student educator program, and develop, supervise, and conduct tours
• Develop program evaluation and assessment procedures and supervise their implementation, working with the Manager of Marketing, Communications & Visitor Services
• Establish and manage education department budgets
• Research and apply for education program grants and assist with educational and outreach components of grant applications and reporting, working with the Head of Publications

Requirements

• MA in Art History (preferred) or related field
• Three years proven experience with arts educational program development (five years preferred; university art museum experience preferred)
• Ability to interpret curatorial visions for diverse audiences
• Ability to collaborate with, supervise, and intellectually stimulate students, staff, and academic professionals as well as other audiences
• Familiarity with current issues in, and interest in advancing, the contemporary discourse of museum pedagogy
• Excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills; supervisory and administrative skills; diplomacy and initiative
• Some evening and weekend hours required

Application instructions

Please provide three references and submit work samples (maximum ten pages).

For a complete posting, full requirements, and application, visit the Washington University employment website at http://jobs.wustl.edu, reference number 44416, or use the quicklink:

https://jobs.wustl.edu/psc/APPLHRMS/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_APP_SCHJOB.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST&REL_ACTION=Yes&SiteId=1&HRS_JO_PST_TYPE=E&HRS_JOB_OPENING_ID=44416&HRS_JO_PST_SEQ=1

Institutional background

Washington University, a medium-sized, independent university, is dedicated to challenging its faculty and students alike to seek new knowledge and greater understanding of an ever-changing, multicultural world. The University is counted among the world’s leaders in teaching and research and draws students and faculty to St. Louis from all 50 states and more than 120 nations. The University is highly regarded for its commitment to excellence in learning. Its programs, administration, facilities, resources, and activities combine to further its mission of teaching, research, and service to society.

The Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis is a unique collaboration in interdisciplinary architecture, art, and design education, linking professional studio programs with the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum in the context of an internationally recognized research university.

The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, part of the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis, was founded in 1881 and is among the nation’s leading university art museums. Its permanent collection of more than 8,000 objects is particularly strong in 19th- and 20th-century European and American art; it also features a vital and growing collection of 21st-century global art. As a teaching museum within a major research university, the Kemper Art Museum serves as a center of cultural and intellectual life on campus and in St. Louis. Its mission is to build and preserve its art collection for current and future generations; collect significant modern and contemporary art; provide excellence in art historical research, exhibition, and object-based learning; and engage the campus population, its visitors and alumni, the St. Louis region, and the global art community.