The National Urban League seeks an experienced and creative Director, Exhibitions for The Urban Civil Rights Museum. The Director, Exhibitions will assist the Executive Director and Chief Curator with developing and executing the long-term exhibition slate for the permanent and rotating galleries. While the Executive Director sets the curatorial vision, the Director, Exhibitions helps to research and develop specific exhibition directions, develops strategies, implements logistics, arranges, and oversees the fabrication and installation and coordinates all exhibitions-related work. The Director, Exhibitions is responsible for maintaining the permanent exhibition, incorporating updates and improvements, and working with the staff to support exhibition-related education and public programs. The Director of Exhibitions manages the Collections Manager.
The National Urban League will open the Urban Civil Rights Museum in Harlem, New York (UCRM) in 2025/2026. As New York’s first museum dedicated to civil rights – and one of the first in the nation to focus on the history of civil rights in the North. The Urban Civil Rights Museum will tell the story of the civil and human rights struggle in urban environments across America. It will empower people to continue to struggle to improve their lives and the lives of all Americans. It will be a place where you can see and feel the work of the many people who fought for justice in urban centers in the North, a place to reflect past civil rights efforts, imagine new possibilities of collective work, and inspire future action.
Essential Functions:
• Manages the research, planning, preparation, staging, and execution of recurring and special exhibitions that link the museum’s historic focus to contemporary social justice issues.
• Manages all details regarding installations and de-installations in permanent and rotating galleries.
• Organizes and schedules exhibitions for all galleries. Maintains exhibition schedule and workflow according to project schedules, with various tasks and deadlines.
• Manages the Collections Manager
• Works with the Collections Manager and Executive Director to oversee the acquisition, storage, care, and cataloging of the museum’s artifacts.
• Assists in creating a 3–5-year exhibition slate for the museum’s permanent and rotating exhibitions.
• Develop and manage budgets for exhibitions.
• Develops and maintains virtual exhibitions for the museum.
• Responsible for arranging and creating shipping, insurance, contracts, travel policies, and artwork/artifact loan agreements.
• Coordinates exhibit fabrication, mount production, and installation.
• Work with various vendors and companies (fabricators, custom framers, painters, etc.) during the production of exhibitions.
• Works closely with consultants and mount makers to create clean, sturdy, safe, and uncluttered displays and with other team members to ensure the proper installation of mounts, artifacts, and exhibit elements during installation.
• Helps to guide exhibit layouts for permanent displays with a transparent, coherent, accessible, and unified visual presentation.
• Collaborate with the Director of Learning & Engagement and Chief Curator to coordinate wall text, brochure content, and artist talks.
• Maintain exhibitions for their duration.
• Participates in exhibition review meetings.
• Manages artists’ commission process for permanent exhibition.
• Assists with the documentation of museum exhibitions. Maintain a record of exhibitions for the archive.
Education:
• Master’s degree in museum studies, Curatorial Studies, art education, industrial arts, graphic art, design, visual communication, art, or a related field
Experience:
• 5-10 years of demonstrated success curating exhibitions in a museum or cultural center.
Knowledge and Skills:
• Strong knowledge of current standards and innovations in curation and exhibitions at museums and cultural institutions
• Knowledge of the best practices, proper care and management of artworks and collections, standards for documentation, and ethics for working with artifacts, artworks, and museum collections
• Knowledge of African American arts, history, and culture
• Strong written and oral communication skills. Must have strong interpersonal skills to handle confidential situations.
• Must be able to plan, prioritize, organize, and execute multiple initiatives simultaneously and independently.
• Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment, with a demonstrated ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, strong attention to detail and accuracy, and excellent follow-through skills. Must have an action-oriented, adaptable, and innovative approach to work.
• Must demonstrate maturity, professionalism, integrity, accountability, and solid judgment.
• Must be a self-starter and act independently.
• Solid computer skills using Microsoft Office 365
Physical Requirements:
• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to stand, stoop, bend, sit, and climb for extended periods to install exhibits.
• Must be able to demonstrate visual acuity (space, design, colors, depth perception) to install varied fabrication and construction formats.
• Visual acuity is necessary to assess assets and artifacts accurately.
• Ability to stand in varied institutions and collector environments to assess potential acquisitions.
Working Conditions
• May require work nights and weekends as needed.
• This position is hybrid.
COVID-19 PROTOCOL: Following extensive monitoring, research, and advice from internal and external experts, the National Urban League has required all full-time and part-time employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of employment as of September 13, 2021. “Fully vaccinated” is defined as both Pfizer or Moderna vaccine doses or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and a booster shot. Anyone unable to be vaccinated, either because of a medical condition or disability or a held religious belief, can request a reasonable accommodation. Successful applicants for this position must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 per the above policy. Mandatory vaccinations support the National Urban League’s commitment to making our workplace and public events as safe and welcoming as possible.
To Apply: Submit a cover letter and resume by clicking the link: https://bit.ly/
Deadline to apply: April 6, 2024
WE ARE AN EQUAL-OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. The National Urban League is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to complying with all federal, state, and local equal employment opportunity (“EEO”) laws. The National Urban League strictly prohibits discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment because of the individual’s race, color, sex (including pregnancy), religion or creed, national origin, alienage, citizenship, age, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression, sexual and reproductive health decisions or decision making (of employees or their dependents), familial status, marital status, partnership status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment criminal conviction record, or any other characteristic protected by law. This policy applies to all National Urban League activities, including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, compensation, assignment, training, promotion, discipline, and discharge. This policy also bans discriminatory harassment. Employment at the National Urban League is at will.