Senior Curator

Cairns Art Gallery is seeking an experienced and inspired arts professional to lead the Gallery Curatorial team.

Cairns Art Gallery Precinct is a cultural meeting point for northern Australia, where art shaped by Place connects with contemporary practice across Australia and the world. Cairns Art Gallery has recently grown from a single Gallery to a three-building, dynamic cultural campus

The Gallery cares for its Collection and delivers an annual program of exhibitions, public programs and community engagement. Grounded in Place, and in the cultures, histories and environments of northern Australia, the Gallery works with artists, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, council, industry bodies, tourism partners and the broader public to connect art, ideas and people.

Cairns Art Gallery is seeking an experienced and inspired arts professional to lead the Gallery Curatorial team. The successful applicant will advance the Gallery mission by working closely with the Director to lead the development and delivery of the annual artistic program, driving Collection research and acquisitions, building strategic partnerships with artists, the diverse communities of the region, donors and institutions, and contributing to the Gallery’s public engagement and publishing outcomes. The Senior Curator will represent Cairns Art Gallery in their engagement with the local, national and international art communities and continue to strengthen Cairns Art Gallery’s reputation.

Key accountabilities

Artistic Program Development & Exhibition Coordination

• In consultation with the Director, develop and implement the research, curatorial and publishing outcomes of Cairns Art Gallery’s annual artistic program in accordance with the Strategic Plan.

• Provide high-level project coordination across exhibitions, programs and related publications, working closely with the Exhibition Manager, Registrar, Assistant Curator and Gallery Manager to manage all aspects of delivery within established deadlines and budgets and to the highest standards.

Collection Research & Acquisitions

• Initiate new research and contribute to the curation of the Art Collection; identify acquisition targets; assess artworks proposed for acquisition; and liaise with donors, dealers and artists throughout the process.

• Manage the approval processes for gifts and donations of artworks and the Cultural Gifts Program; and maintain the Cairns Art Collection on the Vernon collection management database.

Stakeholder & Industry Engagement

• Utilise expertise and broad industry knowledge to identify, develop and maintain effective links with partners, donors, dealers, artists and other external bodies; and represent the Gallery on committees, working parties and at meetings as required by the Director.

Public Engagement & Writing

• Contribute to the engagement and marketing of the Gallery and Collection through high-level presentations to various audiences, accurate research, writing and adherence to style guides across publications, exhibition texts and other audience-facing content.

• Deliver public programs and outreach initiatives including exhibition talks, artist talks and tours to diverse audience groups, contributing to the Gallery’s education and community programs as required.

People Leadership & Operations

• With the Director, recruit, train and manage curatorial staff, interns, casual staff and volunteers, or delegate supervision to relevant staff.

• The Senior Curator will also contribute to funding applications, strategic documents, and other organisational initiatives.

• Perform other duties including facilitating special projects as required by the Director.

Selection Criteria

Essential

• A relevant tertiary qualification equivalent to a Masters degree in Art History, Visual Arts or Curatorial Studies, or equivalent professional curatorial experience of eight years minimum.

• Extensive knowledge of Australian and international art history and contemporary practice, with the ability to apply this expertise within a museum and contemporary cultural context, including demonstrated knowledge of First Nations art practices.

• Demonstrated experience and skills in art museum and gallery processes and procedures, including contractual agreements, insurance, acquisition and loans processes, and working with artists and external stakeholders.

• Demonstrated knowledge of cataloguing and high-level experience with collection management software (Vernon), the Microsoft Office suite and website development applications.

• A high level of organisational, administrative and interpersonal skills, including a proven ability to plan and prioritise tasks, meet deadlines, coordinate and liaise with staff at all levels and to work as a member of a team.

• Demonstrated high level of interpersonal, oral and written communication skills, including public speaking and the ability to write for a range of audiences.

• Demonstrated knowledge of copyright law, Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) rights, and the moral and ethical rights of artists, with the ability to apply this across acquisition, loans, publishing and collection management contexts.

• Demonstrated leadership skills with the ability to inspire, supervise and develop a diverse team including professional staff, volunteers, casuals and contractors.

• Valid right to work in Australia.

Desirable

• Experience in developing and managing donor, philanthropic or sponsorship relationships in a cultural institution context.

• Experience in publication production, including editing and working with designers and printers.

• Knowledge of northern Australian and/or First Nations art histories and collecting practices.

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Applications via SEEK