Art Manager jobs in Iowa

Position Summary

With the guidance of the Senior Curator, the Exhibitions Project Manager at the Des Moines Art Center will provide direct support for the planning, implementation, execution, and administration of exhibitions, commissions, and collections-based installations.

Reporting Relationship

This position reports to the Senior Curator and has frequent contact with the Curatorial, Registration, and Installations departments, and will be expected to work with the Art Center's Administrative, Education & Interpretation, and Marketing teams, among others.

Essential Functions

• With input from peers in the Curatorial, Registration, and Installation departments, coordinates & manages the implementation of all planning activities that pertain to the scheduling, tracking, duration, resources, sequencing, and constraints related to special exhibition installations, as well as commissions and collections-based installations. This includes several projects annually of varying sizes and/or budgets. Must coordinate projects simultaneously, as exhibitions-related calendars and activities require.
• Develops & tracks multiple project schedules, ensuring cross-departmental involvement by managing implementation schedules, ensuring adherence to complex deadlines, and outlining & tracking the important milestones of each project.
• Acts as the liaison for artists and their representatives, as well as galleries, other museums, contractors, internal stakeholders, and outside organizations, to ensure effective communication & superior collaboration to meet both project-based and organizational standards/goals.
• Leverages technology, including the use of software tools, to aid in exhibition management, project execution, and team communication.
• Initiates, organizes, and conducts meetings; develops agendas in the interest of keeping everyone informed and aligned with meeting goals; records meeting notes & distributes outcomes derived from meetings.
• Maintains an awareness of project budgets and assists with budget monitoring, reporting, and compliance.
• Assists Curatorial, Registration, and Installations staff during exhibition installation, run, and de-installation. Coordinates ongoing project management as needed.
Works Curatorial & Registration to transfer exhibition-related information for TMS and exhibition archives.

Other Responsibilities

• Acts in ways that reflect favorably on the Art Center and maintains professional standards in the quality of performance and demonstration of care & concern for the Art Center's collection, programs, and facilities. Adheres to Des Moines Art Center Code of Ethics, policy handbook, and all other organizational policies.
• Contributes to the creation of positive team spirit & and can build and sustain morale; balances team & individual responsibilities; generates group commitments to goals & objectives; supports everyone's efforts to succeed; gives & receives feedback gracefully; and exhibits objectivity & openness to other people's viewpoints.
Works effectively with a diverse community and build relationships with people, regardless of demographic and/or personal characteristics; is highly emotionally intelligent and demonstrates the ability to secure the trust & confidence of colleagues, peers, and contemporaries.

Required Education, Experience, and/or Professional Certification

• Bachelor's degree in Arts Administration, Curatorial Studies, Museum Studies, or Project Management preferred
• Minimum of three (3) to five (5) years' professional project management and/or previous museum experience
Equivalent combination of education, training, and professional experience

Additional Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Familiarity with the museum field & exhibitions best practices
• Knowledge of project management practices & tools. Technical proficiency with a standard suite of applications (Microsoft Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams, Word, etc.) as well as those related to project management (Basecamp, SharePoint, Smartsheet, Trello, or equivalent) and basic aspects of image and/or collections database management.
• Capacity to quickly learn new tools & platforms as related technologies evolve.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as needed, with superior communication and organizational skills. Possesses strong copywriting & copyediting skills, with extreme accuracy and attention to detail.
• Displays high levels of analytical thinking, initiative, flexibility, resourcefulness, and scholarly research abilities.
• Ability to proactively troubleshoot issues and anticipate/resolve problems.
• Exercises diplomacy, discretion, tact, and the ability to lead & engage with teams of diverse personalities, honoring multiple perspectives simultaneously.
• Multilingual ability a plus, especially in the most common world-languages spoken in Iowa: Arabic, Burmese, French, Karen languages, Marshallese, Spanish, Swahili, and/or Vietnamese

Decision Making

• Displays willingness to make workplace- & department-appropriate decisions and exhibits sound judgement
• Includes the appropriate counterparts in decision-making processes and explains rationale for decision making as needed

Special Considerations (Schedule, Work Environment, Physical Factors, Required Travel, etc.)

• Position is hybrid on-site with remote capability; will be expected to be on-site most of the time.
• Position requires reliable transportation to & from work and consistent attendance. Scheduled shifts, meetings, & appointments must be tended to with timeliness and in the event of a necessary absence, coverage of all tasks & responsibilities should be planned for.
• Work is performed largely in an office environment during normal business hours; work is mostly sedentary or light work

Equipment Used

Laptop, cell phone, tablet or notepad

Equal Opportunity Employment Statement

The Art Center is dedicated to equal employment & advancement opportunities. It is the Art Center's policy to hire & promote qualified individuals based on their interest, aptitude, and qualifications, and without regard to age; creed; disability or genetic information; ethnicity, national origin, race, or skin color; gender, gender expression, gender identity, sex, or sexual orientation; religion; veteran status; or any other protected group under applicable Federal, State, or Local law.