The Blackwood is a contemporary art centre at the University of Toronto Mississauga dedicated to open, public research. The Blackwood is committed to thinking about the gallery as a space for living ideas—for holding together research, creation, inquiry, interaction, and conversation. We present curated exhibitions featuring the work of local, national, and international professional artists in on-campus gallery spaces and off-site projects throughout the GTHA; support artistic research, commissions, and residencies; and foster transdisciplinary strategies for knowledge production and circulation via a robust publishing program. We cultivate cultures of learning, provide mentorship, and facilitate professional development.

The Blackwood Gallery is currently hiring an Assistant Curator (full-time, permanent).

ASSISTANT CURATOR

Application Deadline: October 19, 2021
Term: Full-time, permanent

Under the direction of the Director/Curator, the Assistant Curator is responsible for initiating, researching, developing, implementing, and overseeing The Blackwood’s academic and community outreach programs (including experiential learning opportunities, workshops, interdisciplinary forums, lectures, panel discussions, performances, and off-site projects). The Assistant Curator will be responsible for on-going (budgetary, logistical, administrative and time-table) coordination of outreach programs and publications, including coordinating the efforts of participants and contributors such as artists, guest curators, writers, researchers, the general public, students, faculty, and staff at the University of Toronto Mississauga. In addition, the Assistant Curator will provide supervision of a changing team of permanent and contract staff, interns, work-study students, and volunteers.

Your responsibilities will include:

  • Overseeing day-to-day operational needs of the unit
  • Developing and implementing community engagement strategies and plans
  • Analyzing and making recommendations for programming enhancements
  • Developing and implementing content marketing plans that support strategic objectives
  • Creating and/or editing original, published content and materials
  • Curating exhibitions and gallery installations

Essential Qualifications:

  • Master’s Degree or acceptable combination of equivalent experience
  • A minimum of three years of curatorial experience in a professional gallery of contemporary art
  • Demonstrated experience initiating and implementing major exhibitions in the areas of contemporary Canadian and international art in a diversity of media and interdisciplinary outreach programs with diverse participants and publics
  • Experience leading and supervising staff
  • Experience overseeing financial resources for projects within established budgets
  • Experience overseeing logistics and scheduling of all aspects associated with the artistic program of a non-profit, visual art gallery
  • Experience working with students in a curricular and co-curricular capacity to mentor them through the process of launching an exhibit and acquisitions
  • Familiarity with the contemporary art context at a local, national and international level, as evidenced in their writings and curatorial projects
  • Must have superior organizational skills, effective problem solving and interpersonal skills; detail-oriented focus
  • Ability to multi-task and to work a hectic schedule and manage demanding deadlines, overlapping schedules, and timelines. Ability to work well in a collaborative team environment.
  • Ability to conceptualize, analyze, prioritize, and make decisions aligned to exhibition production, from conceptualization through all aspects of project implementation
  • Ability to navigate intellectually challenging materials (interdisciplinary research, educational texts, concepts)
  • Requires great analytical abilities, including budgeting and resource management, and ability to build and lead a team of assistants
  • Knowledge of technical and aesthetic dimension of exhibition installation, from planning to design and implementation, and all exhibition-installation processes and related materials
  • Working knowledge of MS Office, including PowerPoint, Excel, Word
  • Demonstrated exceptional oral and written communication and editing skills, including exhibition and marketing texts, interpretation of artworks for public presentations, grant writing, etc.
  • Excellent knowledge of physical handling of works of art in a diversity of media

Assets (Nonessential):

  • Experience working in a university art gallery
  • Experience working in academic or visual arts publishing

To be successful in this role you will be:

  • Goal oriented
  • Motivated self-learner
  • Multi-tasker
  • Organized
  • Problem solver
  • Team player

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Click here for the full job posting and to apply online

Application deadline: October 19, 2021, 11:59PM EDT

The University of Toronto is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons / persons of colour, women, Indigenous / Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Only online applications via the link above will be accepted. Please do not contact the gallery directly to apply.

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