Director/Curator, Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery

DIRECTOR/CURATOR, MORRIS AND HELEN BELKIN ART GALLERY

The University of British Columbia

Vancouver, BC Canada

The Faculty of Arts at The University of British Columbia (UBC) – Vancouver invites applications for the position of Director/Curator, Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery.  The Belkin Gallery is an academic gallery located on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Musqueam people, on the UBC Vancouver campus. The Belkin is dedicated to equity, social justice, criticism and curating. The mission of the gallery is to explore the ways in which the practice of contemporary art is in itself a form of research that produces knowledge. Through exhibitions, publications, collecting, events and programs, the Gallery raises awareness and encourages debate in the field of contemporary art. Across all media and disciplines it emphasizes practices and projects that challenge the status quo, support emerging artists, and present artist-initiated projects. It is looking for a Director/Curator who will bring further innovation, collaboration, and engaged leadership to UBC. This is a unique opportunity for a Director/Curator embedded in the world of contemporary art to bring diverse experience, background, and perspectives to UBC and the communities in Vancouver, Canada and internationally.

Concurrent with the directorship, the successful candidate will hold an academic appointment to a tenure-stream professorial position (as either Assistant Professor or Associate Professor, with the rank of appointment commensurate with qualifications and experience) in the Department of Art History, Visual Art & Theory (AHVA) and will be an active member of the Critical and Curatorial Studies (CCST) program. They must be appointable to a tenure-stream professorial position, demonstrate the potential and/or experience with teaching (via experience in the classroom or with gallery mentorship or training), and ability to work with and supervise students. The appointment will commence as early as January 1, 2023 , or a mutually agreeable start date. The successful candidate will be appointed in the Director’s role for a five-year term with the possibility of renewal for another term, after which time they will become a part of the AHVA faculty complement.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DIRECTOR/CURATOR

Reporting to the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, the Director/ Curator of the Gallery is responsible for the overall artistic vision and operations of the Gallery, including exhibitions, collections, acquisitions, programs and direction and management of the Gallery’s professional staff.

The Director/ Curator will: 

• Develop and carry out the Gallery’s strategic plan for programming, staffing and facility needs, and expansion Maintain an active program of research and scholarly activity and curatorial practice Teach and supervise graduate students in AHVA, including course offerings in CCST and leading the CCST Practicum.  Work with the Gallery’s curatorial team in developing contemporary art exhibitions and programming, and oversee the development of the University art collection, the Belkin Archives, and the outdoor art collection by researching and recommending acquisitions (purchases and donations) and deaccessions Plan for the Gallery’s fiscal responsibilities to the University and external funders, including approving the Gallery’s annual budget plans, approving research and project grants, authorizing expenditures, and ensuring operations and programming initiatives are undertaken within available resources and in accordance with UBC and external agencies’ policies and guidelines. Collaborate on fund development and fundraising for the Gallery’s operations, acquisitions, programming, research, and special projects, and work closely with UBC Development on stewardship of the Gallery’s major donors.

REQUIREMENTS

The successful candidate will be able to articulate a defined curatorial vision and an appreciation of the values and strengths that the Gallery carries forward. They will be expected to demonstrate the ability to lead an organization through change and develop a forward-thinking strategic plan for addressing growth and fostering a collaborative, respectful, and inclusive environment for students, staff, faculty, and community partners. It will be an asset to have strengths in the following areas: scholarly and curatorial practices in contemporary art; experience in museum and collections management and working in a gallery/museum environment; experience cultivating relationships with individual donors, foundations, corporations, and government funding agencies; and demonstrated leadership and administrative skills and experience including leading, managing and working with a team of professional staff.

Evidence of accomplishment will be considered in a variety of forms, from academic qualifications such as a PhD or appropriate terminal degree to a combination of education and curatorial and publishing experience.  Similarly, teaching ability can be evident in a number of ways, including in experience teaching, mentoring or training. Professional curators with the desire to teach in the Curatorial Studies program will be considered. The successful candidate may already have an excellent record of undergraduate and graduate teaching and graduate supervision. If they have not yet had the opportunity teach, they should demonstrate their potential to teach by way of detailing their experience in mentorship positions, and/ or in training in the classroom, gallery, collections, or community. 

We seek applicants with an excellent record of curation, creative works, and/or professional contributions, in addition to research publications, and scholarly activity that will meet the criteria for appointment to a tenure-stream professorial position as either Assistant Professor or Associate Professor, with the rank of appointment commensurate with qualifications and experience, who have attained wide recognition in their field(s). The field of specialization within contemporary art is open; however, the successful candidate will have excellent knowledge and understanding of contemporary visual art practices and critical theory; the ideal candidate would also have an understanding of the Gallery's collection and the ability to put the local conversation around art in Vancouver/Canada in an international dialogue. 

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online by September 30, 2022 at: https://ardo.air.arts.ubc.ca/?p=7617. Enquiries may be directed to Associate Dean Laura Moss, via email (arts.headships@ubc.ca) with “BELKIN director search 2022” in the subject line. Review of applications will begin in October 2022 and will continue until the position is filled. The position is subject to final budgetary approval. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Applications should consist of a full curriculum vitae and cover letter that outlines your experience as a curator, vision for contemporary art exhibition and programming in a research-intensive university, experience in and approach to administrative and leadership roles, experience working with diverse bodies of stakeholders, and contributions or potential contributions to creating/advancing a culture of equity and inclusion.

Applicants must also provide a curatorial portfolio; one published writing sample (maximum 10,000 words); and evidence of teaching or mentorship effectiveness (e.g., student evaluations of teaching, peer reviews of teaching, and/or sample syllabi, or examples of mentoring experience and how this was facilitated).

Applicants are also asked to provide names and contact information for at least four referees who may be approached at a later date to provide confidential and objective assessment of the applicant’s suitability for the Belkin directorship position and a professorial appointment.

COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND DIVERSITY

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Métis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority.

THE UNIVERSITY

The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a global centre for research and teaching, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world. UBC-Vancouver’s Point Grey Campus is located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the Musqueam people, with whom UBC shares a framework Memorandum of Affiliation. For information relating to Indigenous initiatives, including UBC’s new Indigenous Strategic Plan, visit the UBC Vancouver Indigenous portal at: https://indigenous.ubc.ca/.

ABOUT THE GALLERY

The Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery at UBC has an international reputation for its innovative work in the field of contemporary art. The Gallery promotes understanding and discussion of contemporary art and contemporary issues in art history, criticism and curating, with a focus on our region in an international context. Through research, acquisitions, exhibitions, publications, loans, travelling exhibitions, commissions, special projects, education and outreach programs, the Gallery participates in the national and international community of institutions concerned with contemporary art. Founded as the UBC Fine Arts Gallery in 1948, the Belkin’s history has a deep interconnection with the development of contemporary art practice in Vancouver. As a collecting institution, the Belkin is designated as a Category A institution, and houses the University Art Collection of over 5,000 objects and a substantial archive. Operating as a unit of the Faculty of Arts, the Gallery is closely tied to the Department of Art History, Visual and Theory and participates in the training of student curators in the Critical and Curatorial Studies Program. The Gallery plays a key role in an ambitious outdoor art plan for the Vancouver campus.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery https://belkin.ubc.ca/

Belkin Permanent Collection, Outdoor Art Collection, Archives https://belkin.ubc.ca/collections/

Department of Art History, Visual Art and Theory (AHVA) https://ahva.ubc.ca/

Critical and Curatorial Studies Program (CCST) https://ahva.ubc.ca/graduate/ma-in-ccst-program/