Gallery Educator

Job Description

Department:

Pay Rate Type:

Employee Type:

Job Summary:

THE MUSEUM AND ITS MISSION

Located in Waterville, Maine, the Colby Museum opens access to art and artists for the Colby community, for Maine residents and visitors, and for audiences beyond, creating a forum for experimentation, research, dialogue, and connection. We grow and use our stellar collection in ways that activate the power of art to expand imagination and forge new connections, fostering a more open, creative, and compassionate society. We teach to inspire and open possibilities, so that students at Colby and other visitors can become more curious, nimble, and able to contribute within a changing world, in keeping with Colby’s dynamic liberal arts mission. We incubate art scholarship and practice in ways that explore and expand how the idea of America is understood and how art is made, interpreted, and shared. We do so by supporting new research, providing mentorship, and convening a diversity of people and perspectives. The Lunder Institute for American Art and our exhibitions, programs, and publications facilitate field-wide impact. We are committed to our audiences, including the Colby College community, residents of Waterville and the broader Maine region, national and international visitors, and the artists, scholars, and partners with whom we collaborate.

Essential Functions

To perform successfully in this position, an individual must be able to perform essential duties satisfactorily as well as possess education/experience, employ the knowledge, skills, and abilities as listed in representative fashion. Colby College actively supports the Americans with Disabilities Act and will consider reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.  This listing of essential duties is not all-inclusive, but representative; other duties may be assigned.

• Design and implement arts-integrated gallery experiences for K-12 audiences.

• Greet and manage museum visit logistics at the campus museum and downtown at the museum’s Joan Dignam Schmaltz Gallery of Art in the Paul J. Schupf Art Center.

• Work closely with staff and teaching artists to coordinate the logistics of a museum visit, which typically includes a gallery experience, studio project, and lunch.

• Lead or Co-Lead tours, workshops, and professional development programs for area K-12 educators.

• Provide support for existing and new educational programs.

• Facilitate interactive in-person and virtual tours for schools.

• Lead art activities in area schools, in collaboration with classroom teachers, for a multiple-visit program for 3rd, 5th, and 8th grade students.

• Assist with data collection and evaluation of participant feedback.

• Participate in scheduled training sessions and become trained in all exhibitions and programming.

• Conduct independent research on artists and artworks in Museum exhibitions and the Museum’s Permanent Collection.

• Ability to work occasional weekends and/or evenings.

• Follow policies and procedures to ensure a safe work environment.

Position Qualifications

Education and/or experience:

• Bachelor’s degree with 2+ years of recent and relevant experience or any equivalent experience and education in Art History, Studio Art, Classroom Teaching, or Museum Studies.

• Experience in the development of arts-integrated education programs, art-making workshops, and curriculum is preferred.

• Familiarity with gallery-based discussions that combine visual arts and academic subjects focused on contemporary art and utilizing visual thinking and inquiry-based learning strategies preferred.

• Relevant engagement and/or administrative experience preferred.

• Strong oral communication, interpersonal, and public communication skills to interact with all levels of visitors, staff, and trustees.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to complete clear, concise, and accurate reports and other documentation.

• Highly motivated, flexible, and comfortable with all audiences.

• Strong attention to detail and problem solving skills with the ability to handle situations with tact and diplomacy.

• Able to work independently as well as in a team, exercise judgment, establish priorities, and complete projects with minimal supervision and to adjust as new projects are assigned.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (e.g. Word, Excel) and Google Suite (e.g., Mail, Calendar, Docs, Sheets, and Slides); proficiency and/or ability to learn Airtable, Adobe Creative Suite, EventBrite, SurveyMonkey, Workday, and others specific to Colby College.

Physical/Mental Demands

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform essential functions of this position and/or may be encountered while performing essential functions.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• To successfully perform the essential functions of this position, an employee must be able to maintain appropriate confidentiality with regard to employee data, documents, issues, etc., and respect privacy needs of employees and past employees with regard to the same.

• The ability to comply with highly inflexible deadlines is required to successfully perform the essential functions of this position; there will be multiple occurrences of sudden, urgent task completion required.

• There may be occurrences of employees, past employees, members of the general public, and others who express opinions, may exhibit strong emotions, which will require the employee to interact professionally, diplomatically, and appropriately in such situations.

• While performing the essential duties of this position, an employee would frequently be required to move around the office space as well as within hallways, meeting rooms, and other parts of the campus facilities. 

• There may be multiple/daily instances of prolonged personal computer use which would include keyboard and/or mouse usage as well as viewing a computer monitor.

• An employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 35 pounds to perform essential position functions.

• Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust focus.

• The overall work environment requires the mental ability to shift focus quickly due to interruptions; an employee must be able to mentally track multiple projects and tasks as well.

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate; however, there may be unexpected instances of somewhat loud sounds.

To Apply:

Interested candidates should apply electronically by clicking the “Apply Now” button on the Colby College website.  Please upload a cover letter and resume to your application.