Associate Curator

Description

Special Instructions to Applicants: In PDF form, applicants should attach a resume and cover letter in the Supporting Documents section of the application.

About Rice

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally, and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lecture series, courses, and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff, and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in how we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community, and Excellence.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Executive Director, this position will develop, organize, and execute visual art exhibitions for the Moody Center for the Arts at Rice University, curate temporary public art installations for the Rice Public Art Program, and help commission and acquire public artworks for the permanent collection. Moody exhibitions are not limited in terms of media or timeframe but will consistently support the Moody’s mission of fostering interdisciplinary conversation through the arts, engaging diverse academic disciplines, and appealing to different audiences. The Moody mounts several curatorial projects each year, filling four exhibition galleries in an award-winning building designed by Michael Maltzan. The Associate Curator will organize exhibitions originated by the Moody, as well as coordinate traveling shows and work with faculty on temporary projects. In addition, the Associate Curator will work on permanent and temporary installations on the Rice campus and be instrumental in supporting the acquisition and commission of new artworks for the Rice Public Art Collection.

The ideal candidate will have experience organizing solo exhibitions, group shows, and thematic projects, working directly with artists, lenders, peer institutions, and diverse audiences. The position will be responsible for generating written texts to accompany each exhibition, including introductory wall texts, wall labels, a brochure, and website postings. The Associate Curator will work closely with the team to develop public programs and be responsible for leading tours, speaking publicly about exhibitions and Rice Public Art, supporting Moody’s development and marketing efforts, building ties with local, national, and international collaborators, working with faculty, and managing curatorial interns.

Workplace Requirements

This position is exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in person at the Moody Center for the Arts. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Proposed Hiring Range

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position, and the proposed salary range is $74,000 to $80,000 annually, depending on qualifications and experience. *Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or higher in art history or a related field, with extensive knowledge of and enthusiasm for global contemporary art, and a solid grounding in art history

In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience above and beyond what is required may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.

4 years of curatorial experience in a university or non-profit arts institution

In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education, above and beyond what is required, may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.

Skills:

Experience with conceiving, developing, and implementing a diverse range of art exhibitions

First-hand knowledge of museum-quality exhibition practices

Excellent research, written, and verbal communication skills

Strong interpersonal skills, with an ability to work with diverse constituents, including faculty, staff, students, patrons, artists, and the general public

An entrepreneurial, self-starting mindset

A desire to work as part of a collaborative team in a dynamic, fast-paced environment

Essential Functions

Generates and coordinates a range of innovative exhibitions, working closely with the Executive Director and curatorial team to support the forward calendar, including site-specific commissions, as well as solo presentations, thematic loan shows, and traveling exhibitions

Works with the Executive Director on identifying artists and artworks for the Rice Public Art Collection, both acquisitions and site-specific commissions, both temporary and permanent, working closely with the artists, Rice project managers, and various departments

Communicates with artists, fellow curators, lenders, technical staff, Rice constituents, students, and visitors about each project to ensure all parties are well informed

Works with the Moody’s Director of Exhibitions to ensure exhibitions are installed and de-installed in a timely, professional, and safe manner, and the artwork is handled with the highest level of professional care, in accordance with museum standards

Works with the Moody’s Deputy Director and Director of Exhibitions to develop, track, and analyze exhibition budgets to ensure exhibitions are completed on budget

Works with Moody staff to generate and execute public programs that complement the exhibition, including the Moody’s signature “Dimensions Variable” and “Artist-in-Dialogue” series

Coordinates logistical aspects of projects, ensuring timelines and resources are managed efficiently

Communicates with artists, discussing the conceptualization of an exhibition or coordinating the execution of a specific art project

Writes wall text and labels, brochure texts, web and social media postings for Moody and Rice publications, as needed

Identifies and implements other efficiencies to improve internal creative processes

Creates opportunities for artist engagement with students

Additional Functions

Proactively reaches out to and collaborates with Rice faculty to engage classes with exhibition projects and Rice Public Art to promote interdisciplinary conversations through the arts

Supervises a student curatorial intern

Provides information and assistance to the Moody’s Director of Marketing & Communications to ensure accurate public communications across all channels

Participates in interviews with the press, as needed

Takes an active role, together with the Moody’s Executive Director and Director of Development, in identifying prospective funders, including individuals, corporations, and foundations, and communicates with those funders through tours and special events

Assists in writing grant proposals and generating follow-up reports

Participates as an active and visible member of the local, national, and international art communities, representing the Moody at art openings, conferences, and fairs, when appropriate. A modest travel budget will be provided in support of this goal

Attends Moody exhibition previews, openings, and public events, with occasional work required in the evening or on weekends

Rice University HR Benefits:

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University’s Disability Resource Center at or for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at . Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.