Director of Collections
Company: ArtTable, Inc.
Location: Honolulu
Posted on: May 28, 2023
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Job Description:
We are pleased to announce a remarkable opportunity for a
dynamic and culturally-attuned museum professional to assume the
strategic role of Director of Collections at the Honolulu Museum of
Art (HoMA), the state of Hawai'i's premier art museum, on the
island of Oahu. The Museum occupies 3.2 acres near downtown
Honolulu and includes one of the city's iconic, historic buildings.
Under the leadership of Halona Westbrook-Norton, HoMA has embarked
on an ambitious new vision for its future, to transform the Museum
and its larger campus, which includes the newly renovated Honolulu
Museum of Art School, into an even more vital place of historic,
interdisciplinary, educational, and contemporary cultural
exploration for the people of the state of Hawai'i and visitors
from around the world.
Background and Mission of the Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMA)
Founded in 1927 as the Honolulu Academy of Arts, the Honolulu
Museum of Art was reborn in 2011 when the Contemporary Museum
gifted its assets and collection to the Honolulu Academy of Arts
and the two merged to form the present-day museum. HoMA's larger
campus encompasses a prominent, multi-faceted art school, an
independent art-house theatre, a caf-- and a museum store. Its
internationally renowned collection of more than 55,000 works of
art spanning over 5,000 years represents a wide breadth of cultures
and eras around the world, from the ancient past to the present
day.
As the state's only encyclopedic art museum, HoMA has one of the
largest single collections of Asian and Pan-Pacific art in the
country, including an unrivaled collection by artists of Hawai'i.
The collection also contains significant holdings in European and
American paintings, sculpture and decorative arts; 19th- and
20th-century art; an extensive collection of works on paper,
textiles, decorative arts; and traditional works from Africa,
Oceania, and the Americas. Other highlights include the Samuel H.
Kress Collection of Italian Renaissance paintings and the James A.
Michener Collection of Japanese ukiyo-e prints. Contemporary art
from around the world has an established and growing presence in
the Museum's permanent collection.
With an operating budget of $15 million and a staff of over 150,
HoMA's mission is to be "a home for art and education that exists
for the benefit of the entire community, presented in a setting
that promotes beauty, harmony, learning, self-awareness, and
connection." At this pivotal time in its history, and as it
approaches its centennial in 2027, HoMA is prioritizing inclusivity
and accessibility as it ushers in an exciting new chapter that
embodies and embraces the significant socio-political and cultural
shifts affecting our communities and our world.
Opportunities of the Position
In this newly conceived position, the Director of Collections will
occupy an essential and influential role in charting HoMA's
strategic future. Fundamental to this role is the responsibility
for the comprehensive care, preservation, and risk management of
HoMA's sizeable collections. That said, future-forward thought
partnership to advance HoMA's accessibility and engagement goals
and utilize the collections in new, dynamic, and collaborative ways
will also be an important part of this appointment. Reporting to
the Chief Operating Officer and working most closely with the
Director of Curatorial Affairs, the Director of Collections will be
responsible not only for the day-to-day management of the
Collections Department, but also for creating greater
accessibility, understanding, visibility and recognition of HoMA's
world-class holdings throughout the Museum and the wider community,
working both locally and across the islands of Hawai'i.
The Director of Collections holds a top senior position alongside
the Director of Curatorial Affairs who oversees three curators in
the areas of Modern and Contemporary Art, Asian Art, and Textiles
and Hawaiian Historic Art. This position also works collaboratively
with the Director of Learning and Engagement, the Director of
Campus Operations, the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief
Advancement Officer, the Chief Communications Officer, the Director
of Human Resources, and, of course, the CEO/Executive Director. The
Director of Collections' direct reports include the Registrar and
the Librarian, who manages the Robert Allerton Art Library, a
public resource and treasure trove with great potential.
Anticipated in the future of this position is the potential to
expand oversight of aspects of the Exhibitions Department as the
strategic plan evolves.
Modeling a highly team-oriented and culturally perceptive
leadership style, the Director of Collections will be an essential
asset to the leadership team as it strives to collectively unite
the Museum's larger vision with the realization of its strategic
goals. The ideal candidate will have the ability to nurture a
spirit of belonging and shared decision making, steeped in an
empathetic understanding and appreciation for the spirit of
Aloha.
The Director of Collections will be expected to:
--- Collaborate with HoMA's leadership team to define, refine, and
implement Collections Department goals and a multi-year exhibitions
schedule to align with short and long-term strategic plans.
--- Provide administrative leadership for the department, including
overseeing and developing policies, procedures, and best practices
for collections as well as exhibitions, to ensure a high level of
safety and preservation of the Museum's collections.
---Workin close partnership with the Director of Curatorial Affairs
to strategize and advance the visibility and accessibility of
HoMA's collections in museum programming across all departments,
including marketing and communications.
--- Develop and manage the annual collections budget, as well as
long-term project budgets, and provide guidance in the management
of exhibition budgets.
--- Oversee the deaccessioning, ongoing digitization, and
risk-management of the collections, including the facilitation of
repatriation claims and negotiation of loan contracts as well as
the Museum's fine art insurance policies, ensuring the security of
the collection and appropriate due diligence to professional
standards and laws.
--- Mentor and support the Registrar, Librarian, and associated
staff and preparators, directly advising in the areas of
preparation, installation, registration, cataloging, conservation,
and storage management functions, working with TMS, the collections
management system for the Museum.
--- Promote the active involvement and visibility of the Library
and Archive in exhibitions and programming initiatives.
--- Actively partner with the development staff and other senior
staff to advance funding initiatives and requests involving
collections.
--- Cultivate relationships with collectors, donors, artists, and
other key stakeholders, including national curators, artists, and
exhibition partners.
--- Oversee major special undertakings, which may include AAM
re-accreditation, capital projects, and emergency management
planning.
--- Approach leadership with a spirit of humility, active
listening, and genuine care, while also maintaining an energetic
and inspiring presence, serving as a leading role model and
compelling public advocate for the Museum.
Education and Experience
--- B.A. in Museum Administration, Art History, History, or related
field and at least 5 years of collections management experience in
a leadership role at an art museum.
--- Experience developing departmental strategic plans and
overseeing long-term collection and exhibition-related
projects.
--- Broad knowledge of best practices and professional museum
standards for collections management, including policies and
procedures, object display and storage, as well as database
management.
--- Strong organizational, communication, and team-building skills.
Comfortable with delegating tasks and evaluating performance.
--- Proficiency with collections management systems, preferably
TMS, with knowledge of current trends in collections management
technology.
--- Knowledge of preservation and conservation issues and
techniques and a strong familiarity with databases, online
catalogues, and digitization.
--- Demonstrated skills as an agile, creative, and pragmatic
problem solver, both realistic and optimistic, with a natural
ability to develop successful partnerships and collaborations.
--- Comfort and flexibility with both strategic and detail-oriented
approaches, demonstrating initiative and the ability to creatively
solve issues.
--- Persuasive and relatable communication and presentation skills,
attuned to the culturally mixed regional audiences and communities
of the state of Hawai'i.
--- A degree of personal understanding, history, or connection to
Hawai'i and/or the Pacific Islands.
How to Apply:
To apply in confidence, email 1) a letter expressing interest in
this position and giving brief examples of past related experience;
2) a r--sum-- or CV; 3) names of three references with contact
information.Submitapplication by May 24, 2023, to retained search
firm: Suzanne Tan, Museum Search & Reference,. Applicants are
encouraged to apply early as candidates will be considered on a
rolling basis. References will not be contacted without prior
authorization. Nominations are welcome.
HoMA welcomes people from all backgrounds and walks of life, and
this is reflected in its diverse community of employees. HoMA
encourages applications from candidates across a wide variety of
backgrounds, including but not limited to people of all races and
ethnicities, people with disabilities, women, veterans, and all
members of the LGBTQ community. HoMA is proud to be an equal
opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal
opportunity for all employees and applicants.
Application Deadline: 05/24/2023
Salary: $120,000 - 140,000
Keywords: ArtTable, Inc., Honolulu , Director of Collections, Accounting, Auditing , Honolulu, Hawaii
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