Vice President of Development at the Museum of Latin American Art

Job Title: Vice President of Development 

Job Status: Full-time

Location: Long Beach, CA

Salary: $150,000 – $175,000

Description

Organization

The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) is the only museum in the United States dedicated to modern and contemporary Latin American and Latino art. MOLAA expands knowledge and appreciation of modern and contemporary Latin American art through its collection, groundbreaking exhibitions, stimulating educational programs, and engaging cultural events. MOLAA’s vision is to be the leading museum for Latin American and Latino art in the United States and a movement builder internationally. This vision transcends specific goals to ensure renowned curatorial experiences and world class exhibitions, robust touring and travel programs, and a dynamic national and international board of directors.

Founded by Dr. Robert Gumbiner in 1996 and accredited by the American Alliance of Museums in 2016, MOLAA celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2021. Since its inception, MOLAA has doubled its size and added a 15,000-sq. ft. sculpture garden which also serves as a community gathering space. In recognition of its outstanding educational programming and artistic quality, MOLAA was designated as one of only 140 Smithsonian Affiliate museums nationwide. In 2017, MOLAA successfully recruited Lourdes I. Ramos-Rivas, PhD as its President & CEO to lead the museum’s expanded vision and future.

The museum’s founder established a vision for the organization: to educate the American public about modern and contemporary Latin American fine art through the establishment of a significant permanent collection and the presentation of dynamic exhibitions and related programs. In 2014, MOLAA’s board of directors approved an expanded scope of the museum’s mission to also include Latino art. Pre-pandemic, MOLAA attracted approximately 65,000 visitors annually to its exhibitions, festivals, educational programs, and showcases highlights from the permanent collection consisting of more than 1,300 works of art, as well as emergent collections of new media and art of the Latino diaspora. In that time, MOLAA also presented a diverse array of artists including: Judithe Hernández, Tania Candiani, Nuna Mangiante, Yolanda González, Robert Graham, and Osmeivy Ortega. During the pandemic, MOLAA seamlessly engaged its global community through MOLAA en Casa, presenting artists and digital exhibitions, including Oaxacalifornia, murals created by Dario Canul y Cosijoesa Cernas which are now part of MOLAA’s permanent collection, Gabrielle Sanches, and Judy Baca. Baca’s exhibition is now a central part of MOLAA’s traveling exhibition. MOLAA continues to present both established and ground-breaking new artists including Narsiso Martinez, Pablo Rasgado, Patricia Encarnación, Belkis Ayon, and Eliazar Ortiz.

MOLAA’s commitment to its community and to its educational partners is evidenced by its robust roster of opportunities to welcome and engage educators, students, and art lovers of all ages. Through its Dia de los Muertos celebration, plein air and family art workshops, All Rhythms Latinx Music programming, Evenings for Educator trainings, festivals, and bilingual summer art and culture camp, MOLAA touches the lives of thousands of people every year. Expanding its commitment to visual media, MOLAA established Cine con Sentido, designed to raise awareness issues of accessibility and inclusion for those with sensory disabilities. Partnerships with Help Me Help You food pantry, LA Library Foundation, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE), and many others, MOLAA expands its scope and reach while serving and enhancing its community.

MOLAA’s location is in its second iteration as a cultural institution. Between 1913 and 1918, the site was the home of Balboa Amusement Producing Company, a silent film studio. MOLAA’s exhibition galleries, administrative offices, and store are housed in a former roller-skating rink known as the Hippodrome. Built in the late 1920s after the film studio departed, the high vaulted ceilings and beautiful wooden floors were perfectly suited to showcase many of its 1,600-piece permanent collection comprised of works by Rodolfo Morales, Lucía Maya, and Wifredo Lam, among many others.

MOLAA is governed by a 13-member board of directors and operates with a staff of 50 employees. MOLAA is in strong financial shape with substantial reserves. It’s $4.2 million budget includes $1.4 million derived from its $24 million endowment, and a contributed revenue goal of $1.7 million raised from a variety of sources. It receives annual financial operating support and in-kind services from the Robert Gumbiner Foundation and strives to maintain cultural authenticity and public accessibility throughout the organization.

Community

MOLAA is located in the eclectic and rapidly growing East Village Arts District of Long Beach, California – one of six business improvement districts in Long Beach. The City of Long Beach is the seventh most populous city in California and the third largest in Southern California, behind Los Angeles and San Diego. Long Beach boasts a thriving arts community with its own opera company, symphony, and numerous theater companies and museums. In addition to MOLAA, Long Beach hosts cultural institutions such as The Queen Mary, Long Beach Museum of Art, and Aquarium of the Pacific. Shops, galleries, festivals, and street fairs in the East Village Arts District hold monthly art openings. On the second Saturday of every month, East Village spills into the street during Art Walk which invites artists, performers, and musicians to share their diverse, eclectic talent on the streets of Long Beach. The City of Long Beach and Arts Council of Long Beach continue to partner in support of the local cultural economy providing community project, artist, and recovery grant funding to ensure Long Beach’s commitment to the arts and culture sector.

Sources: visitlongbeach.org; artslb.org

Position Summary

The Vice President of Development (VP) will join a passionate and energized team dedicated to the advancement of MOLAA’s mission. Reporting to the President & CEO and in partnership with the Chief Officer of Government and External Affairs, the VP will collaborate with and support the board of directors in building engagement that supports the identification, cultivation, and solicitation of major donors annually and will direct fundraising initiatives to support the future expansion of MOLAA’s spaces. As an integral member of the seven-person senior management team, the VP will be a thought-partner in conceptualizing and implementing MOLAA’s overall expansion plan with a focus on philanthropic support from individuals, corporations, foundations, and government agencies as well as through MOLAA’s annual Gala event. In addition to building and mentoring the development team, the VP will be responsible for developing and establishing strong relationships with a diverse array of donors, stakeholders, and professional peers in Long Beach, Southern California, nationally, and—given the scope of the museum’s work—internationally.

Roles and Responsibilities

Fundraising and Relationship Management

  • Serve as one of MOLAA’s primary ambassadors and solicitors, stewarding and nurturing existing relationships and establishing and building new relationships with an eye toward broadening MOLAA’s sphere of influence and donor base.
  • Ensure that MOLAA’s stewardship program exceeds expectations, inspires investment, and builds strong retention and high satisfaction via donor recognition and engagement opportunities.
  • Engage, inspire, and motivate the board of directors, MOLAA colleagues, and President & CEO by building a culture of philanthropy that drives fundraising activity and expands both internal and external investment in MOLAA’s mission.
  • Establish strong relationship management protocols and donor portfolios for the President & CEO, board members, and other relationship managers, with the goal of cultivating and soliciting increased major gifts for the annual fund, special events, exhibitions, expansion projects, and special programs.
  • Support earned revenue strategies across the museum and ensure excellent management of MOLAA members with the goal of converting members to high-level donors. annual fund, special events, exhibitions, expansion projects, and special programs.
  • Embrace other fundraising and relationship management responsibilities, as needed.

Department Planning and Operations

  • Create, implement, and manage a comprehensive development plan strategically designed to significantly increase contributed revenue while setting the stage for a future capital expansion project.
  • Build a strategic vision for grant writing including writing a compelling case for support that articulates MOLAA’s mission, commitment to Latin American and Latin contemporary art, education, and community investment goals.
  • Mentor, motivate and manage the two-person development team, and contract grant writer building capacity, and ensuring strong professional development and high workplace satisfaction.
  • Utilize technology and systems to build a strong donor research platform, ensuring that MOLAA clearly understands the motivation, relationships, and philanthropic priorities of its donors and donor prospects.                              
  • Engage with the CEO, Chief Curator, and curatorial staff to participate in planning for future exhibitions and build strategic revenue models to actualize curatorial plans.
  • Embrace other department planning and operations responsibilities, as needed.

Administration and Oversight

  • Oversee all aspects of membership and patron benefits program, including stewardship, special events, cultivation, benefits fulfillment, daily donor interaction, and volunteer management.
  • Collaborate with the development committee to explore new contributed revenue sources, create and monitor revenue and expense budgets, and provide accurate reporting and analysis for contributed revenue.
  • Establish data entry protocols that ensure the accurate integration of data; and oversee the maintenance and integrity of membership, donor, and prospect records.
  • Assess current technology needs and refine development practices to ensure maximum operational efficiency and results.
  • Embrace other administrative oversight, as needed.

Traits and Characteristics

The successful candidate will be goal-oriented and highly self-motivated, balancing autonomy and collaboration with finesse. This person will be both highly accountable with strong attention to detail and exceptional follow through. In partnership with the CEO, the VP will be a passionate visionary, focused on outcomes and confidently addressing and overcoming adversity driven by the desire and ambition to support MOLAA’s growth. Serving as a skilled and articulate ambassador, the VP will entrench themselves in the community, building connection to MOLAA’s mission and skillfully navigating changing community dynamics as the City of Long Beach continues to grow. An experienced leader, the VP will invest in the development team, colleagues, and MOLAA culture overall, demonstrating collaboration, mentoring, and coaching as part of building a culture of philanthropy within the organization, and participating in the creation of high-functioning, results-oriented teams.

Other key competencies include:

  • Diplomacy and Influencing Others – The dexterity to utilize tact to address sensitive issues while also affecting the way in which others form opinions and make decisions.
  • Problem Solving and Resiliency – The capability to identify and analyze challenges and define solutions coupled with the ability to quickly recover from adverse circumstances.
  • Goal Orientation and Teamwork – The acuity to identify and pursuing goals while collaborating with others to achieve them.
  • Futuristic Thinking – The ability to envision ideas, concepts, and plans and bring them to life.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate for this role will have a demonstrable track record of high-level fundraising and relationship management success. Experience in a museum setting or other arts and culture organization and bilingual fluency (English/Spanish) are strongly preferred, however MOLAA encourages all candidates meeting the majority of the criteria to explore this role. A strong track record of significant accomplishments in the identification, qualification, cultivation, and solicitation of donors and potential donors at all levels, particularly major gifts donors, are necessary. This individual must exhibit a passion for understanding and communicating the vibrant nature and diversity of Latin American art and be able to inspire stakeholders to invest in the mission of the organization. Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), donor database software, electronic and social media, and advanced tools for donor prospecting and research, are necessary.

Compensation and Benefits

MOLAA offers an annual salary of between $150,000 and $175,000, commensurate with experience. MOLAA offers medical and vision as well as dental, which is fully sponsored; Simple IRA with 3% matching which is 100% fully vested from time of enrollment. MOLAA also fully sponsors life insurance and long-term disability for its employees.

Applications and Inquiries

To submit a letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments in arts and culture leadership and management (electronic submissions preferred), please click here or visit artsconsulting.com/opensearches. For questions or general inquiries regarding this job opportunity, please contact:

Shawn D. Ingram, Vice President

8581 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 406

Los Angeles, CA 90069-4120

Tel       (888) 234.4236 Ext. 220

Email    MOLAA@ArtsConsulting.com

The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) is committed to embedding the principles of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) in all aspects of its work and organizational culture. Since its founding in 1996, the Museum has been grounded in the belief that art and learning are for everyone. Today, as communities across the nation focus on addressing systemic racism and inequality, MOLAA reaffirms its dedication to cultivating a welcoming space for all visitors across race, age, ethnicity, abilities, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, political affiliation, religion, geography, and culture.

This job was sourced via AAM