Director of Public Programs at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Job Title: Director of Public Programs

Job Status: Full-time

Location: Boston, MA

Salary: $81,000 – $90,000

Position Summary

The Director of Public Programs serves as the institutional lead on the creation and implementation of public-facing programs and community engagement strategies that align with our strategic plan, embody our brand and history, enhance our visitors’ understanding of our collection and exhibitions, and build relevance for audiences of all ages. Through strategy, innovation, and exceptional management, the Director of Public Programs deepens our public value and helps connect audiences with art and with each other, creating opportunities to engage in participatory and experiential ways. The programs under the purview of this position include, but are not limited to community programs, lectures, panel discussions, select performances, gallery experiences, and hands-on studio and art-making activities. Programs are either ticketed or free-with-admission, and they attract a range of audiences.

The successful candidate will bring a track record of imaginatively conceiving and effectively executing public-facing programs and events; skill and a preference for working collaboratively across disciplines, across department teams, and with a variety of stakeholders; a keen interest in connecting with local artists, communities, and cultural organizations; and, building sustainable community partnerships with organizations that serve the needs of diverse audiences. The Director of Public Programs serves as a member of the Museum’s Education and Public Programs department leadership. This position manages three program staff and works in strategic partnership with the Director of Marketing and Communications. Supervisory experience and a successful record of staff management and mentorship are essential.

Many programs take place on Thursday evenings, weekends, and some holidays so availability to work during those events will be required. Learning and experience in the humanities or arts discipline is preferred.

Essential Functions and Primary Responsibilities

  • In collaboration with the Curator of Education, builds and leads the institution-wide public engagement strategy through creative programming, including all public, community, and studio programs, ensuring purposeful and effective integration with strategic goals, exhibition content, visitor engagement objectives, and operational parameters.
  • Develops efficient systems for setting and communicating goals, format innovation, and evaluation of multiple types of programs that are distinctive within Boston’s cultural landscape.
  • Oversees and implements all logistics of programs, including (oftentimes grant-funded) budgets, contract design, communication, and travel arrangements of collaborators, speakers, and scholars.
  • Develops collaborative partnerships with curators, marketing staff, internal stakeholders, and external collaborators that further institutional and audience goals and establishes relevant key performance indicators across all programming areas to ensure success.
  • Responsible for developing a Museum-wide strategy for broadening and deepening the Gardner’s local audience base, especially in communities of color.
  • Collaborates with colleagues in Education and across the Museum around matters of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) to ensure a welcoming visitor-centered experience.
  • Strengthens DEAI priorities through programming and community partnerships and helps to foster a sense of belonging across the Museum for all of Boston.
  • Supervises, coaches, mentors, and manages staff performance for three direct reports (in the roles of community engagement, public programs, and studio programs), including providing relevant training, feedback, guidance, and professional development, and ensuring compliance with and comprehension of Museum policies.
  • Increases awareness, support, resources, and revenue for public programs and the institution by actively building sustainable external partnerships with individuals, cultural organizations, academic institutions, and community agencies.
  • Serves as a strategic internal partner to the Director of Marketing and Communications ensuring that programs are driven by and consistent with audience development objectives, institutional and exhibition messages, and in line with the brand.
  • Maintains close partnership with the Development department to identify new, and maximize current, foundation, corporate, and individual sponsorship and funding opportunities for public programs.
  • Serves as a key Gardner Museum program and audience ambassador for offsite presentations, conversations, and events both locally and nationally.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

Required

  • Master’s degree in museum education, art history, art education, museum studies, or related field, along with demonstrated knowledge of art history, museum teaching, and object interpretation strategies.
  • 4 or more years of demonstrated professional experience designing and producing programs that connect scholarly, academic, and community perspectives with audiences’ lived and learned experiences, preferably in a museum environment.
  • Existing connections with Boston community stakeholders, artists, and/or performers. Needs to be aware of and engaged in the social issues within the City of Boston.
  • Understanding of and strong relationships throughout the arts, culture, and museum fields at both local and regional levels.
  • Experience or strong exposure to the factors that drive positive visitor experiences, including program messaging, ticket purchase, and onsite and online program experiences.
  • Experience with development, implementation, and evaluation of art education programs and content.
  • Track record of effective leadership, staff supervision, and exceptional interpersonal skills.
  • Demonstrated understanding of the role of community engagement and public programming in a museum and best practices in the museum education field.
  • Previous supervisory experience of full-time staff required.
  • Excellent computer skills including Google Workspace.
  • Must be available on Thursday evenings, some weekends and other weekday evenings, and some holidays for Museum and public programs events.
  • Commitment to advancing the ISGM’s diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) initiatives.
  • Legal authorization to work in the United States.

Desirable

  • Museum and/or non-profit experience.
  • Bilingual language skills: Spanish, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Cape Verdean Creole, or Portuguese a plus.

Our ideal candidate has:

  • A passion for the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s mission, our 2019-2024 institutional strategic plan, and the intersection of art and social justice.
  • An ability to articulate strategy and effectively direct the implementation of that strategy while leveraging the strengths and abilities of the team.
  • A proactive approach to making decisions, identifying problems, creating solutions, and driving projects to conclusion.
  • Demonstrated cross-organization and team-building skills with a collaborative management style.
  • Excellent analytical, interpersonal, organizational, and writing skills.
  • Strong public speaking and presentation skills.
  • Willingness to work nights and occasional weekends and holidays, as needed.
  • Must be within easy commuting distance as of their first day of employment.

To Apply

Please Apply Here

This job was sourced via AAM