DIRECTOR OF CURATORIAL AFFAIRS

DIRECTOR OF CURATORIAL AFFAIRS 

The Museum

With a growing list of awards for its originality and leadership, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) is experiencing phenomenal growth and has earned recognition within the museum community. Its intrepidly designed exhibitions blend multiple artistic disciplines and are exported around the world. In addition, the MMFA’s educational and cultural programs benefit from the wealth of its collection and its collaborations with countless partners to teach, inspire and propose appropriate solutions for today’s social issues. Simultaneously an agora of the arts, a lab open to experiments of all kinds and a museum with strong social values, the MMFA is constantly redefining itself to keep pace with our dynamic city. With over one million visitors a year, the MMFA is one of the most visited museums in Canada and North America.

The Team

The Museum is distinguished by the talent and expertise of some 300 employees and 400 volunteers dedicated to its mission. Hailing from a broad range of professional and cultural horizons, the members of this outstanding team wholly reflect Montreal’s cultural diversity and creative energy. They fully identify with the humanist, innovative and bold values of the MMFA, ensuring its daily development as a centre of excellence.   

The Challenge

The Museum is seeking a Director of Curatorial Affairs, reporting to the Director General and Chief Curator, to direct its collections, exhibitions, conservation, library, archives, administration of exhibitions, mounting of exhibitions, scholarly publications, and the curatorial team. In cooperation with the Museum’s Directors, the person selected will ensure the management of Curatorial Affairs in accordance with the Museum’s mission, objectives and strategic plan. 

Chief Responsibilities 

• Collaborate on and support the implementation of the Museum’s strategic orientation, its exhibition programming and its collection priorities, as defined and agreed upon with the Director General and Chief Curator. 

• Along with the Director General and Museum Management, control the budgets pertaining to expenditures and the management of Curatorial resources.

• Support the administration of exhibitions, loans, and contract and financial negotiations.

• Mobilize, coordinate, plan and support the activities of the curatorial staff, namely 70 professionals, including curators and skilled technicians, and maintain a positive and harmonious work climate.

• Monitor the planning of operations and deliverables, the management of curatorial resources, the meeting of deadlines and the quality of returns respecting curatorial activities. Ensure content professionalism, accessibility and quality of design within the reach of the public, in accordance with the needs of other departments. 

• With the Curators, represent the Museum among institutions in Quebec, Canada and abroad. 

• With the Curators, support the development of local, national and international partnerships through representations, negotiations and invitations.

• Build and support donor networks for monetary gifts and gifts of works of art in Canada and abroad, in close cooperation with the Foundation, Curators, and the Director General and Chief Curator. 

• Sit on the Executive Committee of the Office of the Director General and provide advice on all matters pertaining to the sound operation of the Curatorial Division in cooperation with the Museum’s four other divisions. 

Specific Responsibilities 

• Along with the Curators and Acquisition Committees, ensure that priorities respecting acquisitions are consistent with the developmental focus of the collections.

• Ensure follow-up of the work performed by Curators and Guest Curator for collections and exhibitions.

• Ensure follow-up of the execution of operations related to the movements of works of art, in accordance with the current standards for permanent and temporary exhibitions held at the Museum.

• Coordinate and ensure follow-up of activities with department heads in connection with restoration, conservation, and production of exhibitions.

• With department heads:

1. Support the implementation of principles and practices respecting preventive conservation and restoration of works;

2. Support activities related to management of the collections and research. 

3. Support the various areas of expertise in the library, archives, copyright and photography, and the priorities set for the holdings of the library and private archives.

4. Support the strategic directions and parameters of scientific programs. 

5. Supervise and coordinate management of the programming schedule, planning of renderings, respect for program delivery pertaining to lists of loans, texts and photographs for scientific publications and educational texts and exhibition layouts. 

6. Supervise and coordinate the exhibition production team. 

• Maintain team spirit and an atmosphere in which everyone’s skills are acknowledged so as to facilitate the performance of their respective responsibilities. 

Requirements:

• Doctorate in art history and/or museology and cultural management;

• At least ten (10) years’ museum or gallery experience;

• Significant managerial experience in the planning, coordination, negotiation, and contract and financial management of exhibitions, writers, artists and commissioners of artworks;

• Extensive experience in leadership, work organization, effective personnel management, budget monitoring and collaborative work;

• Proven skills in art history and as a manager of resources and projects;

• Accountability: strong sense of planning, meeting deadlines, and controlling budgets and the quality of deliverables;

• Experience in negotiating loans of works of art, contracts (institutions, creators and loans);

• Great know-how in bringing people together, teamwork and effective communication. 

• Tact, diplomacy and excellent interpersonal skills focussed on the valorization of individual skills and responsibilities;

• Recognized for his/her sense of innovation and excelling;

• Have a network of museum partners, collectors and donors in Canada and abroad;

• Demonstrate resilience and openness in dealing with organizational changes;

• Strategically minded and efficient in developing resources;

• Outstanding communication skills both within and outside the museum;

• Availability and commitment to teams;

• Writing skills: has published art books, catalogues or research articles;

• Thorough command of French and English;