Career Opportunity

Director of Galleries and Public Programs - SF Arts Commission (1823)

Recruitment: RTF0127040-01149529

Published: June 30, 2022

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About:

The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) is the City agency that champions the arts as essential to daily life by investing in a vibrant arts community, enlivening the urban environment and shaping innovative cultural policy. The SFAC envisions a San Francisco where the transformative power of art is critical to strengthening neighborhoods, building infrastructure and fostering positive social change. We believe the arts create inspiring personal experiences, illuminate the human condition and offer meaningful ways to engage with each other and the world around us. We imagine a vibrant San Francisco where creativity, prosperity and progress go hand in hand. We advance artists’ ideas to improve the quality of life for everyone through a united cultural sector whose contributions are vital and valued. Learn more about our work at: http://www.sfartscommission.org/

The SFAC has adopted the following Racial Equity Statement: 

The San Francisco Arts Commission is committed to creating a city where all artists and cultural workers have the freedom, resources and platform to share their stories, art and culture and where race does not predetermine one’s success in life. We also acknowledge that we occupy traditional and unceded Ohlone land. Fueled by these beliefs, we commit to addressing the systemic inequities within our agency, the City and County of San Francisco and the broader arts and culture sector. This work requires that we focus on race as we confront inequities of the past, reveal inequities of the present and develop effective strategies to move all of us towards an equitable future.

Role description

The Director of Galleries and Public Programs curates and produces exhibitions and public programs that expand the dialogue between contemporary art and issues of our time, develop community partnerships and oversee guest curators.  The Director is responsible for developing and sustaining a multifaceted, dynamic and progressive-thinking program that seeks to broaden awareness of the relationship between the arts and our civic realm, through producing exhibitions and public programs that meet standards of excellence and address SFAC’s values and goals.

In collaboration with senior leadership, the Director of Galleries and Public Programs develops the goals and vision of the program, curates exhibitions, oversees marketing and promotions efforts, manages the annual budget, and establishes working relationships with guest curators, programmatic partners and 150+ artists annually. The Director also oversees travelling exhibitions, the Sister City Exchange program and the SFAC Artist in Residence Program.

Responsibilities include:

• Ensure that the SFAC Galleries presents high-quality curated and juried exhibitions that highlight works by racially and culturally diverse local, regional, national and international contemporary artists at our two Civic Center locations (4 exhibitions annually in the Main Gallery, Veterans Building; 2 exhibitions annually in the Lower Level and North Light Court, City Hall). 
• Develop and produce on-site and off-site public programs (artist talks, panel discussions, workshops, performances, film screenings, literary events) and educational tours which reinforce and expand dialogue relating to the content of our exhibitions and work as an Agency.
• Develop and maintain relationships with the Mayor’s Office of Protocol; Sister City Committees; curators, artists and municipal galleries in San Francisco’s 18 Sister Cities; and produce cultural exchanges with our Sister Cities that promote cultural production and the work of contemporary artists in each city.
• Responsible for developing partnerships with community arts organizations, integrating the Galleries and programs with the San Francisco community, and facilitating collaboration with Bay Area visual arts institutions and galleries.
• Further develop and expand our Artist-In-Residence Program by developing relationships with other City Departments that could host an artist in residence; and oversee program goals and outcomes, calls for proposals, and selection process.
• Work with contract graphic designers and SFAC Communications Director to produce press releases and promotional collateral for all exhibitions.
• Provide administrative and financial oversight for budgeting, invoicing, and archival database.
• Supervise a staff of four employees (3 FT, 1 PT), contractors and interns.
• Participate as a programmatic leader for the agency and collaborate with other Program Directors to provide consistency in developing programs and implementing policies and procedures.  

How to qualify

Desirable Qualifications:

Education:  bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Art History, Art, Anthropology, Museum Administration, Museum Studies, or related field.

Experience: Three (3) years of managerial museum/gallery experience, including supervising staff.

Minimum Qualifications: 

1. Possession of a graduate degree (Master's degree or higher) from an accredited college or university and three (3) years of full-time equivalent experience performing professional level analytical work as described in Note A: OR

2. Possession of a graduate degree (Master's degree or higher) from an accredited college or university with major college coursework as described in Note B and two (2) years full-time equivalent experience performing professional level analytical work as described in Note A; OR

3. Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and four (4) years full-time equivalent experience performing professional level analytical work as described in Note A; OR

4. Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with major college coursework as described in Note B and three (3) years full-time equivalent performing professional level analytical work as described in Note A

SUBSTITUTION: Applicants may substitute up to 2 years of the required education with additional qualifying experience in museum/gallery management, including supervising staff budget analysis, financial analysis and reporting, legislative/policy analysis, or contract/grant administration. One year (2000 hours) of additional qualifying experience will be considered equivalent to 30 semester units/45 quarter units.

Notes on Qualifying Experience and Education:

A. Qualifying professional-level analytical experience must be in one or more of the following functional areas: managerial museum/gallery experience, including supervising staff; complex budget analysis, development and administration; complex financial/fiscal analysis and reporting; development of complex contracting systems and administration of competitive bid processes and complex contractual agreements; development and evaluation of complex management/administrative policy; complex grant administration and monitoring; complex program evaluation and planning; complex legislative analysis; complex economic analysis; or other functional areas related to the duties of positions in Class 1823, where the primary focus of the job is complex professional-level analysis for evaluation, recommendation, development and implementation of major programs and functions of department/organization. Analytical experience equivalent to the duties of Class 1822 is considered qualifying.

B. Coursework applicable to a baccalaureate or higher degree in specialized subject matter areas such as Art History, Art, Anthropology, Museum Administration, Museum Studies, public or business administration, management, business law, contract law, public policy, urban studies, economics, statistical analysis, finance, accounting or other fields of study closely related to the essential functions of this position. 

What else should I know?

Salary: $105,118 - $127,738 Annually
This position may close at anytime, but not before June 30th.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Additional Information

•Benefits Overview

•Conviction History

•Other Information about the Hiring Process

•Disaster Service Workers

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:  All City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Someone is fully vaccinated when 14 days have passed since they received the final dose of a two-shot vaccine or a dose of a one-shot vaccine. Any new hire must present proof of full vaccination status to be appointed. Any new hire who will be routinely assigned or occasionally enter High-Risk Settings, must provide proof of having received a COVID-19 booster vaccine by March 1, 2022, or once eligible.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.