Assistant Curator

Friends of the High Line•New York, NY

13d•$61,200 - $65,000

About The Position

Reporting to the Associate Curator of High Line Art and working under the direction of the Director & Chief Curator, the Assistant Curator is responsible for a broad range of tasks related to the coordination and development of High Line Art’s program. Thriving in a fast-paced, creative environment, they contribute ideas and conduct other curatorial work to support High Line Art’s program, and collaborate across teams within Friends of the High Line to ensure that needs around installations and programs are communicated and fulfilled. They work closely with the Associate Curator to present commissioned, site-specific performances, and help to conceive of public programs connected to the art program. They lead on logistical, administrative, and operational support, including but not limited to liaising with artists, conducting research, managing budgets, and organizing and archiving photos, videos, and contacts. They also act as ambassadors for the program, leading tours and presentations to volunteers, partners and different groups.

Requirements

Three years’ administrative-related work experience
BA degree in art history or related field or comparable work experience
Excellent writing & research skills
Outstanding verbal communication skills
Interest in modern and contemporary art
Fluency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google G-Suite (Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides), and Asana
Exceptional attention to detail, professionalism and discretion in handling sensitive situations and matters

Nice To Haves

Experience working in a cultural institution such as museum or library
Familiarity with Adobe Suite (Acrobat, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
Excellent organizational skills with a high-level of attention to detail and ability to support several colleagues and projects
Self-starter, able to work independently as well as be a team player
Creative thinker
Ability to prioritize across a fast-paced work environment and manage more than one project at a time while completing assignments on deadline
Sense of humor
Willingness and ability to work occasional weekends and weeknights
Willingness and ability to work in an outdoor environment and traverse the High Line on a regular basis in all weather conditions
Willingness and ability to work in a flexible work environment

Responsibilities

Work closely with the Associate Curator to produce and present High Line performance commissions; overseeing castings, managing budgets, coordinating staging, set-up, and breakdown, and coordinating with the production team on A/V and staffing, and liaising with other internal departments.
Work directly with artists to project manage the planning and exhibition of their work on the High Line – this includes overseeing budgets, collaborators, and external vendors for Performance, Channel, and Art Off Line.
Propose and execute, in collaboration with the Special Projects department, public programs that complement High Line Commissions, Plinth, Channel, and Billboard.
Lead all workflow between High Line Art and the Communications department to ensure timely and smooth flow of information both via Asana & weekly meetings; provide content for art website pages, and provide images, captions, and text for digital communication (enews, social media, blog posts, etc), signage, and brochures.
Draft and execute, with the support of General Counsel, agreements, contracts, loan forms, permits, and insurance documents for the department.
Manage and update all High Line Art master documents, and maintain the organization and archiving of all High Line Art files on Google Drive & internal server. This includes the photo and video archive related to upcoming, current, and past projects (download, edit, and organize digital files, captions, and credits).
Liaise with artists and galleries to collect materials (biographies, images, catalogues, overviews, presentations, event printed programs, etc).
Arrange and conduct special tours and presentations for volunteers, colleagues, supporters, and other relevant visitors.
Support curatorial staff in their research and preparation for Commissions, Channel, and Performances, including publications, online content, loans, and other general curatorial affairs.
Support the curatorial team in all areas of their responsibilities, including administrative work, e.g., taking detailed minutes of meetings, preparing presentations, drafting interoffice and extra-institutional communications, working with budgets, processing invoices, scheduling meetings, tracking reimbursable expenses, and other duties as assigned.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Paid primary and secondary caregiver leave
20 Vacation days, 7 sick days, and 10 paid holidays with floating holidays & Winter Fridays, Discounts Citi Bike Membership
Discounts with vendors at the High Line & around the Meatpacking neighborhood
Free entrance to the Whitney Museum
Supplemental short-term disability insurance and paid life insurance
Commuter benefits
Flexible Spending Accounts
Contribution in a 403(b) retirement plan
Employee Assistance Program