Department Administrator, Visual Arts

Walker Art Center•Minneapolis, MN

4d•$28•Onsite

About The Position

The Walker Art Center is seeking a Department Administrator for its Visual Arts department. This key role ensures the effective administration of a busy curatorial department, overseeing daily operations, departmental finances, and contracts. Responsibilities include event management for exhibition openings, administration of public programs, support for the Permanent Collection Acquisitions process, and co-project management of the institution’s annual benefit auction. This role reports to the Senior Curator & Director of Visual Arts and partners with the Associate Director of Curatorial Affairs on budget oversight. The ideal candidate will have 2-3 years of experience coordinating curatorial department activities within the art museum field, a thorough understanding of acquisitions and exhibition development processes, and institutional budgets. Excellent communication, negotiation, and independent decision-making skills are essential, as is the ability to manage multiple projects with competing timelines.

Requirements

3+ years administrative support experience; preferably 2+ years working for senior level managers.
3+ years working in a standard office environment, having experience composing business correspondence, operating common office equipment, and using the full MS Office suite.
Knowledge of database and/or project managing applications preferred, particularly Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Office Suite; knowledge of Airtable and Tessitura a plus.
Demonstrated experience working with budgets, adhering to standard budgetary practices and fiscal controls.
Experience scheduling meetings and arranging travel (international and national) and associated hosting is strongly preferred.
Event management experience.
Demonstrated excellence in organization, prioritization and time management.
Proven ability to work independently.
Must be able to communicate professionally and diplomatically to a variety of audiences on multiple mediums.
Must be resourceful, being able to anticipate needs and adapt to unexpected challenges.
Experience working in the arts community and/or interest in contemporary art is a plus.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of Airtable and Tessitura a plus.

Responsibilities

Draft and manage Visual Arts departmental budget, which encompasses department events, hosting, discretionary travel, artist site visits, and other departmental activity.
Manage all artist, independent contractor, and visitor payments (artist fees, contractor fees, per diems, transportation, reimbursements, etc.)
Manage use of the department credit card, including making and monitoring purchases, reconciling appropriate expenditures, and working with Accounting to prepare for special circumstances, additional cards, and credit limit changes.
Draft and execute contracts and agreements for exhibition and collection-related artists, opening-day public program speakers, independent contractors, and estates.
Negotiate contracts with external vendors for exhibition related offsite dinners and opening events, Visual Arts-sponsored convenings, and other events.
Organize travel and lodging for artists, independent contractors, estates, and other VIPs.
Manage contract payment schedules and travel/lodging/payment records.
Provide itineraries, administrative support, and resources to visitors throughout travel and visit.
Assist with travel logistics for Senior Curator & Director of Visual Arts and other curators as requested by Senior Curator & Director of Visual Arts.
Serve as main point of contact in department for institutional needs including Visual Arts contributions to institutional and fundraising documents, including the Annual Report, Vital Signs, Long Range Acquisitions Plan, Institutional and Departmental Priorities; and other initiatives.
Manage departmental calendar, oversee the scheduling and agendas for departmental meetings and curatorial retreats.
Organize departmental hospitality for meetings, celebrations, and events.
Organize staff tours for Visual Arts exhibitions.
Support meeting and calendar management for Senior Curator and Director of Visual Arts.
Route interdepartmental deadlines and approvals including Seasonal Copy & Content Deadlines, Magazine Approvals, and the Reader deadlines (when applicable).
Respond to or route unsolicited emails and phone calls related to departmental, acquisition, or collection inquiries.
Administer onboarding plans for new Visual Arts employees with Senior Curator & Director of Visual Arts.
Serve as Visual Arts administrative partner and co-project manager with Director of Benefit Events and Curatorial Liaison for annual auction event tasked at raising up to $600,000.
Research, negotiate, and secure auction platform in collaboration with Director of Benefit Events and work closely with auction platform on all details.
Organize agendas and co-lead auction meetings, develop and track auction materials, and manage deadlines.
Manage internal and external communication, paperwork, timelines, payments, RSVPs, and document filing/archiving related to the auction.
In collaboration with Development department, manage invitations for Visual Arts guests, including drafting invitation copy, coordinating list generation and approvals, and collaboration with Marketing to send out invitations and reminders.
Manage Visual Arts guest RSVP tracking, RSVP entry into Tessitura, and all communication and visitor support for Visual Arts guests for opening events.
Serve as point of contact for Visual Arts VIPs throughout duration of event.
Negotiate private event contracts with restaurants for private dinners or offsite events.
Work closely with offsite venues and any external funders (including galleries and Walker trustees) for hosting offsite dinners/events; manage all arrangements, contracts, and financial transactions related to event.
Manage all logistics for private dinners/events, including routing all internal and external approvals; generating invitations; managing invitation lists; coordinating menus; tracking RSVPs; generating seating charts; and providing support for visiting artists, out-of-town guests, and other VIPs.
Negotiate contracts with hotels, transportation, and restaurants for events.
Process payments for hotels, transportation, and restaurant agreements.
Organize meetings, room reservations, catering, external dinners, and tours.
Generate invitations, manage invitation lists, track RSVPs and provide visitor support.
Serve as onsite point of contact for contracted partners and all visitors.
Serve as main point of contact for all exhibition opening-related public program speakers, overseeing speaker engagement from contracting to travel arrangements to hosting.
Organize tech checks, videography, photography, and all program-related meetings with necessary stakeholders.
Prepare related documents and coordinate with Curatorial, EP, VE, Marketing, and PELI teams for ongoing preparations and troubleshooting.
Serve as primary point of contact on day-of, communicating with Artist/Speakers, Curatorial, EP, VE, and PELI to manage day-of needs and program timing.
Oversee all offsite private dinners and other hosting, including negotiation of contracts and management of events.
Manage invitations, RSVPs, and tech support for Board of Trustees Acquisitions Committee Meetings.
Provide agenda updates, rescheduling, and tech support for Acquisition Discussion & Brainstorm Meetings with Visual Arts curatorial team, Chief Curator, and Executive Director.
Working with Curator of Visual Arts and Collections Strategy, provide administrative leadership for Long Range Acquisition Plan process.
Assist as needed with special collections initiatives.