Director & Chief Curator, Contemporary Art Museum

University of South Florida•Tampa, FL

About The Position

USF’s Contemporary Art Museum (CAM) seeks a visionary leader to serve as the Director & Chief Curator who will steer curatorial vision of the museum while stewarding the permanent collection and integrating programming with the academic and research missions of the University. As a vital component of an AAU university, the Director & Chief Curator will oversee a program that bridges experimental contemporary art with academic rigor. The ideal candidate is a curatorial strategist and community builder capable of navigating the intersection of the international art world and the diverse cultural landscape of the Tampa Bay region. The Director will manage a talented team to build on CAM’s existing strengths and chart a new course for the future. Taking the curatorial lead, the Director will bring an ambitious perspective to defining the museum's scope and direction of exhibitions, programming, education and acquisitions. The individual will be encouraged to champion strategic thinking and approaches to contemporary art, while seizing opportunities to be creative, experimental, and innovative. The Director is a key member of the Dean’s Administrative Council - a collaborative, consultative, innovative and dynamic group of directors, who work closely to advance the mission and goals of the College and the University’s arts district. The Director & Chief Curator will be an empathetic and collaborative leader, who understands that an academic museum’s impact is measured by its integration into a university’s academic programs, as well as by attendance numbers. They will develop and execute an ongoing curatorial and programmatic schedule that supports the mission of the College of Design, Art & Performance, captures the interest of the community, and embraces the multidisciplinary vision of USF’s arts district. The USF Contemporary Art Museum is housed in The College of Design, Art and Performance (CDAP) at the University of South Florida (USF) located on the Tampa campus and reports to the Dean of CDAP. The museum is joined in CDAP by the Schools of Art and Art History, Theatre and Dance, Music and Architecture, in addition to Graphic studio. CAM researches, organizes, presents, commissions, and travels temporary exhibitions, manages the Public Art Program for USF, and shepherds and develops the permanent art collection. CAM engages students, faculty, and staff, and the broader Tampa Bay community, as well as national and international audiences, with educational programs including lectures, symposia, workshops, and community-based projects designed to promote dialogue, visual literacy, and creative thinking. CAM is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). As the creative center of the University of South Florida, the College of Design, Art & Performance provides an enriched, creative, and professional environment for tomorrow’s leaders in architecture, design, art, art history, dance, music, and theatre. The college is home to the university’s arts district, Contemporary Art Museum, Graphic studio and the Florida Center for Community Design. The college embraces opportunities to embed new and existing arts programming in the rapidly growing regional communities and serves as an integral engine for socioeconomic progress through its research, advocacy, and engagement.

Responsibilities

Steer curatorial vision of the museum
Steward the permanent collection
Integrate programming with the academic and research missions of the University
Oversee a program that bridges experimental contemporary art with academic rigor
Manage a talented team to build on CAM’s existing strengths and chart a new course for the future
Bring an ambitious perspective to defining the museum's scope and direction of exhibitions, programming, education and acquisitions
Champion strategic thinking and approaches to contemporary art
Develop and execute an ongoing curatorial and programmatic schedule that supports the mission of the College of Design, Art & Performance, captures the interest of the community, and embraces the multidisciplinary vision of USF’s arts district