Exhibitions and Digital Media Specialist

Illinois State•Normal, IL

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Exhibitions and Digital Media Specialist serves multiple functions at University Galleries and teaches within the School of Creative Technologies. This position assists the Director and Chief Curator in organizing, installing, publicizing, maintaining, archiving, and providing programming for exhibitions and collections. The Exhibitions and Digital Media Specialist curates exhibitions of artworks from the permanent collection and creates related public programming opportunities. This position writes press releases; updates the gallery’s website and other online accounts; documents exhibitions; organizes and updates image archives; and serves a key role in visitor engagement. They also assist the School of Creative Technologies with digital documentation and publicity. This position researches and implements emerging technologies for exhibitions and assists with accessibility of materials. The Exhibitions and Digital Media Specialist functions as the Preparator and works closely with the Director, Registrar, and student workers to install and maintain exhibitions. They also maintain and update the exhibition supplies and tools; supervise the technology inventory; and supervise or assist with all aspects of exhibition installation. This position helps maintain the permanent collection, trains gallery interns and graduate assistants, acts as a liaison to faculty and students for their exhibitions, and engages in various other administrative and educational duties. University Galleries’ mission is to foster a greater understanding of contemporary art in our university and community, while providing support for artists at pivotal points in their careers. Our exhibitions feature both emerging and established artists, often those whose work has not been previously presented in a comprehensive manner. We have organized the first U.S. surveys for artists including: Jen Bervin, Bethany Collins, Carrie Schneider, Walter Robinson, David Wojnarowicz, Martin Wong, Juan Angel Chávez, Nadia Hotait, Jason Lazarus, Michelle Grabner, Allan Sekula, and Tony Tasset. We have organized large-scale exhibitions for Terry Adkins, Aram Han Sifuentes, Basim Magdy, T.J. Dedeaux-Norris, Alice Hargrave, Oliver Herring, Dianna Frid, and Keith Haring, among many others. We also provide exhibition opportunities for Illinois State University students and faculty. Through a partnership between Illinois State University and the Town of Normal, University Galleries is located in Uptown Normal. This increased visibility and accessibility has allowed us to greatly expand our programming not only for university partners, but also for K-12 schools, non-profit organizations, and community members. Since 2021, University Galleries has been a three-time recipient of the Center for Civic Engagement’s Unit Award. The School of Creative Technologies combines interdisciplinary arts innovation and integrated technology. Academic paths include Game Design, Interdisciplinary Technologies, and Audio and Music Production.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Creative Technologies, Art History, Curatorial Studies, Studio Art, or a related field.
Two years' experience working in an art gallery or museum.
Strong knowledge of contemporary art and general knowledge of art history.
Experience with digital asset creation and manipulation.
Ability to work collaboratively with diverse groups of people.
Ability to catalogue and handle works of art, including storage and packing.
Ability to design and supervise exhibition installations.
Strong interpersonal skills.
Extemporaneous speaking skills needed to conduct tours of exhibitions and interact with an all-ages audience.
Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office Suite, and Mac computers.
Strong skills in professional writing.
Valid driver's license.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated digital design skills.
Proficiency with digital photography.
Two years’ experience teaching in a K-12, higher education, and/or community education setting.
Experience setting up and operating exhibition-related technology including computers, projectors, monitors, media players, and speakers.
Experience with emerging technologies, including augmented and virtual reality.
Grant-writing experience.

Responsibilities

Assists the Director and Chief Curator in organizing, installing, publicizing, maintaining, archiving, and providing programming for exhibitions and collections.
Curates exhibitions of artworks from the permanent collection and creates related public programming opportunities.
Writes press releases; updates the gallery’s website and other online accounts; documents exhibitions; organizes and updates image archives; and serves a key role in visitor engagement.
Assists the School of Creative Technologies with digital documentation and publicity.
Researches and implements emerging technologies for exhibitions and assists with accessibility of materials.
Functions as the Preparator and works closely with the Director, Registrar, and student workers to install and maintain exhibitions.
Maintains and updates exhibition supplies and tools; supervises the technology inventory; and supervises or assists with all aspects of exhibition installation.
Helps maintain the permanent collection.
Trains gallery interns and graduate assistants.
Acts as a liaison to faculty and students for their exhibitions.
Engages in various other administrative and educational duties.