Specialist, Gallery Activation

School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL • Chicago, IL

362d • Remote

About The Position

As part of the area of Gallery Activation within the department of Interpretation, the Specialist, Gallery Activation helps develop in-gallery programmatic content and experiences with works of art, especially public tours, engaging audiences more closely with the museum and with art in our collections and exhibitions. They help shape socially relevant thematics and storylines, contribute to realizing these through in-gallery tour experiences, and integrate accessibility strategies throughout. They regularly give tours and contribute to planning and implementing training and support of volunteers, adjuncts, interns, fellows, and others, assisting with evaluation as appropriate. The Specialist also contributes generally to the administrative and programmatic support of Gallery Activation activities as needed. The Specialist is an active member of the educational community of Chicago and the museum field. They build relationships with members of Chicago's artistic and cultural communities to deepen audience connections and position the museum as an important space in the learning ecosystem of Chicago. This position requires regular onsite time commitment and a Wednesday-Sunday, 9:00-5:00 pm work week, with flexibility to accommodate occasional evening programming.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Minimum 1 year of experience working with communities, artists, adults, or college students in museums or other informal learning settings required.
• Previous experience teaching with works of art and general knowledge of art history required.
• Experience working directly with the public leading tours in an art museum or gallery setting is highly desirable.
• Spanish fluency preferred.
• Energy and enthusiasm for the mission of the museum and demonstrated commitment to advancing the museum's values.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, including ability to communicate with audiences of different backgrounds, levels of knowledge, and types of ability.
• Highly collaborative. Ability to function effectively as part of a team.
• Digital fluency essential; experience with data fidelity, database management, and museum object records preferred; proficiency in MSOffice, Google suite and experience with remote work systems required.

Responsibilities

• Plans and facilitates a robust set of onsite public gallery tours for multi-generational constituencies with a focus on adults.
• Teaches at least six times per week for the benefit of adult or general audiences in the museum.
• Researches the museum collection and exhibitions in order to develop and facilitate a variety of innovative learning experiences.
• Actively maintains knowledge of permanent collection, exhibition artworks, and museum learning.
• Leads tours and experiences in the galleries, the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Learning Center and online.
• Contributes to the planning and implementation of the teaching corps supporting recruitment, curriculum development, and ongoing training for volunteers, interns, fellows, staff, and more as needed.
• Supports impact assessment, gathering participant input and data.
• Contributes to project development discussions, generating insights and ideas for implementing programs and other initiatives in in-Gallery Learning, the department of Interpretation, and the museum.
• Maintains clear communication with colleagues about ongoing priorities, goals, and projects.
• Performs other duties as required.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Comprehensive benefits package
• Paid time off

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Industry: Educational Services
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree