Head of Gallery - VCUarts Qatar temporary appointment with an 18-month term faculty contract - Virginia Commonwealth University

Head of Gallery (temporary appointment with an 18month term faculty contract)

Virginia Commonwealth University
School of the Arts in Qatar

Position: Head of Gallery
Program: Office of Research and Development
Location: Doha Qatar
Position Begins: Summer/Fall 2024
Consideration Process: Those who wish to express interest in this opportunity are invited to submit their materials for best consideration by Friday May 24 2024. Materials will be considered as they are received and until a Head of Gallery is identified. Additional instructions for consideration are provided below.

The Opportunity:

VCUarts Qatar is excited to announce an opportunity for a Head of Gallery that will support and promote the Schools vision and mission through impactful exhibitions speakers and relevant public programs. This opportunity is a temporary 18month term faculty appointment that will develop and implement a curatorial vision to guide an ambitious exhibition and speaker program and elevate the intellectual contributions of the VCUarts Qatar Gallery in local regional and global discourse. The Head of Gallery will be a dynamic professional with a prominent curatorial voice and vision with significant handson experience in all aspects of curation exhibition design and associated activities.

The Head of Gallery will have curatorial experience working across disciplines in art design and art history. This position will provide leadership and vision for the VCUarts Qatar Gallery teach or coteach undergraduate or graduatelevel courses and engage in creative practice and/or scholarly research that speaks to their own areas of interest. With an emphasis on showcasing work from emerging and established artists and designers the Gallery facilitates wideranging activities and public programs at VCUarts Qatar including the Crossing Boundaries Lecture and Workshop Series Wavelength Lecture Series Project Spaces exhibitions the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) exhibitions while partnering with the Hamad Bin Khalifa Symposium on Islamic Art and the Tasmeem Doha conference.

It is expected that a competitive international search will be conducted during theacademic year with the goal of identifying a permanent Head of Gallery to start in late 2025/early 2026. The temporary Head of Gallery will be eligible to apply for the permanent opportunity when it is announced.

There are generous benefits associated with the temporary 18month temporary appointment:

• Competitive international salary
• Tax protection for U.S. Taxpayers
• 30% Offshore supplement
• Medical Insurance (100% employer funded premium and employer cost shared options available)
• Fully furnished villa or apartment including wireless internet
• Annual travel allowance to home of record (to include a spouse and dependents relocated to Qatar)
• Monthly transportation allowance
• Educational reimbursement for up to 4 dependent children enrolled in an accredited K12 program
• International Professional Development and Research Opportunities

VCUarts Qatar:

VCUarts Qatar is the international branch campus of Virginia Commonwealth Universitys School of the Arts (VCUarts). Located in Richmond Virginia VCUarts (confidential is the topranked public art school in the U.S. VCUarts Qatar was established in 1998 through a partnership with the Qatar Foundation and offers students the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in fashion design graphic design interior design and painting & printmaking; a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history; and a Master of Fine Arts degree in design. It is currently in the process of establishing a BFA in Kinetic Imaging program. Located in Doha the capital city of Qatar VCUarts Qatar is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art & Design the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Council for Interior Design Accreditation. The current student body represents a diverse range of nationalities with students coming from 34 countries.

VCUarts Qatar is dedicated to global outreach and education and provides students with an environment for crosscultural exchange that fosters inquiry discovery and innovation. Examples of this mission are the two significant international conferences hosted by VCUarts Qatarthe biennial design conference Tasmeem and the biennial Hamad bin Khalifa Symposium on Islamic Art. VCUarts Qatar attracts globally recognized designers artists and scholars while fostering partnerships within the region and beyond that enhance the educational economic and cultural vitality of Qatar. Having established itself as a center of excellence for education and research VCUarts Qatar has substantial involvement with the influential art and design world of the Middle East and is a catalyst for the growth and development of these fields in the region. VCUarts Qatar has over 120 fulltime faculty and staff and a student body of over 300 students. VCUarts Qatar was the first campus established in Education City a unique 2500acre multiversity campus. VCUarts Qatar was joined by Georgetown Universitys School of Foreign Service CarnegieMellon University Texas A&M University Weill Cornell Medical College Northwestern University and HEC Paris.

Qatar with English as the standard second language is a progressive country in the Arabian Gulf and remains one of the healthiest economies in the Gulf region. Doha offers all the conveniences found in a contemporary and cosmopolitan city while honoring a rich tradition that is evident in the old markets and the citys Islamic Arab architecture. AlWakrah Stadium a venue for the 2022 FIFA World Cup designed by the defunct deconstructivist architect Zaha Hadid was inaugurated in 2021. The National Museum of Qatar designed by Jean Nouvel opened in March 2019 while the Museum of Islamic Art designed by I.M.Pei opened in November 2008 and the Arab Museum of Modern Art (Mathaf) opened in 2010. The U.S. Embassy considers Qatar among the safest countries in the world for Americans.

VCUarts:

Ranked by US News & World Report as a topfive arts and design school VCUarts (arts.vcu.edu) includes over 3000 undergraduate and graduate students with nationally recognized programs in design visual and performing arts and has an annual budget of $38 million and an endowment of more than $13.5 million. Students are taught by over 175 fulltime teaching and research faculty members and the school is supported by over 70 staff members that assist in daily processes. The School includes two campuses; one in Richmond and one in Doha Qatar. The Richmond campus is located on the universitys 75acre Monroe Park campus situated in the citys historic Fan District. Ultimately the work of the School of the Arts extends globally with partnerships throughout the world and across fields as diverse as the humanities health care and business.

Major Responsibilities:

• Provides leadership and curatorial vision to guide the Gallery programming focused on contemporary art design and art history;
• Provides oversight of the daytoday operational management of wideranging art and design gallery activities;
• Develop and teach courses on topics relevant to areas of expertise with a willingness to teach courses across the academic departments. Courses may be taught at the undergraduate and/or graduate level;
• Serves as a managing editor for the Gallery website;
• Supports and enriches the educational research and outreach aspirations of VCUarts Qatar working collaboratively with school and departmental leaders faculty staff and other relevant stakeholders;
• Works collaboratively with interdepartmental staff vendors and clients coordinating daily activities and facilitating the timely completion of projects.
• Collaborates with the Gallery Committee to initiate develop coordinate and provide leadership on internal and external exhibitions and guest lectures that consistently attain standards of international excellence in alignment with the strategic goals of VCUarts Qatar and the University.
• Collaborates with colleagues on the VCU Home Campus such as VCUarts Anderson Gallery and the Institute of Contemporary Arts.
• Builds collaborations with community and cultural organizations and engages a wide audience that includes students faculty local residents and visitors throughout the world;
• Supervises the Exhibitions and Lectures Assistant who supports daytoday operations;
• Performs other duties as assigned by the supervisor or needed within the general duties typically associated with this position.

Qualifications:

• MA MFA or equivalent in Art/Design History Art/Design Criticism Museum Studies or related academic disciplines;
• Minimum of five (5) years of curatorial experience in a Gallery museum nonprofit or higher education in a supervisory/management role with progressive responsibility for designing and carrying out a full range of programs or projects;
• Experience overseeing and ensuring standards of excellence in museum and curatorial principles exhibition design practices and procedures and an understanding and sensitivity to professional ethics related to working with designers artists and speakers;
• Demonstrated creativity and innovation in developing and implementing all stages of an exhibition including basic conversations of works of arts exhibition design registrars procedures the accession process installation and a basic understanding of legal procedures of import/export logistic and hospitality for artists agreements for securing loans and repatriation issues;
• Broad working knowledge of art/design history of all periods and specialized knowledge in contemporary art/design familiarity and knowledge of nonWestern art/design is a benefit;
• Strong writing skills for historical and critical analysis of art and design with the ability to write for both scholarly and general audiences;
• Experience writing and directing all promotional and academic materials such as exhibition catalogs in support of exhibitions and speakers;
• Experience coordinating guest speakers and presenting speakers to an audience;
• Independent strong project management skills and excellent organizational skills with the ability to organize resources budget management establish priorities and manage deadlines;
• Excellent ability to work effectively with a diverse group of administrators faculty staff students artists and suppliers and develop and maintain favorable external and internal partnerships with the various constituencies of VCUarts Qatar VCU Richmond and local creative industries;
• Experience with international project collaboration and working with academic community cultural and educational institutions in an inclusive and culturally sensitive manner;
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty staff and student environment or commitment to do so as a staff member at VCUarts Qatar;
• Must possess excellent verbal and written English language proficiency;
• Established research agenda and a clear potential for external funding as well as a potential for a scholarship or creative expression to complement and expand existing expertise in the department/unit.

Consideration Process and Instructions:

Virginia Commonwealth University is committed to organizational diversity equity and inclusion an environment where all can thrive in their pursuit of excellence.

Those who wish to express interest in this opportunity are requested to submit a Statement of Contributions to Diversity Equity and Inclusion (typically between 150300 words) providing your career aspirations and contributions toward promoting diversity equity and inclusion. Through this statement you can share how your lived experiences and academic and professional activities will impact your contribution to VCUs mission of promoting equity and inclusion.

Note: Examples include working with others to further the goals of equity and inclusion; leading in any capacity that tangibly promotes an environment where diversity is welcomed fostered and celebrated; creative activity research and scholarship that promotes equity and parity; teaching and mentoring students and/or engaging with faculty and/or staff from traditionally underrepresented groups to create a positive and successful organizational experience. For additional guidance on writing a Statement of Contributions to Diversity Equity and Inclusion: confidential
To express your interest in being considered for this opportunity please submit following documents online via the VCU Jobs Website:

• Cover Letter (address interest and qualifications for the opportunity; include discussion of research agenda teaching and service activities);
• Curriculum Vitae;
• Reflective teaching statement (include approaches and philosophies; evidence of effective teaching; and potential courses in area of specialization)
• Portfolio of visual work that demonstrates curatorial experience;
• (2) Writing samples that demonstrate your communication skills and ability to write for scholarly and general audiences;
• List of three professional references including names with titles and contact information.
  (References will not be checked prior to candidates approval).

Only electronic materials submitted via the VCU Jobs Website will be accepted. For best consideration please submit materials by Friday May 24 2024. Materials will be considered as they are received and until a temporary Head of Gallery is identified.

Virginia Commonwealth University is committed to providing accessible and equitable living learning and working environments free from discrimination and harassment based on race color religion national or ethnic originage sex (including pregnancy) political affiliation veteran status genetic information sexual orientation gender identity gender expression or disability.

Position Type: Teaching & Research Faculty
Full time equivalent: 100%
Tenure: Open
Rank: Open
Months: 12
Department: Qatar Campus VCUarts

Salary: Commensurate with experience. Generous international benefits

This is an expression of interest process that will result in a temporary waiver appointment.