Coordinator, Public Programs and Education, Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery at Concordia University

Installation view of the exhibition The Golden Square Mile, a project by Deanna Bowen at the Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery, Concordia University, Montreal, 2024. Courtesy of the Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery. Photo: Jean-Michael Seminaro

Terms: Full time, permanent, bilingual EN/FR (Level 5)
Salary Range: $70,819.75 - $84,590.55 per annum
Location:  Tiohtià:ke/Montreal, Concordia University, Sir George Williams campus (Downtown)
Union/Association/HR Policy: CUPEU
Reporting To: Director

Application Deadline: July 31, 2024

The Ellen:

The Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery at Concordia University is committed to researching, exhibiting, documenting and disseminating contemporary art in a local, national and international context. Through its exhibitions, its educational and public programs and its publications, the Gallery promotes a greater awareness of art as a critical form of knowledge and as a way to engage in larger cultural debates with broad publics, art communities and with students and young adults.

Concordia:

Concordia is recognized as Canada’s top university under the age of 50, and one of Montreal’s top Employers. Be part of a community that addresses society’s big challenges, supports your personal and professional growth, and makes a real impact in building a more sustainable world. As a member of our community, you will have access to comprehensive benefits, a defined pension plan and numerous on site well-being facilities such as a state of the art gym and health clinic as well as a variety of educational and cultural opportunities.

The Opportunity:

In this Public Programs and Education role, you will play a central part in the Ellen’s programming, as it supports engaged, self-reflexive and critical forms of participation on site, online, on campus and beyond.

Our programs respond to the artists we collaborate with, as well as the communities, issues, tensions, projections, and changes that shape the society we live in. Work with our team to amplify the critical angles that context, standpoint and experience can bring to thinking about and engaging with art, exhibition-making and learning communities. Help us to foster an understanding of collaborative transformation as we centre dialogue with the artists and the wider communities around us.

Archives as Resistance, a talk by Désirée Rochat, April 3, 2024. As part of the exhibition The Golden Square Mile, at the Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery, Concordia University. Photo: Steven Smith Simard

Primary Responsibilities:

• Initiate, coordinate and participate in programs in-person and online (in both English and French) that facilitate the public’s (students, faculty, and the general public) engagement with issues raised by the Gallery’s exhibitions including exhibition tours, artist and curator talks, panel discussions, lectures, film screenings, mini-colloquia, performance series and workshops, among other formats.
• Oversee the budget and manage event activity logistics in collaboration with appropriate staff, university services and when necessary, external services.
• Develop and produce (EN/FR) printed and web-based information and documentation that accompanies the exhibitions, events and activities. Compose communications texts for the promotion of events.
• Develop and implement a tours strategy (EN/FR) for each exhibition, and a framework for a tours program in a third language.
• Seek out and cultivate partnerships with university departments, associations, and external organizations that mutually enrich each party’s mission. Seek out appropriate funding for the Gallery’s outreach and public programs. Collaborate on grant applications as needed by the Director.
• Maintain a dialogue with the Director and as required with curators and artists, regarding the form and content of the Gallery’s public engagement. Conduct research on areas addressed by the gallery’s programming and remain informed on the latest developments in art and curating.
• Develop and execute outreach strategies to grow and maintain the Gallery’s public within the university, city at large, and online. Host and represent the Gallery during public programs and activities. Report and evaluate event attendance and tour participation.
• Initiate occasional one-time or recurrent non-exhibition-based programs that address larger artistic and curatorial issues relevant to the Gallery’s programming and vision.
• Coordinate and oversee the curatorial internship related to public programs, when applicable.
• Undertake other tasks as required by the Director.

Brain of Grandma Skin of Stone, performance by Poncili Creación presented at Espace Transmission. Two-part program is co-organized by the Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery and the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Society and Culture (CISSC) at Concordia University. Photo: Lynn Kodeih

Qualifications:

• Masters degree in Arts Education, Art History or Curatorial Studies or in a field related to the primary responsibilities, with two to four years’ experience developing public programs in an art institution. Ph.D  an asset.
• Knowledge of, and a keen interest in and commitment to, contemporary art and curatorial practice.
• Very good knowledge (Level 5) of written and spoken English and French. Knowledge of Arabic or other third language an asset.
• Copy editing skills in English and/or French an asset.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Word and Intermediate Excel and Powerpoint skills in a MAC environment.  Graphic design skills an asset.
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal and communications skills, and ability to multitask and work under tight deadlines.
• Ability to interact with and lead audiences in public exchanges.
• Ability to work independently, be resourceful and develop and realize original initiatives.
• Ability to work flexible hours to accommodate gallery events; hours will not exceed a 35 hour work week, irregular schedule is from September to June.
• Familiarity with cloud computing, videoconferencing and workplace collaboration tools.
• Ability to organize and manage events online via zoom, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms.  Knowledge of event promotion on social media an asset.

Concordia University is an English-language institution of higher learning at which the primary language of instruction and research is English. Since this position supports academic and administrative functions of the university, proficiency in English and French, as indicated, is required.

IMPORTANT: The language and computer skills of short-listed candidates will be tested.

Territorial Acknowledgement:

Concordia University is located on unceded Indigenous lands. The Kanien’kehá:ka Nation is recognized as the custodians of the lands and waters on which we gather today. Tiohtià:ke/Montreal is historically known as a gathering place for many First Nations. Today, it is home to a diverse population of Indigenous and other peoples. We respect the continued connections with the past, present and future in our ongoing relationships with Indigenous and other peoples within the Montreal community.

Click here for a full job description, for instructions on how to apply, and for notes on Employment Equity, Accessibility and Immigration Status

Please apply via the official Concordia portal provided in the link. We do not accept submission via email. It will be a pleasure to answer any of your questions either by email or by phone.

Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery
Concordia University
1400 boul. De Maisonneuve Ouest
Ground Floor of the McConnell Library Building
514.848.2424 ext. 4752
General information: ellen.artgallery@concordia.ca

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