Director/Curator, Woodstock Art Gallery

Woodstock Art Gallery entrance. Photo: Dudek Photography

Director/Curator
Woodstock Art Gallery

Application Deadline: April 14, 2025, 9am

The Woodstock Art Gallery is a vibrant cultural hub in the heart of downtown Woodstock that fosters the well-being of our community by preserving our local artistic heritage and cultivating new expressions and experiences of art. As the region’s only public art gallery the Gallery boasts a rich history and a deep commitment to fostering artistic expression and community engagement. With a dynamic collection of over 1,900 works, the Gallery is a vital space for creative exploration, innovation, and dialogue. The Gallery connects people to the transformative power of art through diverse exhibitions, educational programs, and community-driven initiatives. Offering an inspiring platform for emerging artists and established talent alike, the Gallery is dedicated to creating a welcoming, inclusive space where art intersects with culture, history, and community values.

With a growing collection and an expanding roster of programs, the Woodstock Art Gallery is seeking a Director/Curator to lead its operations, shape its artistic direction, and continue to build on its legacy of excellence. This is an exciting opportunity for a forward-thinking, visionary leader to ensure the Gallery’s future as a dynamic, innovative force within the cultural landscape of Ontario. If you are an experienced Director/Curator with a strong artistic vision and a drive to elevate the arts in a vibrant community, we want to hear from you.

Purpose of Position:

Reporting to the Manager of Culture on operational matters and to the Woodstock Art Gallery Advisory Board on strategic initiatives, the Director/Curator manages the Woodstock Art Gallery operations, exhibitions, collections, education programs, and all fundraising and marketing initiatives to fulfil the goals of the strategic plan set forth by the Woodstock Art Gallery Advisory Board. The Director/Curator cultivates relationships with artists, donors, and local community organizations and enhances the Gallery’s presence both locally and nationally through advocacy, outreach, collaborations, and exhibitions.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

Through the operating standards, plans, administrative procedures, policies, by-laws, and collective agreements of the City of Woodstock, supervises staff, students, interns and volunteers to ensure the efficient and effective operation of the Gallery.
Participates in grant programs from all levels of governments, arts council and foundations and fundraises and solicits sponsorships from corporations, local businesses, and individuals to meet the Gallery’s operating objectives.
Acts as the City’s Public Art Manager.
Maintains Gallery management and operation expertise at the highest level through participation in appropriate training courses and seminars, active participation in local and regional groups and participation in local and national conferences.
Develops and maintains operational and capital budgets and presents such budgets to Woodstock City Council.

Betty McArthur: Present in the Moment. On view until July 5, 2025. Photo: Stephan Cam

Qualifications:

Essential:

Master of Arts, Arts Administration or a related field.
Experienced arts professional with a minimum of five years of progressive experience in arts administration.
Minimum of five years experience in a supervisory role.
Experience in fundraising and marketing with diverse stakeholder engagement.
Experience with best practices for Gallery management, including long-term planning, project management and budget formulation.
Strong leadership skills and demonstrated ability to lead a successful team and foster a positive and inclusive environment for staff, volunteers, and visitors.

Preferred:

Masters of Business Administration with specialization in Marketing or Social Sector Administration would be an asset.
Experience working in a municipal setting would be an asset.
Experience working in a unionized environment would be an asset.

Working Conditions:

Usual public office conditions with frequent interruptions to provide advice, direction and information to staff, the public and Council.
Must be able to organize work schedules to meet identified priorities and deadlines.
Observes regular office hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30am – 4:30pm) but is expected to attend meetings and events outside regular hours.

Compensation:

This is a permanent full-time, non-union position. The salary range is $98,652 – $116,061.

Equity and Access:

The City of Woodstock is committed to diversity and inclusivity in employment and welcomes applications from qualified individuals of diverse backgrounds. We embrace equity, diversity, justice, inclusion and belonging, and we’re committed to building a team that represents many backgrounds, perspectives and skills, representative of the communities we serve. The more inclusive we are, the better our work and workplace will be. We are committed to creating a workplace where people experience meaningful work, a sense of hope and optimism, an environment of trust, and inspired results. If this sounds like an environment in which you would like to work, apply here today! We strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals, especially those who can provide different perspectives and contribute to a further diversification of ideas.

In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the Ontario Human Rights Code, the City of Woodstock will provide accommodations throughout the recruitment, selection and/or assessment process to applicants with disabilities. If selected to participate in the recruitment, selection and/or assessment process, please inform the City’s Human Resources staff of the nature of any accommodation(s) that you may require in respect of any materials or processes used to ensure your equal participation by contacting hr@cityofwoodstock.ca. In accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information & Protection of Personal Privacy Act, personal information collected will only be used for candidate selection. Human Resources will work together with the hiring committee to arrange reasonable and appropriate accommodation for the selection process, which will enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner.

Satisfactory passing of a criminal record check, employment and proof of qualifications will be required of any successful candidate(s) for this position.

How to Apply:

We invite all qualified applicants to submit their resume and cover letter online.

We thank all candidates who apply but advise that only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Application Deadline: April 14, 2025, by 9am

For additional information or questions, please contact:
City of Woodstock Human Resources Department
hr@cityofwoodstock.ca