Gallery Director/Curator, School of Art Gallery, University of Manitoba

Installation view of the Main Gallery, featuring the exhibition Moving Matter, 2022. Photo: Karen Asher

Gallery Director/Curator, School of Art Gallery

Application Deadline: September 19, 2025, or until filled
Position Classification: Other academic

Qualifications:

The successful candidate will hold, at minimum, a Master’s degree in Art History, Museum Studies, Curatorial Studies, Visual Arts, or another similar program, combined with substantial experience in curatorial work, catalogue publishing, grant writing, collections management, museum education, and administration within a public or university art gallery. In addition to proven senior leadership experience, organizational ability, and personnel management, the successful candidate will have strong interpersonal skills and an inspiring and effective leadership style, as well as a demonstrated ability to support the teaching of art history, curatorial studies, and studio with a collection, and to interpret historical and contemporary art to a broad audience.

The Position:

Reporting to the Director of the School of Art, the Gallery Director/Curator is administratively responsible for the overall operations of the School of Art Gallery, including activities, programming, financial management, and supervision of gallery staff. The Gallery Director/Curator is responsible for ensuring that the research and focus of exhibitions, collections, and events reflect the needs of the School of Art and align with the strategic goals of the University of Manitoba. The programming of the Gallery should make a significant contribution to the contemporary culture and the art history of Manitoba and Canada, representing its diversity, with particular attention to ensuring that Indigenous voices and cultures are represented in the Gallery’s activities.

The Gallery Director/Curator is responsible for ensuring that contemporary museological standards are applied to the production of temporary exhibitions as well as to the care, management, exhibition and expansion of the School of Art’s Permanent Collection, through exhibitions, research, and collections management. The Gallery Director/Curator will ensure the ongoing progress of the digitization of the Gallery’s collection and the creation of a collections database available to the professoriate and the public.

The Gallery Director/Curator is expected to work with faculty and gallery staff to ensure that the permanent collection and temporary exhibitions are used to support the teaching of art history, curatorial studies, and studio. A core responsibility of the Gallery Directory/Curator is to support teaching at the School of Art.

Exterior view of ARTlab, home to the School of Art Gallery at the University of Manitoba. The Gallery is located on the main floor, serving as the gateway to ARTlab.

The responsibilities of the Gallery Director/Curator encompass research, programming, collections management, education, and administration. The Gallery Director/Curator is responsible for organizing and producing exhibitions, as well as their ancillary educational programs and events. Exhibition production includes but is not restricted to research, grant writing, administration (general production, advertising and promotion, catalogue production, installation, hiring of guest contributors), education, extension, and partnership with other Canadian cultural institutions on collaborative projects. Collections management includes but is not restricted to the acquisition, documentation, preservation, exhibition, and interpretation of the School of Art Permanent Collection, as well as assistance with the University of Manitoba Collections – a separate entity within the University. Research in this context is understood as supporting the curatorial needs and purposes of the presentation of artworks and curatorial projects that serve the mandate of the Gallery, and as supporting the use of the Permanent Collection in the teaching of art history, curatorial studies, and studio.

Administrative responsibilities encompass the day-to-day operations of the Gallery in accordance with the standards for care and ethical conduct as determined by the Canadian museum community and the administrative policies and procedures of the School of Art and the University of Manitoba. Duties include but are not restricted to: fiscal responsibility to the School of Art and outside funders, including private donors; budgetary intake and disbursements for all Gallery transactions; hiring, training and supervising casual and part-time contract and student employees; grant writing and project-specific fundraising in conjunction with the Office of Donor Relations.

Please contact Sarah.Rout@umanitoba.ca for a detailed list of position responsibilities. Salary commensurate with experience. Application materials should include a letter of interest and curriculum vitae. Three letters of reference should be sent directly by the referees. Canadian and permanent residents should clearly indicate their citizenship or residency status in their cover letter or CV. Review of applications will begin on September 19, 2025 and continue until the position is filled. Materials should be sent to Sarah Rout at Sarah.Rout@umanitoba.ca.

Installation view of the Collections Gallery, featuring the exhibition Breaths, Monuments, Offers, 2022. Photo: Karen Asher

The University of Manitoba is a driving force of innovation, discovery and advancement. Our momentum is propelled by our campus community – UM faculty, staff and students whose determination and curiosity shape our world for the better. Our teaching, learning and work environment is uniquely strengthened and enriched by Indigenous perspectives. With two main campuses in Winnipeg, satellite campuses throughout Manitoba, and world-wide research, UM’s impact is global. Discover outstanding employee benefits, experience world-class facilities and join a dynamic community that values reconciliation, sustainability, diversity, and inclusion. We are one of Manitoba’s Top Employers and one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers. At the University of Manitoba, what inspires you can change everything.

The City of Winnipeg (www.tourismwinnipeg.com), located where the Red and Assiniboine Rivers meet, is recognized for its vibrant, multicultural community and diverse culture. The city, with a growing population of more than 766,000, is home to internationally renowned festivals, galleries and museums, the historic Exchange District and The Forks, and ever-expanding research, education, and business sectors. From the Hudson Bay waters, across the farmland fields, to the pulse of the cities and towns, The Province of Manitoba’s (www.travelmanitoba.com) people and places – its 100,000 lakes, 92 provincial parks, winding river valleys and storied prairie skies – inspire.

The University of Manitoba is committed to the principles of equity, diversity & inclusion and to promoting opportunities in hiring, promotion and tenure (where applicable) for systemically marginalized groups who have been excluded from full participation at the University and the larger community including Indigenous Peoples, women, racialized persons, persons with disabilities and those who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, questioning, intersex, asexual and other diverse sexual identities). All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority. If you require accommodation supports during the recruitment process, please contact UM.Accommodation@umanitoba.ca or 204-474-7195. Please note this contact information is for accommodation reasons only.

Application materials, including letters of reference, will be handled in accordance with the protection of privacy provision of The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Manitoba). Please note that curriculum vitae may be provided to participating members of the search process.

University of Manitoba
School of Art
313 ARTlab Building
180 Dafoe Road
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2
umanitoba.ca/art/gallery
204-474-9367
Fax 204-474-7605