Blanton Museum of Art Director Search

The Blanton Museum of Art of The University of Texas at Austin is currently seeking a dynamic, highly qualified museum director. As a nationally recognized art museum in a major research university, the Blanton is a center for research, teaching, and education of the general public.

History

The Blanton descends from the University Art Museum, created at the University in 1961 and funded initially with a bequest by Archer M. Huntington. Today, the museum's permanent collection numbers more than 17,000 works. The collections are distinguished, and internationally recognized in four areas: Old Master paintings, modern and contemporary Latin American art, modern and contemporary American art, and prints and drawings of all periods. The museum occupies a new facility on a prominent site at the south edge of campus. The collection and the museum's temporary exhibition spaces are located in the James A. Michener Building, which opened in April 2006. Adjacent to it, the Edgar A. Smith Building will house office spaces, classrooms, an auditorium, a public plaza, garden, café, and shop. It is scheduled to open in the spring of 2008.

University

The University of Texas at Austin is one of the largest and most distinguished public universities in the United States. Founded in 1883, the 350–acre main campus boasts 21,000 faculty and staff, 16 colleges and schools, and 50,000 students. The graduate school at the University has an enrollment of 11,000 students, making it one of the largest in the country, and a national leader in graduate degrees awarded. The Department of Art and Art History, with programs ranked in the top 10 and 20 nationally, includes 800 undergraduates, 70 graduate students in Art, and 120 graduate students in Art History. The University is renowned for its library and internationally recognized special collections, with fine arts holdings, also found in the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, the Benson Latin American Collection, the Center for American History, and the Institute for Classical Archaeology.

Academic Function

While it supports teaching and research activities throughout the University, the Blanton Museum is part of the College of Fine Arts. The College also includes the Department of Art and Art History, the School of Music, the Department of Theatre and Dance, and the Performing Arts Center, a nationally leading performing arts presenter and production facility. The Museum serves and collaborates broadly with Art and Art History on exhibitions, public lectures and events, arts education programs, and more recently on the creation of a Museum Studies curriculum, an emerging research center for Latin American Art, and a campus–wide public art program. In many of these functions and programs, the museum draws from and collaborates with the other collecting units on campus.

Public Function

As the only art museum in Central Texas with a substantial permanent collection, the Blanton is also a vital resource for the city and the surrounding region. One of the fastest growing, youngest, most educated metropolitan areas in the United States, Austin proper now surpasses Boston and San Francisco in population and is the capital of the second most populous state. In addition to its reputation for quality of life, Austin boasts exceptional vitality in the arts, with a popular music scene and film industry of national prominence, highly regarded opera and ballet, and a distinctive vernacular architecture. With the inauguration of the new Blanton, the activity in the visual arts has accelerated, as noted in the December 2007 issue of Art in America. During the first year in its new facility, the museum has attracted over 175,000 visitors, built a membership of over 10,000, and become one of the most significant university museums in the country.

PURPOSE OF POSITION:

to serve as the Director of a nationally recognized art museum in a major research university. The director will be responsible for the museum operations, staff management, financial management, fundraising, and public and community relations.

Primary responsibilities:

  • developing, refining and communicating a vision for the museum's future to the University leadership, faculty and staff, the Blanton Museum Council and the general public.
  • providing intellectual, fiscal, and strategic leadership for the Blanton
  • serving as the compelling leader for a new $40 million fundraising campaign dedicated to building endowment funds that will strengthen and grow the museum's programs and collections.
  • shaping a strategic plan for the museum's collections in concert with the director of curatorial affairs, museum curators, faculty and donors.
  • providing the vision and relationships necessary to develop a series of exhibitions and programs that engage local and University audiences and continue to build the museum's recognition nationally and internationally.
  • managing a $6 million annual operating budget.
  • overseeing approximately 50 full–time staff, 30 part–time staff, and 20 students serving in various capacities.

Required qualifications:

An MA in Art History or comparable work experience and at least five years of experience as a senior museum administrator and fundraiser. Demonstrated experience in leadership, visioning and strategic planning. Dynamic interpersonal and communication skills. Demonstrated experience managing a large staff with varied roles and backgrounds. Proven financial skills and fiscal responsibility for a substantial operating budget. Ability to work effectively with administration, development, faculty, staff, students, organizations, and individuals within the community and at the regional, national, and international levels. Skilled in public speaking.

Preferred qualifications:

A doctoral degree in Art History and extensive curatorial experience. Experience with a board or other advisory body. Record of scholarly or professional publication in field related to the position. Experience in an academic leadership position. Substantial involvement in one or more loan exhibition projects including a catalogue or publication product related to the field. Capital Campaign experience. Established museum relationships in Texas and throughout the United States. Experience in museum education, conservation, and/or art advocacy programs.

Questions regarding the position or the search process should be directed to Associate Dean Kenneth Hale, chair of the search committee for the director of the Blanton Museum of Art at ken_hale@austin.utexas.edu. For additional information, visit: The University of Texas at Austin and The Blanton Museum of Art websites.

Security sensitive; conviction verification conducted on applicant selected.

The University of Texas at Austin is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer committed to diversity.

University of Texas at Austin job posting number: 08–01–11–01–0379

Committee Member Listing

  • Ken Hale, Chair – Interim Associate Dean, College of Fine Arts
  • Jonathan Bober – Curator of Prints, Drawings, and European Paintings, Blanton Museum
  • Annette Carlozzi – Curator of American & Contemporary Art and Director of Curatorial Affairs, Blanton Museum
  • John Clarke – Annie Laurie Howard Regents Professor in Fine Arts, Department of Art & Art History
  • Amanda Douberley – Ph.D. student, Art History
  • Jeanne Klein – Member, Blanton Museum Council
  • Janice Leoshko – Associate Professor, Department of Art & Art History
  • Bryan Roberts – C.B. Smith, Sr. Centennial Chair in United States–Mexico Relations #1, Department of Sociology, Director
  • Victoria Rodriguez – Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies, Office of the Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies
  • Sarah Schultz – Undergraduate Studio Art major; President of Fine Arts Council
  • Melba Whatley – Member, Blanton Museum Council
  • Simone Wicha – Director of Development, Blanton Museum