Carnegie Museum of Art (CMOA) Henry J

POSITION DESCRIPTION January 2018

Carnegie Museum of Art (CMOA) Henry J. Heinz II Director CMOA seeks an arts visionary to lead a talented team that delivers engaging, insightful, interactive and educational experiences of visual art to Pittsburgh’s diverse citizens and visitors.

Located in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood and built upon industrialist Andrew Carnegie’s visionary concept of Collecting the Old Masters of Tomorrow , CMOA enriches life by sharing the world of art with all, championing creativity, and providing an museum experience that connects people to art, ideas and each other. The art museum is co-located with the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, has an annual operating budget of 12.3m (funded by $2.4m earned, $2.7m contributed and $7.2m endowed revenue), receives about 330,000 visitors annually (of which about 42,000 experience education and public programs), hosts permanent collections consisting of 30,000 objects (of which about 1,800 are on display at any giving time), and presents 12-16 temporary exhibitions annually through 110,570 sq. ft. of gallery space. CMOA also hosts the longest running North American exhibition of international contemporary art, the Carnegie International, which was founded in 1896 and is currently staged approximately every 3-5 years. The International will again come to Pittsburgh in 2018. CMOA integrates into the overarching management structure of the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, which is led by President & CEO Jo Ellen Parker. Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh functions as an umbrella organization that provides overall financial and operating management and shared services for four museums: CMOA, the Museum of Natural History, Andy Warhol Museum and the Science Center. All museums embrace what are called the “Commonwealth Commitments” - to financial sustainability, social inclusion, digital sophistication, collaboration, and transparency. The governance structure has similarities to that of a university, with the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh having a Board of Trustees that selects a CEO who is accountable to that board. Directors of the four museums report to the CEO, and each museum Director also has a dotted line reporting relationship to their museum’s Advisory Board Chair. Advisory Board membership overlaps with that of the Board of Trustees. This structure encourages efficient utilization of resources and interdisciplinary collaboration among the four museums. The four museums serve about 1.34 million people annually. The Director’s mission is to realize the full potential of CMOA and the CMOA team as fine arts leaders among museums nationally and internationally, and in particular to engage the diverse communities of Greater Pittsburgh in the world of art, artistic creation and arts education.

BASIC FUNCTION Reporting to the CEO (with a dotted line relationship to the Chair of the CMOA Advisory Board), the Director is primarily responsible for:  leading CMOA’s arts, exhibition, public programming and education activities;  maximizing museum attendance and embrace by Pittsburgh’s citizens and visitors;  maximizing revenue contributed by foundations, businesses and individuals in support of CMOA’s exhibitions, collections and programs. The Director oversees the activities of 145 staff and 129 volunteers led by a management team

of five who are responsible for curatorial functions, museum operations, education, marketing and publishing. The Director sets the highest standards of professionalism across all departments of the museum; ensures that exhibitions and programs are embraced by a diverse public and are of scholarly merit; drives attendance by people of all ages and backgrounds; optimally utilizes gallery space; acquires top-tier works relevant to the collection; assures that CMOA is a leader in conservation best practices; and ensures that CMOA is financially strong and professionally managed. The Director must be a student of, and an active contributor to, the modern museum field. She or he is expected to shape strategies with reference to the continuing evolution of the visual arts sector, and must have insight into how new media, information technology and other tools can be leveraged to reach and engage new audiences. Innovative practice is particularly important to CMOA given its place in the heart of Pittsburgh – a city remaking itself as a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. The Director will chart a long-term vision for CMOA, making the art museum central to the cultural life of the greater metropolitan area and a must-visit institution in the global landscape of art museums.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE Particularly relevant to the Director’s success will be qualifications in four areas:

MANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP  Strategy: An ability to continually refine and interpret CMOA’s mission; revise and refine the Museum’s strategic plan as needed; ensure that policies are consistently implemented and that exhibitions, collections and programs are aligned with CMOA’s arts mission;  Team building : Can build and sustain a high-functioning management team with a culture people enjoy and embrace; a good listener and strategist comfortable receiving input from many sources and able to formulate disparate information into a sound, well- organized plan; hires, motivates and evaluates staff, ensuring that overall staffing is appropriate to meet the organization’s goals;  Innovation: Remains updated on latest developments in museum best practices internationally, with a strong understanding of the use of technology, media and other tools to engage audiences, drive attendance, deliver education programs, etc.;  Financial Strength: Must have a strong sense of fiscal discipline and controls; an ability to connect ends with means, and an understanding of the short and long term financial implications of decisions related to exhibitions, collections, facilities and programs;  Operations and Infrastructure: In a working collaborative between CMOA, Carnegie Museum of Natural History and Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh staff, provide for intelligent programming and use of existing resources across two co-located museums and the central organization; sustain the highest quality of museum facilities, including physical security for the art; in cooperation with the Museum of Natural History, manage the shared Visitor Services department that helps all visitors navigate the museums.

ARTS LEADERSHIP : EXHIBITIONS , COLLECTIONS AND EDUCATION  Credibility: A strong understanding of the art historical significance of the permanent collection, its strengths and weaknesses, and of the collections of museums and collectors from around the world; networked and respected among experts in the field, including

curators, gallerists, auction houses, artists, appraisers and collectors; an ability to ensure that CMOA’s reputation for scholarship and innovation in the museum sector is continually strengthened;  Exhibitions: A track record for exposing art to the general public in new ways while sustaining the highest scholarly standards; must have high visibility and credibility in the art world regionally, nationally and internationally to help identify and secure important exhibitions; a track record of staging interesting, innovative activities, programs and events that engage the public and drive attendance to the museum and its exhibitions;  Collections: Able to develop a systematic plan to strengthen and enrich CMOA’s collection through careful acquisitions; direct and participate in locating/selecting works of art for inclusion in the collection; develop relationships with collectors that may lead to appropriate gifts; identify funds and seek donors to support acquisitions; must be up-to- date on legal practices in the museum world, especially those affecting collections;  Education & Public Programs: Knowledge of different interpretive and educational approaches for the visual arts that engage and excite the public; an understanding of educational technologies, materials & tools, docent training & tours, school programs, use of partnerships and alliances, etc, with the object of enhancing CMOA’s reputation as an education and programming leader in international museum circles;  People: Knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of current CMOA curatorial and education staff, and of the strengths of professionals across the museum field internationally; a track record building and retaining strong teams of arts professionals.

FUNDRAISING & REVENUE  Evangelizing for the Museum: Serve as an articulate, passionate and persuasive spokesperson for CMOA; represent CMOA to all of its constituencies, funders, the public, government and private agencies, and the local, national and international art media;  Contributed Revenue: Experience shaping strategies that maximize annual, principal gift, and in-kind gifts (particularly of works of merit); a track record working with development professionals (who are part of the central Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh organization) a board, curatorial and other staff to develop diversified foundation, individual, public and corporate funding sources; experience with direct solicitation, and with proactive cultivation of donors, patrons, board members and prospective board members, inspiring ever greater loyalty and support;  Earned Revenue: Experience converting attendance and public profile into revenue through membership sales, general admissions, ticket sales for special exhibitions, events, retail operations and facilities rentals; an understanding of how intelligence on attendance, ticket sales and such can be positively exploited to drive new revenue; experience working in collaboration with centrally administered retail, facility rental, etc. departments.

MARKETING AND AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT  Audience Development: Is passionate about engaging both new and exiting audiences and is a student of the shifting landscape of audience engagement; innovative in approach to the patron experience and can develop partnerships when needed to enhance it  Branding and Marketing: Knowledge of branding strategies that help advance an institutional vision, drive museum attendance and maximize earned revenue; adopts new 3

and bold approaches to marketing, advertising and all communications; makes impactful marketing and branding an organizational priority;  Engagement: Provides exciting experiences for a broad audience so that CMOA is top of mind as a unique, not to be missed experience; employs concrete metrics to highlight strengths and weaknesses of visitor engagement and to drive strategy.

QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS The ideal candidate will have the following experience and attributes:  Senior-level management and leadership responsibility in a museum known for exhibition, curatorial, education and public programming excellence; experience with contemporary art is a distinct advantage;  A track record of developing exciting exhibitions of scholarly merit that are also embraced by the public: strong experience in building and shaping collections; a background working with scholars and curators of the highest caliber, either through the Director’s own work or as an active and valued collaborator; experience in enhancing the curatorial and conservation stature of institutions is desirable;  Experience in building embrace that is expressed in attendance, ticket sales, membership and donor and government funding support;  Measurable and successful results in raising funds and in identifying, cultivating and soliciting major donors and other sources of revenue;  A record of success in attracting and retaining talented museum staff;  Experience with operations and budgets for an institution of significant size and scope; experience working with board and staff members to implement best management practices in museums; a collaborative orientation, with an ability to work cooperatively with the Directors of other member museums in the Carnegie family and embrace the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh’s management structure;  A graceful communicator, orally and in writing, who has the presence and credibility to serve as an effective advocate for CMOA with a broad spectrum of people; someone that cultivates trust and engages the interest of diverse constituents;  Educational attainment appropriate to a Director of an art museum of CMOA’s stature; passion for the arts, yet results-oriented; a hard worker with a high energy level who will enjoy living in Pittsburgh and relish the many challenges of the job.

For more information please contact: Mark Oppenheim (415) 762-2640 or [email protected] Lee Kappelman (202) 803-6674 or [email protected] m/Oppenheim Associates 425 Market Street, Suite 1020 San Francisco, CA 94105