Curator Dulwich Picture Gallery

Candidate

Brief

February 2017

Contact: Liz Amos e: [email protected] t: +44 (0)20 7464 4352 m: +44 (0)7841 419 782 Liz Amos Associates 1 Royal Exchange Avenue London EC3V 3LT

Contents

Background 3

The Role 6

The Person 7

How to apply 8

Disclaimer Please note that ELGA Executive Search Ltd, trading as Liz Amos Associates, believes that while the information contained in this document is true to the best of the Company’s knowledge at the time of writing, such information may change without notice. Further, the information therein is the property of the Company and must not be passed onto third parties, published or attributed unless explicitly agreed.

Background

Dulwich Picture Gallery is seeking to appoint a Curator to join the management committee following the appointment of the new Sackler Director, Jennifer Scott who takes up her post in April 2017.

Dulwich Picture Gallery, England's first purpose-built picture gallery, was established more than 200 years ago because its founders believed that as many people as possible should see great paintings. The ethos of the Gallery - to make great art available to all - is the same today as when it was founded and is reflected in the innovative exhibitions and wide-ranging engagement programmes which attract a growing audience.

The Gallery houses a world-class collection of Old Master paintings in Sir John Soane’s unique building which opened to the public in 1817. The Collection, the core of which was painter and collector Sir Francis Bourgeois’ bequest, in 1811, of some 370 17th and 18th century paintings to Dulwich College, now comprises one of the finest collections, for its size, of Old Master paintings in the world, especially rich in Italian, French and Spanish Baroque paintings, in Dutch and Flemish art and British portraits from Tudor times to the 19th century. Famous works include those by Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Poussin, Watteau, Canaletto, Veronese and Murillo. Core duties of Dulwich Picture Gallery are therefore to care for the display and interpretation of the collections and of Sir John Soane’s iconic building for current and future generations.

The Gallery is distinctive in its offer, hosting some of the UK's most intriguing and revelatory exhibitions alongside its Permanent Collection of Baroque masterpieces. The Gallery currently presents 3 – 5 world-class loan exhibitions per year which present art and artists from new and different angles. Recent examples include the record-breaking Eric Ravilious watercolour exhibition of Summer 2015, the equally successful The Amazing World of M C Escher of Autumn 2015, a show devoted to a Canadian icon unknown in this country, From the Forest to the Sea: Emily Carr and British Columbia (Spring 2015) and in 2016, an exhibition of Nikolai Astrup, one of Norway's most renowned 20th century artists. Each of those shows was a first for the UK.

The Gallery also prides itself on its ability to be innovative in its approach to Old Master paintings, for example with the Made in China: A Doug Fishbone Project in 2015 and the Murillo and Justino de Neve: The Art of Friendship exhibition in 2013, and has a long history of innovation and excellence in learning and outreach work. The success of the Gallery and its exhibition and engagement programmes is reflected in the record-breaking number of visitors it attracts – exceeding 200,000 in 2015/2016 - and its outreach activities focused on people of all ages and abilities from young people to those suffering from dementia and their carers, a programme which reaches around 35,000 participants a year.

The Gallery, which sits in a beautiful four acre site, also houses a busy and popular cafe, a successful shop and a learning space used by school groups and for other events. It has a strong and passionate local supporter base, but its reach and ambition extends to visitors and art-lovers from across the UK and abroad, inspired by the world-class nature of the collection and building and the strength of its artistic programme.

Vision and Values Vision Dulwich Picture Gallery has a remarkable permanent collection and a famous building in a special site. The Gallery's vision is to be celebrated by visitors and peers as the perfect place to visit and experience art and an example for others to follow.

Values  Pioneering: the Gallery is innovative, dynamic and creative in all that it does, prepared to surprise and be first and different;  Welcoming: the Gallery is open and approachable to the widest possible range of people, and provides a friendly environment in which to view, experience and benefit from art;  Excellent: both the building and the collection are world-class and the Gallery uses its expertise and creativity to ensure that everything they do realises the same standard;  Engaging: the Gallery believes that art can inspire and enrich people's lives and wants to share their enthusiasm and knowledge with others;  Responsive: the organisation listens and responds to the needs of visitors and customers, to each other, and to changes in the world outside;

 Responsible: the Gallery’s staff are resourceful and work in a collaborative environment of honesty, transparency and accountability.

Organisation and Governance Dulwich Picture Gallery is an independent gallery which receives no regular revenue funding from government. Originally part of Dulwich College, it was separated from the schools and the Dulwich Estate and established as an independent charitable trust in 1994, under the leadership of Lord Sainsbury, the first Chairman. It benefits from an Endowment Fund of c£21m and the annual income from this meets about 50 per cent of the Gallery’s core running costs. This puts considerable emphasis on fundraising which delivers between 55 and 65 per cent of annual income and on income-generating activities which contribute through event hire, retail and catering activities around £260k of additional income – more when visitor numbers are high. The Gallery’s total annual expenditure is c£4.2m and it has a staff of 54 FTE.

The Sackler Director is supported by the Deputy Director, Andrew Macdonald, who joined the staff in 2014 and who has responsibility for the day to day running of the Gallery in all its aspects. The Management Committee comprises the Curator, the Director of Development, and the Heads of Learning, Exhibitions, Communications, Finance, Operations and Retail.

The Board is chaired by Professor Evelyn Welch, Vice Principal, Arts and Sciences and Professor of Renaissance Studies, King’s College London.

The Gallery maintains very close relations with the Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery, an independent charity dating back to 1954 which administers the Gallery’s Friends membership scheme and whose volunteers also organise some of the events and talks which take place at the Gallery.

Looking ahead

The Gallery is currently going through a period of transformational change as it embraces the opportunity and the challenge which its growing public popularity and international reputation creates and as it continues to expand its engagement with the public. Dulwich Picture Gallery, from its home in SE London, has a national and international reputation for the quality of its collection and the calibre of its exhibition and engagement work. As it continues to raise its profile and to establish its place in the cultural landscape of London and beyond, the next decade will be a significant one for the organisation.

The recent appointment of Jennifer Scott, Director of The Holburne Museum, Bath, as the new Sackler Director indicates further change. Her commitment to developing the Gallery as the perfect place to experience the inspirational potential of art means that she is looking for a Curator who will be central to that vision. The new Curator will therefore join the organisation at an important time, with the opportunity to contribute, as a member of the Management Committee, in defining the strategy for Dulwich Picture Gallery into the future. The person appointed will be building on what has been achieved by two previous curators, Xavier Salomon, now Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator of the Frick Collection and Xavier Bray, newly appointed Director of The Wallace Collection.

The Role

Job title: Curator Reporting to: The Sackler Director Responsible for: Members of the curatorial team Key relationships: Deputy Director, Head of Exhibitions, Head of Learning Salary package: Competitive Location: Dulwich, London

The Curator is responsible for the care, research and interpretation of the Gallery’s historic Collection and, in collaboration with the Head of Exhibitions, ensures the delivery of the Gallery’s exhibition and display programme. A key member of the senior management team, the Curator is responsible for maintaining and enhancing the Gallery’s reputation as a centre of curatorial and art historical excellence in the broader museum and gallery context. They also share responsibility for engaging audiences, working with the Sackler Director, the Head of Learning and the Head of Exhibitions to bring innovation and new interpretation to the Collection; also drawing on contemporary interventions to shed new light and inspiration for diverse audiences. Within this broad remit, the new Curator will be expected to ensure the intellectual rigour and scholarship which underpins the Gallery's programme, to develop new initiatives and to continue to expand its national and international reputation.

Key responsibilities

 Working with the Sackler Director to shape an Exhibitions Programme of national and international standing;

 To bring innovation, excitement, and a good eye for design to Dulwich Picture Gallery, drawing public attention to the Collection and to the Gallery through exhibitions, new displays and contemporary interventions which connect a broad public with the Gallery’s treasures;

 Building on its unique strengths and positioning, to enable Dulwich Picture Gallery to be an exemplar of curatorial practice and interpretation;

 Working with the Director, and Deputy Director, to leverage Dulwich Picture Gallery’s assets including its outdoor space, to meet its objective of making great art available to all;

 To develop the interpretation strategy, making the historic Collection accessible to the public, finding new and exciting ways to bring the Collection to life for the broadest possible audiences, making use of contemporary interventions to surprise and excite;

 To care for the Gallery’s Collection, being responsible for the supervision and monitoring of all ongoing conservation programmes, storage of work and archives;

 To oversee all documentation and the digitised collections management system;

 To develop and monitor research programmes, enhancing knowledge of the Gallery's Collection, increasing academic partnerships, and ensuring a publications pipeline for the Gallery;

 To act as an advocate for the Gallery, its Collection and programme, and, working with the Director of Development and Head of Retail contribute to the fund-raising and income- generation activities of the organisation;

 To participate pro-actively within the senior management team, relishing the opportunity to contribute to the success and financial performance of the organisation overall.

In summary, the appointed curator will have the expertise to champion the Collection within the historic building which is integral to Dulwich's unique offer and make it relevant to new audiences. With their established networks nationally and internationally and their acknowledged expertise, they will be critical to enhancing the Gallery’s reputation and to contributing to its future sustainability.

The Person

The Curator will bring both sound research, art history credentials and creativity to the role of Curator at Dulwich Picture Gallery. Educated to at least degree level in art history, preferably with a postgraduate specialism in baroque or 18th century art and sympathy with contemporary art, they will also have expertise in initiating and developing exhibitions and displays which is transferable to the context of Dulwich Picture Gallery. Recognised for their expertise and able to develop networks of interest around the gallery, they will also be engaged with the challenge of developing audiences for historic collections and will want to use their commitment to learning and interpretation to unlock opportunity for new audiences. They will have good financial and people management skills and will understand the challenges of working in an independent museum, currently with no public subsidy. They will be passionate about the opportunity which this role provides to enhance Dulwich's unique profile as a 'go to place' offering a unique experience for local, national and international audiences, and for those wishing to enhance their expertise as well as those experiencing an art gallery for the first time.

Specifically:

 Recognised for bringing innovation to historic collections with examples of exhibitions that have commanded peer recognition and attracted a broad public;

 A track record of curatorial and collections management experience within historic collections;

 Imaginative, able to spot opportunities and to deliver on them;

 Ability to engage a broad public and to demonstrate enthusiasm for developing existing and new audiences through innovative displays and interpretation;

 Authoritative, with established reputation and strong research and publications credentials;

 Team player, flexible in their approach, comfortable in working collaboratively across the management team to deliver the audiences and outcomes which the gallery needs;

 Good communication skills - able to engage audiences at all levels in the work of the Gallery;

 Good networker in the UK and internationally - able to enhance the Gallery's national and international reputation;

 Good strategic skills - able to develop ideas which can enhance the reputation and sustainability of the Gallery;

 Experience of engagement with stakeholders including patrons and members;

 Experience of and enthusiasm for fund-raising, able to make a strong case to potential donors;

 Good understanding of finance and with sound people management skills.

How to apply

To discuss this role and for further information, please contact:

Liz Amos: t: +44 (0)20 7464 4352 m: +44 (0)7841 419 782 e: [email protected]

Mary Deegan t: +44 (0)20 7464 4351 e: [email protected]

In making an application, you are asked to submit:

 Comprehensive curriculum vitae;

 Maximum two page covering letter that summarises your interest in this post and provides evidence of your ability to match the criteria outlined in this brief;

 Completed Personal Details form available from Mary Deegan who can be contacted at: e: [email protected], t: +44 (0)20 7464 4351

We would prefer to receive applications electronically.

Please e-mail applications to: [email protected].

Alternatively, applications can be posted to Liz Amos Associates at 1 Royal Exchange Avenue, London EC3V 3LT to arrive by close of business on Monday 13th March 2017, the closing date for applications.

All applications will be acknowledged on receipt. If you do not receive an acknowledgement within 5 working days, please telephone Mary Deegan. If you have any questions regarding the application process, please contact Liz Amos, details as above.

Please note that neither Liz Amos Associates, nor Dulwich Picture Gallery can be held responsible for the non-delivery or late receipt of applications.

We expect to be able to inform applicants by 7th April whether or not they are being taken forward to interview. First interviews will take place on Monday 10th April with final interviews on Thursday 27th April. Please let us know on application if you have difficulties with these timeframes.