Job Description

Job no: 523695
Work type: Staff Full Time
Location: UMass Amherst
Department: Fine Arts Center
Union: PSU
Categories: Theater/Performing Arts, College of Humanities & Fine Arts

About UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.

About the UMass Fine Arts Center

Since its founding in 1975, the UMass Fine Arts Center has been a central force in the cultural, social, and academic life of the University, the Five College campuses, and the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. The Fine Arts Center's combination of educational, visual, and performing arts programs not only makes us unique, but it also secures a very vital and necessary position for us to meet the diverse needs of scholars, faculty, students, alumni, and the broader community.

Job Summary

The Assistant Curator, Performing Arts (AC) works with the Performing Arts Curator (PAC) as the assistant head of the Programming Department, co-supervising the Program Manager and Administrative Manager, and supervising all department personnel in the absence of the Performing Arts Curator. This associate leadership position helps curate and build a coherent, innovative, diverse, and socially relevant performing arts and culture season featuring artists, projects, and outreach and engagement activities from across disciplines, genres, and cultures, including music, dance, theatre, film/media, family shows, international, and more, and that preserves and enhances the identity and goals of the Fine Arts Center (FAC).

Essential Functions

• Reports to and collaborates with the PAC to develop, reinforce and advocate for the FAC’s performing arts vision and curation among on- and off-campus constituents, including general audiences, artists, community members, students, faculty, staff, and donors. Collaborates on development and implementation of performing arts curation, strategic planning, mission statements, season themes, and the full range of decision-making in the department.
• Supervises performances, outreach, and engagement activities, including research, bookings, educational outreach, and attending seasonal events regionally, nationally and/or internationally as needed.
• Supervises and directs Program Manager, Administrative Manager and other department staff in their fulfillment of department activities, such as coordinating events, artist services, contracts, artist and audience research, and other duties.
• Generates and/or collaborates on annual department budgets as needed.
• Researches funding and writes grants and funding appeals from campus and off-campus sources to broaden financial base for performing arts programs (up to 25% time) as needed.
• Collaborates with FAC departments and staff, including performing arts, production, front of house, marketing, development, Executive Director, business office, and/or student workers.
• Develops, maintains, and increases relationships with artist representatives, presenters, service organizations and members of relevant artistic, cultural, regional, national, and/or international communities. Represents FAC performing arts programming at booking and professional development conferences, festivals and events as needed.
• Develops, maintains, and increases relationships with UMass and Five College faculty, staff, and student groups as needed for performances, outreach, engagement, funding, and collaborations.

Other Functions

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Bachelor’s degree with three (3) years of stage production and/or performing arts management experience or a Master’s degree with two years of the required experience can be substituted.
• Broad understanding of various and distinct performing arts and cultural identities, both Western and non-Western.
• Sensitivity to and ability to interact with multicultural communities in multiple settings.
• Able to work evenings and weekends as needed in support of performances and related activities.
• Working knowledge of office software packages, including Microsoft and Google applications, such as Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, Docs, Sheets and others.
• A valid driver’s license.

Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Master’s degree in Performing Arts or related field.
• Five years of performance, stage production and/or arts management experience.
• Two or more years professional performing arts programming experience, including booking and touring.
• Specialized knowledge of multiple Western and non-Western performing arts and cultures, e.g. jazz, popular music, musical theatre, main stage theatrical, family programming, and/or other categories.
• Experience with cultural diversity, social justice, and other DEIA-based issues.

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

This position requires repetitive movement, sitting, bending, twisting, carrying, pulling, standing, lifting, reaching, pulling/pushing, balancing, driving and typical office and performing arts environment activity.

Work Schedule

• Typically Monday–Friday, 9:00am–5:30pm, with an ability to work some evenings and weekends as needed in support of performances and related activities.
• 43-week annual permanent position. Approximately August-May or other schedule as approved annually by Performing Arts Curator.

Salary Information

Level 26

Special Instructions to Applicants

Upload your resume along with your completed application. Our team will check references at the final stage of the interview process. Please be prepared to provide contact information for at least three (3) professional references. This position will remain open until filled or the advertised closing date, whichever occurs first. Early submissions are recommended.

UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, caste, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, disability, political belief or affiliation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related condition(s), veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, natural and protective hairstyle and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University. To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. It is the policy of UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.

Advertised: Jun 13 2024 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close: Sep 15 2024 Eastern Daylight Time

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