Arts Education Associate

Dia:Beacon
Riggio Galleries
3 Beekman Street
Beacon, NY 12508

Dia Art Foundation is expanding its arts education and public engagement initiatives at Dia:Beacon, Riggio Galleries, and is seeking an experienced museum education professional to fulfill the position of Arts Education Associate and implement new school and teacher programs. Building on the current Arts Education programs in New York City and Beacon, the Arts Education Associate will create new learning opportunities around Dia¹s collection and oversee and manage school and teacher programs, internships, and community outreach initiatives. The Arts Education Associate will report to Dia Art Foundation¹s Curator and the Managing Director of Dia:Beacon and will work closely with the Senior Arts Education Associate in New York City.

Dia Art Foundation¹s education philosophy grows out of a belief that children should be exposed to artworks in conjunction with a radical approach to teaching that engages unconventional methodologies aimed at engendering and sustaining creative freedom and diversity in opinions. Dia encourages interdisciplinary exploration in Dia:Beacon¹s Riggio Galleries while presenting the exceptional opportunity to consider questions of visual literacy and its relationship to the natural and social sciences, mathematics, and the humanities. In keeping with the innovative works in the collection, Dia¹s Arts Education Programs foster rigorous, inquiry-based observations and associative thinking while providing tools for critical engagement and direct exchange.

The Arts Education Associate represents Dia Art Foundation in the Beacon community, in particular with elementary, middle school, and high school principals and teachers. The Arts Education Associate must develop strong relationships with the learning community in the Hudson Valley, attend meetings at schools, and implement innovative education initiatives in response to Dia¹s goals and priorities. The Arts Education Associate position encompasses a wide range of duties including: the development of thematic tours, specifically to elementary, middle, and high school groups based on Dia¹s collection; monthly training of guides, teaching artists, gallery attendants, and staff associated with the implementation of school tours (thematic
guided tours); school partnerships (with 6 Beacon City Schools); teacher development programs; family programs (Community Free Days); and an internship program. The position supervises part-time guides; part-time teaching artists; and part-time college-level interns.

This is a full-time position based at Dia:Beacon, Beacon, New York. Working hours will be 40 hours per week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Friday and occasional weekends required. The Arts Education Associate reports to the Curator of Dia Art Foundation and to the Managing Director of Dia:Beacon.

Qualifications:
M.A. in art history, museum studies, art education or related field.
Minimum of 5 years of modern or contemporary museum experience in museum education or educational institution. Must demonstrate success in developing, implementing, and sustaining innovative education initiatives and working with students, youth, and teachers and the general public is essential. Must possess strong writing skills, and have the ability to communicate regarding major developments of 20th and 21st century art. Must have knowledge of critical, pedagogical, and related theories; a strong commitment to work with diverse populations;
and experience supervising guides, volunteers, and interns; and strong budget and administrative skills. The individual must be well organized, and have excellent planning and implementation skills with a high level of professionalism and commitment to the mission of Dia Art Foundation.
The Arts Education Associate must have strong communication skills and be experienced and comfortable with public speaking. The candidate must be fluent or knowledgeable in digitalmedia and presentation software. Experience in audio-visual skills including production/editing of simple audio and video content is also desired. Frequent local travel is required and reliable transportation is necessary.

Dia Art Foundation enables artists¹ visions by initiating, supporting, and preserving extraordinary art projects which exceed the scope of traditional museums and galleries. A nonprofit founded in 1974, Dia collects in-depth the work of some of the most renowned artists of the last half-century; presents long-term, site-specific projects in the western United States, in New York City, and on Long Island; executes new commissions and an ongoing series of original artists¹ projects produced for the web; and produces scholarly publications related to its exhibitions and collection.

Dia:Beacon opened in May 2003 as the home for Dia Art Foundation¹s distinguished collection of art from the 1960s to the present. The museum features works by a focused group of some of the most significant artists of the last half century, including Bernd and Hilla Becher, Joseph Beuys, Louise Bourgeois, John Chamberlain, Walter De Maria, Dan Flavin, Michael Heizer, Donald Judd, On Kawara, Imi Knoebel, Sol LeWitt, Agnes Martin, Bruce Nauman, Max Neuhaus, Gerhard Richter, Robert Ryman, Fred Sandback, Richard Serra, Robert Smithson, Andy Warhol, and Lawrence Weiner. It also features significant exhibitions and projects by artists who came to prominence during this period as well younger generations working today. In addition to its collection, Dia:Beacon hosts an innovative performance program that has included works by Joan Jonas, Robert Whitman, Merce Cunningham, and Trisha Brown.

Located on the banks of the Hudson River in Beacon, New York, and easily accessible by train or car, the museum occupies a former Nabisco box-printing facility that Dia renovated with artist Robert Irwin and architect OpenOffice. Dia:Beacon¹s expansive galleries comprise 240,000 square feet of exhibition space illuminated by natural light.

Competitive salary and benefits accompany this position.

For consideration, send cover letter, resume, 2 writing samples (academic or museum related material essay, interpretative tools, arts education curriculum, etc.), and 3 professional references and contact information to the address below:

Attn: Arts Education Associate Search
Dia Art Foundation
535 West 22nd Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10011

DEADLINE: April 30, 2011

Submissions will only be accepted by postal mail only, no calls please.