Program Director for American Art [Henry Luce Foundation]

The Henry Luce Foundation invites applications for the position of Program Director for American Art.  The new Program Director will succeed Ellen Holtzman, who will retire in September 2015 after a distinguished 23-year tenure.

The Foundation’s American Art Program aims to advance the field by providing grants for exhibitions, publications and research that emphasize an aesthetic approach to American art. Over the more than 30 years since it was established, the program has awarded more than $160 million to some 250 museums, universities, and service organizations in forty-eight states and abroad. The program supports projects in all periods and genres of American art history. More information about goals, guidelines and recent grants can be found at www.hluce.org.

The Program Director will be a member of the Luce Foundation’s full-time staff in New York City.  The position reports to the President, providing program leadership and managing all aspects of the grant-making process from initial inquiry through evaluation.  The director is responsible for shaping the program in consultation with the President and Board and informed by experts and professionals in the field who understand its evolving needs and priorities. He/she also participates actively in professional networks and associations that advance the Foundation’s interests and goals in the field. Travel will be required.

The Foundation seeks a confident and well-rounded visual arts professional who will be an effective spokesperson for the Luce program and who seeks to serve the wider American art community. The successful candidate will present a strong record of leadership in the field of American art; experience in and with museums and museum practices is also critical. In addition to broad knowledge about the field of American art as a whole, the position requires excellent written and oral communication skills, analytical skills and experience in planning, program management and assessment.  An earned graduate degree in art history or in a relevant discipline is required. Salary is based on skills and experience; the Foundation offers a competitive package of benefits.

Qualified applicants should send a letter of interest and a resume addressed to the Vice President of the Henry Luce Foundation to search@hluce.org by March 1, 2015. Interviews will begin in March and the successful candidate is expected to take up his or her duties no later than August 1, 2015.