Reporting/Working Relationships

The Director reports to the Board of Trustees through its Chair and works closely with all standing and ad hoc committees of the Board. Reporting to the Director are Chief Curator, Curator of Education, Director of Development, PR/Marketing Director, Facilities/Security Manager and Administrative Manager. The Director also works in collaboration with and oversees the operational and administrative functions executed under the resource sharing partnership by the Tennessee Aquarium personnel.

Responsibilities

The Director has full authority and responsibility for the overall management of the Hunter Museum, including its human, physical, and financial resources, the content of its programs, and its future development and growth.

Her/his primary responsibilities are providing leadership guided by the Hunter’s mission and values, and developing the vision, strategic planning and implementation for the museum’s programmatic excellence, including fundraising strategies and financial stability. She/he will take a leadership role in all fundraising activities and work in tandem with the Director of Development and the Development Committee of the Board. An immediate and ongoing responsibility will be to engage with the general and business Chattanooga community, the museum’s patrons of all generations, funding sources and the area’s cultural organizations.

Within the first six to eight months, the Director will focus on becoming familiar with the Hunter’s operations and will assess the museum’s strengths and weaknesses to ensure that appropriate personnel, programs, policies and procedures are in place to achieve the long term goals identified by the Hunter board:

  • Increase the number of visitors and program participants
  • Increase the financial stability and sustainability of the museum
  • Improve the overall visitor experience
  • Enhance and improve the overall operations of the museum
  • Increase the visibility of the museum

Institutional Leadership:

  • Inspire and lead the Board and staff in developing and implementing a strategic plan.
  • Work with the Chief Curator and Curator of Education to articulate a coherent programmatic vision for the Hunter that leverages its strengths, and where needed, institute changes in order to enhance visitor enjoyment and to encourage repeat visitation and support.
  • With the Board and the Chief Curator, develop strategies for cultivating possible gifts of art.
  • Maintain high community visibility and represent the museum at professional local and national art and museum conferences.

Planning and Implementation – working closely with the Board and staff:

  • Execute the outcomes of the Strategic Plan.
  • Serve as chief advisor to the Board in all museum-related matters and ensure the Board’s effectiveness in its policy-making and funding roles.

Financial Development – in concert with the Development Committee, the Board and the Director of Development:

  • Assert leadership in all fundraising plans and activities.
  • Assess and evaluate existing development activities and strategies.
  • Grow the membership in the George Thomas Hunter planned giving program.
  • Explore opportunities to grow earned income revenues.
  • Cultivate and solicit new funding sources.
  • Develop strategies to augment the list of individual donors and strengthen efforts to bring in major gifts.

Program Development – in collaboration with appropriate staff:

  • Spearhead new exhibitions and public education programs with wide community appeal.
  • Develop high quality in-house shows and identify and secure important traveling exhibits.

Communications and Public Relations:

  • Serve as an advocate and public spokesperson for the Hunter Museum’s mission.
  • Plan and implement public relations, marketing and communications initiatives to raise the Hunter’s visibility throughout the region and nation.
  • Maintain and enhance ongoing communication with individuals, neighbors and constituencies in the greater Chattanooga area
  • Develop new and continue existing collaborations in the community.

Operations:

  • Provide oversight to the responsibilities undertaken by the Aquarium under the resource sharing partnership, including Finance/Accounting, Human Resources, Management Information Systems (MIS), and Museum Store.
  • Prepare the annual operating budget of the museum for Finance Committee review and Board approval.
  • Ensure appropriate financial controls and reporting systems and provide the Board with financial reports on a regular basis.
  • Ensure the continued financial viability of the museum through effective planning, staffing, budgeting and forecasting.
  • Conduct and/or oversee employee selection, training, development and performance appraisal.
  • Attract and retain outstandingly talented staff.
  • Promote and maintain practices that encourage and facilitate open communication, cooperation, satisfaction and teamwork among staff, Board members and museum constituents.

Board Relations:

  • Maintain frequent communication and work closely and collaboratively with the Board Chair and together plan meetings and formulate Board agendas.
  • Meet frequently with individual Trustees and keep the Board fully informed about the progress of all undertakings.
  • Assist the Board in effectively discharging their responsibilities.

General – in the performance of these responsibilities:

  • Create a collegial work environment with staff, Trustees and volunteers.
  • Perform duties with a high level of energy and professionalism and require the same from the staff.
  • Maintain standards promulgated by the American Alliance of Museums.

HOW TO APPLY

Qualified candidates should email a cover letter and resume to careers@huntermuseum.org

Applications will be accepted until May 1, 2015.

Hunter Museum of American Art

10 Bluff View

Chattanooga TN 37403

www.huntermuseum.org

The Hunter Museum of American Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer

 

CITY OF CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE

Chattanooga, Tennessee is located on the Tennessee River and is the fourth-largest city in Tennessee. It is situated between the Appalachian Mountains and the Cumberland Plateau. The city’s economy includes a diversified and growing mix of manufacturing and service industries.

Chattanooga is one of the South’s top travel destinations. The New York Times named Chattanooga one of the “Top 45 Places to go” in the World.  Only four US destinations were named and the “Scenic City” was the only place outside of California. There are amazing restaurants, live events, art, outdoor adventure, and world-class attractions.

Cultural offerings include the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Chattanooga Regional History Museum (re-opening 2016), the Chattanooga Ballet and Ballet Tennessee, just to name a few. Chattanooga hosts the 4 Bridges Arts Festival, an annual juried arts festival recognized as a premier event by the New York Times, and several writing conferences, including the Conference on Southern Literature and the Festival of Writers.

Chattanooga has many attractions, including the Tennessee Aquarium, Creative Discovery Museum, a hands-on children’s museum dedicated to science, art, and music, an IMAX 3D Theatre, Warner Park Zoo, and many more.

Chattanooga hosts the well-known Riverbend Festival, an annual nine-day music festival held in June in the downtown area. One of the most popular events is the “Bessie Smith Strut”, a one-night showcase of blues and jazz music named for the city’s most noted blues singer. The annual “Southern Brewer’s Festival” and the “River Roast” festival celebrate such traditional Southern staples as beer and barbecue.

Chattanooga has a large, growing, and diversified sports scene for a city of its size, including college sports, minor league baseball, semi-professional teams, professional cycling exemplified by the Volkswagen USA Cycling Professional Road & Time Trial National Championships, the Ironman Triathlon, and Head of the Hooch, one the world’s largest rowing regattas.

Efforts to improve the city include the “21st Century Waterfront Plan” – a $120 million redevelopment of the Chattanooga waterfront and downtown area, which was completed in 2005. Chattanooga has garnered numerous accolades for its transformation of its image. The city has won three national awards for outstanding “livability”, and nine Gunther Blue Ribbon Awards for excellence in housing and consolidated planning. In addition to winning various national and regional awards, Chattanooga has been in the national limelight numerous times including articles in Outside magazine, Money magazine, New York Times, Fortune magazine and USA Today.

Chattanooga was identified as the most polluted city in America by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1969 and is now hailed as the crown jewel of the country’s sustainable development initiatives.  Some of those initiatives are:

  • Chattanooga Convention Center became one of the Top 10 Green convention centers in the nation
  • Created free electric shuttle for transportation throughout the downtown district
  • Installed an inexpensive Bike Share Transit System with 300 bicycles at 30 stations throughout downtown
  • Numerous restaurants offer Farm to Table services with locally grown fruits and vegetables and locally produced breads, pastries, and meats
  • Volkswagen Group of America’s only U.S. Manufacturing facility, Chattanooga is the site of the world’s first LEED Platinum auto assembly plant
  • Tennessee Aquarium’s conservation efforts include recycling, composting, energy-efficient appliances, reusing water in some exhibits
  • Ruby Falls was the first attraction in the world to become Green Globe certified
  • Rock City Gardens replaced millions of lights to LED ones and focuses on land conservation efforts throughout the state
  • Green Lodging Program incentivizes hotels and restaurants to be aware of their environmental impact and try and reduce their carbon footprint.
  • Chattanooga boasts 30+ LEED Certified buildings.

The museum is also involved in the city’s sustainability initiative – green|spaces.  We have developed our eco-policy and have been certified as a Greenlight business by green|spaces.

In 2010, Chattanooga’s Electric Power Board (EPB) launched its exclusive fiber optic network to its 600 sq mi (1,600 km2) service area, which covers the greater Chattanooga Metropolitan Statistical Area.  In September of that year, EPB became the first municipally owned utilities company in the United States to offer internet access directly to the public at speeds up to one gigabit (1,000 megabits) per second by utilizing its fiber optic network. The network has been emulated by at least six other cities in Tennessee and studied by other cities in the US and even internationally.

Startups have been an increasing trend, due in part to EPB‘s fiber optic grid. Unique in the city is the startup accelerator Gigtank, which utilizes the city’s gigabit capacities and focuses on 3D printing, healthcare, and smart grid technologies.  Chattanooga went from limited investable startup capital in 2009 to over $50 million in 2014.

Several nationally and internationally recognized companies call Chattanooga their home base and/or have extensive operations in the area, including Little Debbie snack maker McKee Foods Corporation, Chattem, a division of Sanofi, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, TVA, Amazon, Wacker, and Unum Insurance, to name a few. Many of these corporations work with the Hunter to assist in hosting professional development training and events for their employees at the museum.

In May 2011, Volkswagen Group of America opened its Chattanooga Assembly Plant (LEED-Certified). It serves as the group’s North American manufacturing headquarters. The plant, which currently employs approximately 2,700 people and will increase by another 2,000 people within the next few years and manufactures the Passat and the CrossBlue (late 2016), will have a first-in-the-South fullresearch and development center in downtown Chattanooga.  Significantly, Volkswagen officials chose to make the public announcement that Chattanooga would be the home of their North American manufacturing headquarters from the lobby of the Hunter Museum overlooking the Tennessee River.  Approximately 1,000 people were present to hear Volkswagen officials cite the intangibles – the cultural community and quality of life in Chattanooga – as critical factors in their choice of Chattanooga for their facility and workers.

Chattanooga is home to several nationally recognized institutions of higher learning, many with which the Hunter accomplishes collaborative, annual programs. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has the second largest campus in the UT System, with more than 10,000 students. The city also serves as a branch of the UT College of Medicine. Chattanooga State is a growing community college with an enrollment of more than 11,000 students. The metro area is also home to private institutions Southern Adventist, Lee University, and Covenant College.

Chattanooga city public schools are part of the Hamilton County Department of Education as a result of a successful 1997 merger. The public school system has partnered with private foundations providing significant funding for education reform. Four Hamilton County public K-8 schools and 3 public high schools have been designated National Schools of Excellence, and high-performing magnet “themed” schools in the city of Chattanooga attract students from the outlying suburbs. A wide range of private schools include several highly respected preparatory academies, boarding schools, religious schools and alternative schools.

Within a two-hour drive of Atlanta, Nashville, Knoxville and Birmingham, Chattanooga has a population of 171,000 and a broader metropolitan population of about 528,000. An estimated 6 million people live within a 100 miles of Chattanooga.

The Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport is served by major domestic airlines. The closest Amtrak connection is Atlanta. Discussion of proposals for a high-speed rail link to Atlanta is ongoing.

Job Requirements

Qualifications and Characteristics

The successful candidate will have demonstrated experience gained in progressively senior positions, preferably at a museum or other cultural/educational institution; knowledge and appreciation of American Art; a commitment to outreach and public art programs; and preferably, an advanced degree in a field related to the Hunter’s interests.

MUSEUM MISSION AND VISION

The vision of the Hunter Museum of American Art is to be a nationally recognized cultural hub that inspires personal and community transformation through American Art.  The museum’s mission is to engage our diverse audiences in active dialogues about the importance, meaning and relevance of American Art.  At the Hunter, we believe:

  • Art and creativity are forces for personal growth and positive community change
  • In the importance of diverse cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives
  • It is our responsibility to be stewards of the Museum, its collection, and surroundings
  • In integrity, excellence, and continuous improvement

MUSEUM HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

In the 62 years since it was founded, the Hunter Museum of American Art has become a nationally known museum admired for its collection, programs and its unique facility. With the completion of a major addition in 2005, the Hunter is now a 77,000 square foot state-of-the-art museum and a bold civic statement for the city of Chattanooga. Spectacularly situated on a high bluff overlooking the Tennessee River, the Hunter, with the stunning architectural combination of the original 1905 Georgian mansion, the 1970’s Brutalist building with a central atrium on its east side and the zinc-clad 2005 building with a soaring roof-line on its west side, is a defining landmark on the Chattanooga landscape.

Since the Hunter Museum of American Art opened its doors as the George Thomas Hunter Gallery of Art, the museum has been central to Chattanooga’s cultural life.  Perched on an 80-foot bluff at the edge of the Tennessee River, the Hunter Museum features three distinct but connected buildings that span 100 years of architecture.  The Museum offers spectacular views of Chattanooga, the river and the mountains that are equaled only by the exceptional collection of American art found inside.  Average attendance is 60,000 visitors annually.  More than 15,000 students and children participate in field trips, studio experiences, teen programs, workshops, and summer camp.  Additionally, we offer special learning opportunities for students in Title 1 schools.  The Hunter enjoys approximately 2,500 active member households.  Free Family Sundays allow thousands of people to visit the Museum each year free of charge.  The museum’s permanent collection comprises more than 5,000 works from the 1750s to present day.

In 1975, the museum’s trustees made the strategic decision to focus entirely on American Art. In that same year, the Hunter made a major acquisition of 40 works by American artists, including work by Childe Hassam, Charles Burchfield, Robert Henri, Reginald Marsh and John Marin. In subsequent years, works by Thomas Sully, George Inness, Asher B. Durand, Winslow Homer, Mary Cassatt, George Luks and Thomas Hart Benton were added to the 19th and early 20th century collections.

The collection of art from the mid-20th century to the present has grown exponentially and includes work by Gorky, Hoffman, Nevelson, Segal, Rauschenberg and Stella, with additional works by younger generations coming to prominence from the 1980s to the present.

Sculpture, painting and works on paper form the core of the 5,000 objects owned by the museum.  The Hunter continues to add to its 19th century holdings while taking full advantage of the greater availability of contemporary work. Modern studio glass is now an expanding part of the collection.

Adult programs include, Art + Issues, a series of in-gallery dialogues that feature community leaders using works of art to spark discussions about important issues such as homelessness, abuse prevention, race, gender issues, the environment, sustainable development and more.  The Art Wise Distinguished Speaker Series brings world class artists and lecturers to the Hunter for community discussions.  The museum also offers a variety of musical programs including All American Summer, which showcases popular local and regional musicians, and String Theory, a chamber music series in partnership with Lee University.

The museum’s education department enhances the learning opportunities through the arts for museum visitors of all ages. Programming responding to the interests and needs of the elementary and secondary school curricula includes the use of media such as pod-casts created by high school students. There are special programs for homeschoolers, pre-schoolers and Girl Scouts. Studio art classes are available for children and adults. Week-long summer camps are available for ages 8 to 15 in partnership with other Chattanooga cultural organizations.

In 2000, the museum joined in a partnership with the Tennessee Aquarium and the Creative Discovery Museum. The business and operational expertise and resources of the Aquarium are utilized by all three entities, resulting in significant savings and efficiencies. The museums now share a CFO (finance and accounting), an information technology manager, a human resources director and a director of retail.

The Museum is an active participant in Chattanooga’s unusually collaborative culture. In the 1990s, the City of Chattanooga, the Hunter Museum, the Tennessee Aquarium and Creative Discovery Museum joined with private interests to undertake Chattanooga’s “21st Century Waterfront Plan”, a renovation and development project impacting the Tennessee River riverfront and the commercial areas lying alongside the river. With extraordinary support and momentum, this $120 million public/private venture was completed in less than three years and is now studied as a national model of pedestrian-oriented and ecologically-sound urban development.

The capital campaign that supported the Hunter’s 2005 renovation also provided funds for an outdoor sculpture plaza in front of the museum and made possible the reinstallation of the permanent collection. In addition, 34,000 square feet was renovated to provide up-to-date storage and the installation of framing facilities and quality climate control.

The Hunter operates with a budget of approximately $2.5 million. It has an endowment of $22 million of which a portion is earmarked for acquisitions, exhibitions and maintenance. The museum employs 19 full-time staff and 38 part-time staff and is governed by a 17-person Board.