Director of Education and Community Engagement

Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University

Position 574520

The Opportunity:

Scheduled to open in 2016, the new Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA) at Virginia Commonwealth University

(VCU), designed by the renowned Steven Holl Architects, is seeking a dynamic, energetic, intelligent, and

collaborative creative leader to oversee the education and community engagement strategies for adult and family

learning delivered by the ICA.

As part of the ICA’s inaugural staff, the Director of Education and Community Engagement will design, develop,

and implement strategies for evaluating the impact of lifelong learning programs and for expanding external

partnerships that are regional and global in scope. The Director is charged with maintaining high standards of

excellence to create a dynamic and enriching visitor experience and to establish critical community outreach to

educate and engage diverse audiences. This is a unique opportunity for a visionary leader who also knows how to

develop, measure, and assess opportunities for creative engagement and learning across all ages to ensure the

goals of the ICA’s educational and engagement programs are successfully aligned with the overall curatorial

strategies and mission of the ICA.

The Director of Education and Community Engagement reports to the Director of the ICA and is part of ICA’s

senior leadership team.

About the ICA (ica.vcu.edu):

The ICA will be an iconic gateway for the city of Richmond. As a non-collecting museum, the ICA will showcase a

fresh slate of changing innovative exhibitions, performances, films and special programs that engage the

university, students, faculty, the broader Richmond community, and beyond.

The 40,000-square-foot ICA will be an incubator for interdisciplinary experimentation for the entire university while

simultaneously providing opportunities for collaboration both locally and internationally. It will be in direct dialogue

with VCUarts (arts.vcu.edu), the #1 public art school in the country; set within a major, urban public research

university with national and international rankings in sponsored research; and centrally located on the East Coast

in a city with a top-10 museum and a region with few venues for the latest contemporary art. The ICA will become

a conduit for global collaboration, bridging the distance to artists working in other regions internationally.

About Richmond, Virginia:

Richmond (VisitRichmondVA.com) is an art-centric town, but there’s much more all around us. Hiking, biking,

kayaking and rafting opportunities abound. Brown’s Island and Maymont Park are just a few of the natural

treasures VCU faculty, staff, and students name as their favorite Richmond spots. Richmond is a thriving capital

city full of cultural diversity, great food, festivals and entertainment. We are the heart of the arts in a state with a

bustling gallery and performance scene featuring local and international talent. Many state museums are located

here, such as The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Richmond, more commonly known as RVA, is a haven for

alternative and creative endeavors. The Today Show named Richmond the #3 Most Tattooed City in the US. In

September 2012, Outside Magazine named Richmond the “Best River Town in America.” We are home to the

James River Park System, one of the largest inner city park systems in the country. Washington, DC, Virginia

Beach, and the Blue Ridge mountains are only 2 hours away. Richmond International Airport has daily non-stop

flights to NYC, so you can be there in an hour, if you can find the time to go.

Population: 200,000+ live in the city; 1.2 million live in the greater Richmond area.