About the Western Gallery

The Western Gallery, the contemporary art museum at Western Washington University, engages its regional audience with exhibitions, public programs, gallery encounters, and more. It programs a world-class campus sculpture collection—now 36 strong and growing—with artists including Isamu Noguchi, Do Ho Suh, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Fred Wilson, and Richard Serra. Twice the campus sculpture collection has been identified among the top ten university public art collections in the country.

With 4,500 square feet of gallery space and a staff of three, Western Gallery presents interpretive, interdisciplinary programs and acts as a center for the discussion and exchange of ideas on contemporary art. With generous state and private support, it is a catalyst for learning, embracing the campus and public communities through experiences that explore our world today.

About the position

Western Washington University seeks a dynamic leader to oversee all aspects of the Western Gallery and Outdoor Sculpture Collection. The Director will collaborate with faculty, staff, students, and community partners to create engaging programming that fosters dialogue and learning across disciplines. Additionally, the Director will manage budgets, secure funding through grants and fundraising initiatives, and engage with key stakeholders to promote the gallery’s mission and enhance its visibility. Reporting to the Dean of the College of Fine and Performing Arts ("CFPA"), the Director will serve as the primary advocate for the gallery’s programs and represent the university in regional and national arts networks.

Manages all aspects of the Western Gallery including budget, strategic planning, and general operations.

Application review begins April 28, 2025; position is open until filled.

Position Duties and Responsibilities

• Recruits, trains, supervises and evaluates gallery staff including Preservation and Museum Specialist and Museum Educator, and works with the staff to oversee work study students and gallery interns.
• Provides artistic direction, exhibition development, and additional programming for the Western Gallery. The Director will also provide or oversee interpretive texts and promotional materials for all gallery activities.
• Oversees all aspects of the Outdoor Sculpture Collection including siting, maintenance, new commissions, and public awareness
• Manages the university’s collections which includes research, documentation, procuring legal documents, and oversees the registration of new works
• Works with WWU capital planning staff, state legislators and the State of Washington Art in Public Places Program to secure half percent art funding on new construction
• Collaborates with faculty and staff from College of Fine and Performing Arts ("CFPA") academic programs to integrate the gallery into the core mission of those programs
• Forms and chairs ad hoc artist selection committees for new commissions
• Chairs and works with Acquisition/Deaccessioning Committee to review (portable) works for addition to the Western Gallery Collection

Required Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in a relevant field and at least five years of progressive leadership experience in museum or gallery curation, management, and/or direction
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills, with experience supervising and mentoring staff, volunteers, and student workers and a commitment to fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment
• Experience with public art and outdoor sculpture, including expertise in curating, conservation, and maintenance of site-specific works and knowledge of environmental and material preservation challenges
• Proven track record of curating, producing, and publicizing impactful exhibitions and multidisciplinary programming that engage diverse audiences
• Demonstrated expertise in securing external funding through successful grant writing, donor cultivation, sponsorships, and effective financial and operational budget management
• Experience overseeing and stewarding permanent, temporary, and circulating collections, including acquisitions, cataloging, and conservation
• Commitment to fostering an inclusive environment by collaborating with artists, audiences, and the greater-campus community to create culturally relevant, accessible and engaging programming
• Proven ability to build and sustain long-term relationships with donors, patrons, alumni, and stakeholders, fostering community support and partnerships
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills, with demonstrated ability to effectively advocate for gallery initiatives, engage with media, and deliver compelling public presentations

About Western Washington University

Western Washington University, with nearly 15,000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school, is nationally recognized for its educational programs, students and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham, Washington, a coastal community of 90,000 overlooking Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Western has additional sites in Anacortes, Bremerton, Everett, Port Angeles, and Poulsbo. Western is recognized nationally for its successes, such as being named one of the top public master's-granting institutions in the Pacific Northwest for 25 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report. Western Washington University is committed to achieving excellence through advancing inclusive success, increasing our Washington impact, and focusing on transformational education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and based on innovative scholarship, research, and creative activity. Western's greatest strength is the outstanding students, faculty, staff, and alumni/ae who make up its community. Western supports an inclusive governance structure for all and... provides a learning and working environment in which everyone can thrive. In pursuit of this excellence, individual employees are expected to establish and maintain productive and effective inclusive working relationships amongst diverse populations including staff, faculty, administration, student, and external constituents. Further, individual employees are expected to have the ability to operationalize sustainability concepts (economic, societal, environmental) into all aspects of performing their job duties.

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Connections working at Western Washington University