Assistant Professor of Curatorial Practice and Director of Galleries

Description

Title: Assistant Professor of Curatorial Practice and Director of Galleries

Hiring Unit: Department of Art & Art History/College of Arts, Languages & Letters

Location: University of Hawaii at Manoa

Date Posted: December 8, 2025

Closing Date: Continuous \u2013 application review begins January 30, 2026

Salary Information: Commensurate with experience and qualifications

Monthly Type: 11 Month

Tenure Track: Tenure

Full Time/Part Time: Full-time

Temporary/Permanent: Permanent

Other Conditions:

The University of Hawai'i seeks a full-time, tenure track 11-month Assistant Professor of Curatorial Practice and Director of Galleries to begin Fall 2026, pending position clearance and availability of funds. This vital role combines academic instruction with the strategic leadership and comprehensive oversight of the department's significant exhibition spaces. The successful candidate will be expected to make substantial contributions to the scholarly mission of the department through engaged teaching, the rigorous management of its galleries, and the execution of high-quality, original research and exhibition projects. The position also offers opportunities for active partnerships with university faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, artists and scholars, and the greater community. Located in one of the country's most multi-cultural urban centers, we especially welcome applicants interested in expanded notions of art, identity, locality, and culture, inclusive of regional and international research across media. The gallery system consists of three dedicated formal spaces. The Art Gallery (TAG) is the university's largest exhibition space (4,400 square feet). The Commons Gallery has a smaller footprint and usually features exhibitions of shorter duration. The John Young Museum of Art (JYMA) is a 2,000 square foot complex that includes a main exhibition gallery and dedicated curatorial workshop space.

The University of Hawaii at Manoa, a Carnegie I research university, is located in a lush tropical valley within a primarily residential neighborhood of Honolulu. The Manoa campus is the flagship of the ten-campus University of Hawai'i system, and enrolls about one-third of the system's over 50,000 students. The Department of Art and Art History (DAAH) is a comprehensive center in the Asia/Pacific region for the study of visual art, art history and critical theory. The department combines seasoned faculty expertise with state-of-the-art facilities to provide an outstanding locus for undergraduate and graduate study in the visual arts. DAAH is committed to researching and teaching the visual arts in a way that emphasizes the university's position in the Asia-Pacific region while cultivating international critically, technically and historically informed scholars, practitioners and audiences of the visual arts.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Teach two (2) courses a year on exhibition design, museum/gallery, and/or other courses in relevant area of specialization;
• Advise and mentor undergraduate and graduate students of the department;
• Be responsible for all aspects of the department's gallery spaces (Art Gallery, Commons Gallery, John Young Museum of Art), including scheduling and execution of exhibitions; planning and execution of gallery-related public programming; overseeing and upkeep of facilities and equipment; public relations and event promotion; fundraising, budgeting and business management; and supervision of staff and student workers;
• Conceive, research, and deliver original, high-quality exhibitions as a core component of the faculty research agenda, overseeing all stages from initial concept development and grant writing through installation and public programming;
• Participate in the governance of the department and provide service to the college, university, and community;
• Perform other duties assigned by the Department Chair.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Terminal degree (Ph.D, M.F.A or equivalent) in Curatorial Practice, Art History, Studio Art or closely related field from a college or university of recognized standing (degree must be completed by August 2026);
• College-level teaching experience;
• Ability to develop and teach courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels;
• Minimum of three (3) years of professional work experience in museum/gallery management, including demonstrated professional experience in art curation and exhibition design;
• Demonstrated expertise in leading and mentoring professional staff, including a history of effective team supervision, internal communication, and fostering an equitable, positive work environment.
• Proven experience in cultivating and sustaining key external partnerships, including funders and potential donors;
• Demonstrated professional expertise in fiscal stewardship encompassing comprehensive financial planning, budgeting, and successful fundraising specific to arts or non-profit organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively and collegially with students, faculty, staff and administrators from various backgrounds.
• Professionalism in meeting and conferring with others.

Desirable Qualifications:

• MEd in Arts Education, MBA in Arts Management, Certificate in Museum Studies or Historic Preservation, or a cognate area;
• Demonstrated professional expertise in public promotion and public relations, including but not limited to mass and social media interfacing, community outreach, and public profile development
• Experience with design and production of exhibition catalogs

To Apply:

Click on the "Apply" button at the top right corner of the screen to complete an application and attach required documents:

• Cover letter indicating how you satisfy the minimum and desirable qualifications and your ability to carry out the specified duties;

• Statement of teaching philosophy;

• Curriculum vitae;

• Sample Syllabus for a course similar to: Exhibition Design and Gallery Management, which covers design theory and techniques for presentation of artworks and mounting exhibitions; Art Museums and Preservation Practices, an introduction to collections management and preservation techniques, incorporating both theoretical and practical approaches, and including hands-on work with the collections of the John Young Museum; or a cognate course.

• Writing sample of a published article or catalog essay (5000 words or less; if longer, provide an excerpt);

• Curatorial portfolio of exhibitions curated in the last 5 years. Provide URL link(s) to online portfolio OR submit files:

• Digital Images should be formatted as JPEG (RGB) files, or PDF. JPEGs should be no smaller than 1920 pixels on the longest side, at 72 ppi. Individual JPEG files larger than 10 MB will not be opened. Name image files alphabetically or numerically to ensure they are reviewed in the desired order.

• Time- or Web-Based Work, Video, Sound, and Animation should be submitted as Mac OS compatible MOV, MPG, MP4, WMV, or AVI formats. Provide URLs for web-based works. Also provide concise printed instructions for viewing/listening to time-based or web-based work. Time-based work should be limited to 5 minutes; for longer works, please provide an excerpt.

• Transcript(s) showing highest degree received (unofficial copies acceptable with the application; official transcripts required at time of hire);

• Names and contact information of three professional references.

Inquiries: Search Committee Chair: Professor Kate Lingley, lingley@hawaii.edu

EEO, Clery Act, ADA

The University of Hawai'i is an Equal Opportunity Institution and is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in employment, including on the basis of veteran and disability status. For more information, visit: https://www.hawaii.edu/offices/eeo/policies/

Employment is contingent on satisfying employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986; reference checks of previous employers; and for certain positions, criminal history record checks.

In accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, annual campus crime statistics for the University of Hawai'i may be viewed at: https://www.hawaii.edu/titleix/help/campus-security/, or a paper copy may be obtained upon request from the respective UH Campus Security or Administrative Services Office.

Accommodation Request: The University of Hawai'i complies with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the EEO coordinator directly. Determination on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. For further information, please refer to the following link: https://www.hawaii.edu/offices/eeo/accommodation-request/