Director & Curator, List Gallery

Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to inclusive excellence and nondiscrimination in its educational program and employment practices and encourages candidates who will further advance the goal of fostering a diverse and inclusive community. As one of the nation’s finest institutions of higher learning, Swarthmore College is global in outlook and draws students from around the nation and world. The 425‐acre campus is a designated arboretum, complete with gardens, rolling lawns, a creek, wooded hills, and hiking trails in the Crum Woods.

Who We Are:

The List Gallery presents curated exhibitions of work by emerging, mid-career, and preeminent artists and facilitates diverse learning opportunities, including site-specific installations, gallery talks, and creative workshops. Exhibiting artists often serve as visiting critics and lecturers, giving students and members of the general public access to a broad range of media and interpretation. List Gallery exhibitions complement the College curriculum, catalyze interdisciplinary study, and serve both the Swarthmore community and the Greater Philadelphia region.

The opportunity:

The director and curator administers and oversees all operations for the List Gallery, a regionally acclaimed exhibition venue that presents an ambitious and diverse schedule of exhibitions including contemporary artists, student work, and works from the Swarthmore College Art Collection.

The director serves as the chief executive, senior curator, and principal organizer of all List Gallery exhibitions and related programming. Curatorial tasks include: researching emerging and nationally known artists; conceiving, organizing, and presenting major exhibits each year; writing and editing promotional materials and/or catalog essays; overseeing exhibitions by senior art majors; organizing the annual alumni exhibition; facilitating and leading class visits to the List Gallery, giving gallery talks, arranging workshops, and other public programs; consulting with diverse faculty members and staff —especially faculty in Art and Art History and the Art Collection Manager—to develop programming that informs curricular goals; managing a fair and balanced exhibition selection process; and arranging and overseeing visits to Swarthmore by diverse artists and lecturers.

The director enhances Swarthmore's reputation by collaborating with diverse institutions and lenders throughout the country; researching, writing, and editing brochures and catalogues; writing press releases and developing relationships with journalists; planning and implementing community outreach initiatives; providing services and information to alumni and prospective students; maintaining a secure and professionally organized gallery storage area; writing grant proposals; and securing both internal and outside funding to support gallery initiatives.

The director manages the List Gallery budget; tracks expenses and ensures that they are charged to appropriate funding sources and coded correctly; ensures that associated subcontractors and student workers follow proper administrative and accounting policies and ethical practices; drafts, completes, and amends loan agreements and other contractual letters; stays informed regarding legal liability issues and insurance considerations; works to eliminate or limit reputational and financial risks; and prepares grant budgets and reports.

The director oversees a student staff of 15-20 students each semester and mentors several interns each year, providing them with hands-on learning opportunities, career training, and an introduction to curatorial studies. Additionally, the director hires diverse consultants and independent contractors, such as designers, art handlers and shippers, photographers, and carpenters who support gallery activities. The Director negotiates terms of service and oversees all such professional services. The Director also manages repairs and improvement work completed by College staff including painting, electrical work, periodic cleaning, HVAC repair, pest management, and the construction of exhibition furniture.  

The director serves on a campus-wide art collections and exhibitions committee to present potential exhibition concepts and help coordinate collaborative efforts in art spaces across campus. The director collaborates with faculty, the Art Collection Manager, and students to develop exhibition and installation projects that utilize the Collection and advises on potential acquisitions and deaccessions. The director advocates for the role of exhibitions and related programming in the curricular and extracurricular activities of the College.

The director also develops and maintai