Director, Institute of the Fine Arts

Description

Note: Applications are not being collected in Interfolio. To apply, please visit: https://www.imsearch.com/open-searches/institute-fine-arts-new-york-university/director

New York University (NYU), the preeminent global research university, seeks a dynamic and visionary leader to serve as the next Director of the world-class Institute of Fine Arts (IFA). The successful candidate will be a distinguished scholar and an inspiring leader with significant administrative experience to lead the IFA into the future.   

With a dynamic and highly strategic new president, Dr Linda G. Mills, NYU is building on its extraordinary trajectory and setting ambitious goals to achieve impact. NYU embraces its urban and global identity and provides an enriching and comprehensive education to more than 65,000 students. NYU’s research enterprise is vital and growing, with over $1 billion in research annually, and it counts among its 7,000 faculty members recipients of the highest honors and a vast network of talented scholars, artists, scientists, and writers with endless opportunities for collaboration. NYU has a network of 18 schools and colleges with degree-granting portal campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai and 12 global academic centers in Africa, Asia, South America, North America, and Europe. 

The IFA, established on Manhattan’s Upper East Side in 1932, is NYU’s school for graduate teaching and advanced research in the history of art, archaeology, and the conservation and technology of works of art. The IFA is committed to global engagement and advancing these fields, with research at the core of its teaching. The chronological range of teaching and research interests spans six millennia, from ancient Egyptian to contemporary art and architecture, and a number of professors work across or between periods and geographical areas. The research and teaching cultures at the Institute place emphasis on the importance of on-site study of objects through direct contact with their complexities of form, scale, materiality, and context. The full-time faculty is enriched by colleagues from the Department of Art History, one of the finest undergraduate programs in the country, who contribute to teaching, mentoring, and research at the Institute. 

THE INSTITUTE OF FINE ARTS   

The Institute offers the degrees of a PhD in History of Art and Archaeology, MA in History of Art and Archaeology, and MA/MS in the Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. Additionally, students take advantage of internships and fellowships at major New York City museums as well as in U.S. and global academic, nonprofit, and commercial art institutions supported by an extensive alumni network. 

The Institute of Fine Arts is a discrete entity within New York University with its own faculty, administrative staff, and advisory Board of Trustees. Its Director reports to the President and Provost of the University and is part of the University’s senior leadership team. The academic administration of the Institute, including Directors of Graduate and Masters Studies and Chair of the Conservation Center, serve on a rotating basis and report to the Director. The Institute is located on Museum Mile within the cultural corridor of NYU and is housed in two historic buildings on East 78th Street. Research and teaching are supported by two major library collections, a separate facility for the Conservation Center with laboratories and classrooms, an up-to-date visual resources collection, and staff for administration, facilities, and technology support services. Support for these enterprises comes from a combination of endowments and gifts, student tuition, and the University. The IFA has a total budget of approximately $21M. Faculty and staff include 20 full-time faculty members, 11 associate faculty members, and 24 staff. There are currently 185 graduate students enrolled in all three programs (PhD, MA, and MA/MS). 

THE POSITION 

In taking on the role, the Director will: 

• Envision the long-term strategic direction of the IFA to be the leading institution in the field as the arts and educational landscapes continue to evolve; 

• Work effectively and enthusiastically with the Board of Trustees and the University’s advancement team to expand fundraising and cultivate new and deepened donor relationships to facilitate financial sustainability, ongoing excellence, and growth; 

• Continually seek to support and enhance the overall strength of the Institute faculty, including strategic approaches to recruitment, retention, development, and performance; 

• Leverage the assets of resources and interdisciplinary expertise across the units of NY