Assistant Curator

Reporting to the Associate Curator of High Line Art and working under the direction of the Director & Chief Curator, the Assistant Curator is responsible for a broad range of tasks related to the coordination and development of High Line Art’s program. Thriving in a fast-paced, creative environment, they contribute ideas and conduct other curatorial work to support High Line Art’s program, and collaborate across teams within Friends of the High Line to ensure that needs around installations and programs are communicated and fulfilled. They work closely with the Associate Curator to present commissioned, site-specific performances, and help to conceive of public programs connected to the art program. They lead on logistical, administrative, and operational support, including but not limited to liaising with artists, conducting research, managing budgets, and organizing and archiving photos, videos, and contacts. They also act as ambassadors for the program, leading tours and presentations to volunteers, partners and different groups.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with the Associate Curator to produce and present High Line performance commissions; overseeing castings, managing budgets, coordinating staging, set-up, and breakdown, and coordinating with the production team on A/V and staffing, and liaising with other internal departments.

• Work directly with artists to project manage the planning and exhibition of their work on the High Line – this includes overseeing budgets, collaborators, and external vendors for Performance, Channel, and Art Off Line.
• Propose and execute, in collaboration with the Special Projects department, public programs that complement High Line Commissions, Plinth, Channel, and Billboard.
• Lead all workflow between High Line Art and the Communications department to ensure timely and smooth flow of information both via Asana & weekly meetings; provide content for art website pages, and provide images, captions, and text for digital communication (enews, social media, blog posts, etc), signage, and brochures.
• Draft and execute, with the support of General Counsel, agreements, contracts, loan forms, permits, and insurance documents for the department.
• Manage and update all High Line Art master documents, and maintain the organization and archiving of all High Line Art files on Google Drive & internal server. This includes the photo and video archive related to upcoming, current, and past projects (download, edit, and organize digital files, captions, and credits).
• Liaise with artists and galleries to collect materials (biographies, images, catalogues, overviews, presentations, event printed programs, etc).
• Arrange and conduct special tours and presentations for volunteers, colleagues, supporters, and other relevant visitors.
• Support curatorial staff in their research and preparation for Commissions, Channel, and Performances, including publications, online content, loans, and other general curatorial affairs.
• Support the curatorial team in all areas of their responsibilities, including administrative work, e.g., taking detailed minutes of meetings, preparing presentations, drafting interoffice and extra-institutional communications, working with budgets, processing invoices, scheduling meetings, tracking reimbursable expenses, and other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Three years’ administrative-related work experience
• BA degree in art history or related field or comparable work experience
• Excellent writing & research skills
• Outstanding verbal communication skills
• Interest in modern and contemporary art
• Fluency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google G-Suite (Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides), and Asana
• Exceptional attention to detail, professionalism and discretion in handling sensitive situations and matters

Preferred

• Experience working in a cultural institution such as museum or library
• Familiarity with Adobe Suite (Acrobat, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)

Abilities

• Excellent organizational skills with a high-level of attention to detail and ability to support several colleagues and projects
• Self-starter, able to work independently as well as be a team player
• Creative thinker
• Ability to prioritize across a fast-paced work environment and manage more than one project at a time while completing assignments on deadline
• Sense of humor
• Willingness and ability to work occasional weekends and weeknights
• Willingness and ability to work in an outdoor environment and traverse the High Line on a regular basis in all weather conditions
• Willingness and ability to work in a flexible work environment

This is a full-time exempt position with a salary range of $61,200-$65,000 based upon experience and qualifications.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance

• Paid primary and secondary caregiver leave
• 20 Vacation days, 7 sick days, and 10 paid holidays with floating holidays & Winter Fridays, Discounts Citi Bike Membership
• Discounts with vendors at the High Line & around the Meatpacking neighborhood
• Free entrance to the Whitney Museum
• Supplemental short-term disability insurance and paid life insurance
• Commuter benefits
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Contribution in a 403(b) retirement plan
• Employee Assistance Program

About Friends of the High Line:

The High Line is both a nonprofit organization and a public park on the West Side of Manhattan. We’re devoted to reimagining public spaces to create connected, healthy neighborhoods and cities through our work with communities on and off the High Line. Built on a historic, elevated rail line, the High Line was always intended to be more than a park. You can walk through the gardens, view art, experience a performance, enjoy food or beverage, or connect with friends and neighbors while enjoying a unique perspective of New York City. Nearly 100% of our annual budget comes through donations. The High Line is owned by the City of New York, and we operate under a license agreement with NYC Parks.

EEO Statement:

The High Line is guided by a series of values through which we make decisions, including hiring. These values include proactively creating access points for all people, regardless of age, sex, color, creed, race, income, country of origin, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

As part of our commitment to living up to these values and advancing equity within our organization and through our work, we are committed to an equitable hiring process. Hence, we strongly encourage applications from people with a broad range of lived experiences. This description shall not be construed as a contract of any sort for a specific period of employment.

If you have a disability and need help with the application process:

• Email [email protected] to request accommodations (like alternative formats, extra time, etc.)

Important clarification:

• This email is ONLY for requesting disability accommodations
• Resumes sent to this email won't receive special treatment in the selection process
• The only special consideration will be providing the specific accommodation you need to complete the application fairly