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Director of Development
NYFA
New York, NY, United States
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Description
Michael Gaillard Studio is seeking a full-time SALES ASSOCIATE (with room to grow to DIRECTOR level in the future) from June 15 or so until Labor Day, and ideally into mid-September if possible. Michael Gaillard Studio is a gallery located on the island of Nantucket and features the art of Michael Gaillard (Columbia MFA '10, Stanford BA '03). HOUSING WILL BE PROVIDED* (It is incredibly challenging and costly to find housing on Nantucket, and very few employers offer housing on island). For an average of 40 hours a week for 10 weeks, this job will pay 12000 dollars (or 16000 if you already have housing).
I am continuing this search in hopes of finding someone capable of committing to a longer-term engagement, with potential to play a more significant role in my business enterprise and expansion going forward. Should the relationship prove successful in 2018, the employee will be expected to return for the summer of 2019. Eventually, this employee could rise to a directorial level, at which point profit sharing will be part of the terms of the contract.
Qualified candidates should be highly motivated and organized, and have experience in a contemporary gallery setting. If you lack experience in a gallery setting, but have strengths that offset that inexperience, please apply. I am willing to stretch the requirements to allow for the right person to be found. I provide an extensive Employee Handbook that details every aspect of the business and my practice. It is crucial that the content in the handbook is committed to memory, but it is only in service of my employees achieving a level of comfort from which to achieve a confidence necessary to be an effective surrogate for me when I am not in the gallery. This knowledge should ultimately enable you to be creative with the content I've provided you in the handbook.
You should be interested in becoming an important addition to a small team; be proactive, hardworking, and have the ability to multi-task and prioritize in a fast-paced environment. The right candidate will be intellectually curious, self-motivated, socially nimble, and willing to commit significant effort to achieving proficiency within this role.
Responsibilities:
• Working closely with the gallery director in the conducting of gallery business
• Creating, developing, and sustaining relationships with artists, collectors, consultants, and museum professionals
• Having an in-depth understanding of the artist's individual practice, techniques, and biography
• Committing all details related to the description, editioning, and pricing of the artwork and the gallery's inventory to memory, and being able to relay this content to the public with ease
• Assisting in the coordination and implementation of gallery exhibitions and events
• Maintaining the gallery's appearance and keeping the gallery's storage organized and efficient. This requires being comfortable with some light manual labor in the form of cleaning, stocking, and organizing. The ideal candidate will be able to perform these tasks when necessary, and not only when asked to do so.
• Working with the artist/owner to devise and execute marketing strategies and campaigns, both within Nantucket and in a more global capacity.
Requirements:
• excellent communication skills, attention to detail, and a strong work ethic
• please be fun to be around. This should be a fun summer.
• high-end retail and/or gallery/sales experience
• some experience with marketing strategies for fine arts and a eagerness to engage in discussions to that end.
• At least a B.A. in Art History, Fine Art or related field (or equivalent professional experience.)
• sales experience in a contemporary art gallery setting, although will consider high-end retail experience for the right candidate (not essential... intelligence, curiosity, and work-ethic are more important)
• available to work at night (until 10pm at the latest)
• familiarity with and interest in contemporary art
• ability to work independently and efficiently within tight deadlines
• proficiency with Mac computers and programs
• a flexible and positive attitude, and a willingness to perform any task that arises. Sometimes these tasks may seem menial, but when a part of such a small team, everyone must contribute and be willing to roll up their sleeves.
BONUS: Have knowledge and appreciation of the island of Nantucket, its people, geography and history.
There will inevitably be many demands that arise that fall outside of the above description. The right candidate must be flexible and expansive in terms of how they perceive their role in the gallery, and willing to fulfill duties that may extend beyond the walls of the gallery, but play an integral role in its success.
* Regarding the housing: The room provided has its own entrance and is quaint but quite comfortable. It is a 5-minute walk (within the main town of Nantucket) to the gallery. It has its own bathroom, a dresser, and a closet with sufficient space for your hanging clothes. The kitchen and living room are shared with the elderly landlord. Her bedroom is in a separate structure on the property. She is a historian with a PhD from Harvard, and a very interesting woman with whom you'd need to be comfortable with the occasional interaction. This room is only available for one person. It is crucial that you be comfortable with this arrangement. I lived in the apartment last summer, and it was really quite comfortable. I wouldn't be offering this if I thought it was inadequate.