Executive Director
Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba, Brandon, Manitoba

The Board of Directors of the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba seeks a new Executive Director to guide the current strategic plan and oversee operations and programming.

Our organization
We are the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba, a community-engaged and inclusive contemporary art gallery located in downtown Brandon, Manitoba. The AGSM is the largest arts organization outside of Winnipeg, with a national reputation for the excellence of its culturally diverse exhibition and education programming, amply supported by national and provincial funders. The AGSM is a leading advocate for cultural development, the revitalization of downtown Brandon, and the creative economy in the region. Its 22,000 square foot facility attracts more than 22,000 people per year and nearly 3,000 children and adults take part in our over 250 onsite public programming activities.

Our city
Brandon is Manitoba’s second largest city and a regional hub for culture, education, and commerce for the surrounding areas of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and North Dakota. A growing multicultural community of with a historic downtown and strong connections to its rural economy, it is home to Brandon University and Assiniboine Community College. Brandon is located on the TransCanada Highway between Winnipeg and Regina and serviced by a regional airport with daily flights by WestJet.

Position available
Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director leads an accomplished and professional staff of five and is responsible for a budget of $650,000.

Working closely with curatorial and art education staff, the Executive Director develops programs that create links between contemporary art and everyday life, foregrounding excellence, accessibility, and community engagement.

The Executive Director will provide energetic leadership and overall vision for the gallery; execute and guide the strategic plan; balance the sometimes competing goals of artistic integrity with fiscal responsibility; lead fundraising efforts; inspire the AGSM team to further excellence; build on existing partnerships while creating new ones; oversee programming and operations to safeguard the high quality of visitor experience while effectively managing resources.

Ideal Candidate

• You are an energetic visionary with seven years of progressively senior-level cultural leadership experience and a proven capacity to set goals, design a strategy to enact them, and initiate action to fulfill them.
• You have a strong understanding of contemporary art, and vision for the gallery.
• You have a graduate degree in a relevant discipline, such as art history, communication studies, arts administration, visual culture or a combination of education and experience.
• You are a respected leader in your field that inspires the team to achieve their best through a charismatic approach that attracts resources, commitment, and support.
• You are a community builder – passionate and innovative about using contemporary art to engage diverse cultural groups and build enduring social bonds. You will have demonstrable experience in forging partnerships and collaborations across all sectors, private and public. You will be a strong advocate for inclusion and accessibility.
• You are experienced working with a governance board of directors to develop and implement the artistic direction of the gallery.
• You have a keen business sense with a demonstrated ability to develop a sustainable business plan, lead operations and manage resources effectively while furthering the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba’s mission, strategic plan and core values.
• You are experienced in fund development having designed, led, and executed contemporary strategies to meet private and public sector revenue goals.

Core Responsibilities

• With an eye to the future develop strategic and business plans that are responsive to the community while balancing artistic excellence and accessibility with budgetary realities.
• Identify, nurture, and develop existing and new sources of revenue through fundraising, grant writing, corporate sponsorships, planned giving, annual appeal, effective donor recognition, and other innovative fund development practices.
• Oversee the artistic direction and development of exhibitions, education, and community programming on and off site.
• Continue to provide a friendly, inclusive, and accessible community space where AGSM staff, volunteers, artists, and community feel valued.
• Collaborate with cultural and community organizations, academic institutions, and the business community to build capacity and extend our reach.
• Work with the Board of Directors to increase organizational capacity, revise and develop policy, and support good governance.
• Prepare and report on the annual budget. Oversee financial operations and resources, equipment repair or acquisition, insurance, and risk management. Monitor results, reallocating resources as needs arise.

Further Info
For more information about the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba visit www.agsm.ca. The Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba seeks to represent the diverse communities that comprise our city and nation and encourages applications from all qualified individuals.

Deadline for applications is Tuesday, February 16. Applicants should submit their resumes in confidence to HR@agsm.ca