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Head of Gallery

Virginia Commonwealth University

School of the Arts in Qatar

Position: Teaching & Research Faculty

Tenure: Ineligible

Rank: Assistant Professor

Appointment length: 12-month faculty position

Salary: Commensurate with experience and training. Generous international benefits available.

Promotion: Eligible for promotion in academic rank

Department/Program: Office of Research and Development

Location: Doha, Qatar

Position Begins: July 1, 2026

Review of Applications: Review of applications continues until position is filled. For best consideration, applications are due November 30, 2025.

The Opportunity: 

VCUarts Qatar (VCUQ) invites applications for the position of Head of Gallery to support and promote the School’s vision and mission through impactful exhibitions, speakers, and relevant public programs. The successful candidate will be a dynamic professional with a prominent curatorial voice and vision with significant hands-on experience in all aspects of curation, exhibition design, and associated activities. The Head of Gallery position will develop and implement a curatorial vision to guide an ambitious exhibition and speaker program and elevate the intellectual contributions of the VCUQ Gallery in local, regional, and global discourse. With an emphasis on showcasing work from emerging and established artists and designers, the Gallery facilitates wide-ranging activities and public programs at VCUQ, including the Crossing Boundaries Lecture and Workshop Series, Wavelength Lecture Series, Project Spaces exhibitions, the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) exhibitions, while partnering with the Hamad Bin Khalifa Symposium on Islamic Art and the Tasmeem Doha conference. Additionally, this position will provide critical support for international programming initiatives. The successful candidate will provide leadership and vision for the VCUQ Gallery, teach or co-teach undergraduate or graduate-level courses, and engage in creative practice and/or scholarly research that speaks to their own areas of interest. The ideal candidate will have curatorial experience working across disciplines in art, design, and art history.

Major Responsibilities:

• Provides leadership and curatorial vision to guide the Gallery programming, focused on contemporary art, design, and art history
• Provides oversight of the day-to-day operational management of wide-ranging art and design gallery activities
• Develop and teach courses on topics relevant to areas of expertise, with a willingness to teach courses across the academic departments. Courses may be taught at the undergraduate and/or graduate level
• Supports the development and implementation of relevant international programming initiatives that consistently attain standards of international excellence in alignment with the strategic goals of VCUQ and the University
• Supports and enriches the educational, research, and outreach aspirations of VCUQ, working collaboratively with school and departmental leaders, faculty, staff, and other relevant stakeholders
• Works collaboratively with inter-departmental staff, vendors, and clients, coordinating daily activities and facilitating the timely completion of projects
• Collaborates with the Gallery Committee to initiate, develop, coordinate, and provide leadership on internal and external exhibitions and guest lectures
• Collaborates with colleagues on the VCU Home Campus, such as VCUarts Anderson Gallery, the Institute for Contemporary Art (VCU ICA), and the future CoStar Center for Arts and Innovation (CCAI)
• Builds collaborations with community and cultural organizations and engages a wide audience that includes students, faculty, local residents, and visitors throughout the world
• Supervises the Gallery staff who supports day-to-day operations including Associate Curators of Special Projects and Campus Projects
• Performs other duties as assigned by the supervisor or needed within the general duties typically associated with this position

Qualifications:

• MA, MFA or equivalent in Art/Design History, Art/Design Criticism, Museum Studies, or related academic disciplines
• Minimum of five (5) years of curatorial experience in a Gallery, museum, non-profit, or higher education in a supervisory/management role, with progressive responsibility for designing and carrying out a full range of programs or projects
• Experience overseeing and ensuring standards of excellence in museum and curatorial principles, exhibition design practices and procedures, and an understanding and sensitivity to professional ethics related to working with designers, artists, and speakers
• Demonstrated creativity and innovation in developing and implementing all stages of an exhibition, including basic conversations of works of arts, exhibition design, registrar’s procedures, the accession process, installation, and a basic understanding of legal procedures of import/export, logistic and hospitality for artists, agreements for securing loans, and repatriation issues
• Broad working knowledge of art/design history of all periods and specialized knowledge in contemporary art/design, familiarity, and knowledge of non-Western art/design is a benefit
• Strong writing skills for historical and critical analysis of art and design, with the ability to write for both scholarly and general audiences
• Independent, strong project management skills and excellent organizational skills with the ability to organize resources, budget management, establish priorities, and manage deadlines
• Excellent ability to work effectively with administrators, faculty, staff, students, artists, and suppliers, and develop and maintain favorable external and internal partnerships with the various constituencies of VCUQ, VCU Richmond, and local creative industries
• Experience with international project collaboration and working with academic, community, cultural and educational institutions in an inclusive and culturally sensitive manner
• Must possess excellent verbal and written English language proficiency
• Experience coordinating guest speakers and presenting speakers to an audience
• Experience writing and directing all promotional and academic materials, such as exhibition catalogs, in support of exhibitions and speakers
• Established research agenda and a clear potential for external funding, as well as a potential for a scholarship or creative expression to complement and expand existing expertise in the department/unit
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environment of professionalism, respect, and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU

Application Instructions:

To apply, please submit application materials via VCU Jobs Website at vcujobs.com

Only electronic applications will be accepted.

The following documents should be submitted:

• Cover Letter (address interest and qualifications for the position; include discussion of research agenda, teaching, and service activities)
• Curriculum Vitae
• Reflective teaching statement (include approaches and philosophies; evidence of effective teaching; and potential courses in area of specialization)
• Portfolio of visual work that demonstrates curatorial experience
• Two writing samples that demonstrate your communication skills and ability to write for scholarly and general audiences
• List of three professional references including names with titles and contact information. (References will not be checked prior to candidate’s approval)

Review of applications continues until position is filled. For best consideration, applications are due November 30, 2025.

Questions about the application process should be directed to Kristin Brown, HR Administrator, at brownka@vcu.edu, School of the Arts HR.

Restricted Position: No

ORP Eligible: Yes

Rank: Assistant Professor

Tenure: Ineligible

Contact Email: artshr@vcu.edu