OPEN CALL: UC San Diego seeks Director of Mandeville Art Gallery

The UC San Diego Mandeville Art Gallery has a five-decade history of presenting innovative art in the context of a major research university. The Mandeville Art Gallery (MAG) is currently poised to enter an exciting new phase in its evolution: a major renovation to its existing gallery space and surrounding areas that will connect the gallery to other ambitious projects that are transforming our campus. From the revitalized MAG, to new buildings and neighborhoods and the arrival of the new light rail connecting campus to downtown San Diego, the shift in the campus’s physical appearance will expand and enrich the student experience, serve the campus community, and spark collaborative research, creativity, and innovation.

As part of this current expansion and a renewed commitment to the arts and culture on campus we are pleased to invite applications for the position of Director of the Mandeville Art Gallery. The Director will be responsible for planning and delivering innovative exhibitions in a highly collaborative environment, and overseeing long-term exhibition planning, budget and all other aspects of UAG operations. The Director will contribute broadly to the teaching and research programs of UC San Diego while also forging collaborations across the University and within the broader San Diego community. The MAG Director will be involved with content planning and operations for the external digital display at the MAG, in close collaboration with University Communications and other campus partners.

The Director will be hired as a full-time “Professor of Practice” and will join the faculty of the Department of Visual Arts, with the possibility of partial appointment in a second department based on the successful candidate’s fields of expertise. The Department of Visual Arts offers undergraduate degrees in Studio Art, Media, Speculative Design, Art History and the Interdisciplinary Computing in the Arts Major (ICAM), as well as housing internationally renowned graduate programs in both art history and art practice. The Director will be expected to create and teach 1 course per quarter in professional and curatorial practice for undergraduates and graduate students in the context of the MAG, for a total of 3 courses per academic year.

Candidates with experience and willingness to engage in activities that contribute to diversity and inclusion are especially encouraged to apply.

The Professor of Practice series is a non-tenured, non-Senate academic series intended for distinguished and eminent professionals who contribute to UC San Diego by teaching, contributing to the research and scholarly mission of the University, and by providing service to the University based on their practical professional experiences. Professors of Practice participate in service-related activities, such as sitting on department committees, serving as advisors to faculty and/or undergraduate and graduate students, helping students network, and providing internship and job opportunities.

Professor of Practice appointments are for periods of up to three years at a time. The Professor of Practice is an academic year appointment with an intended start date of July 1, 2022. The initial appointment will be for two years. Professors of Practice may be reappointed, are subject to academic review, and are eligible for merit increases. Rank and salary commensurate with qualifications and experience based on UC pay scales.