Gallery Educator

Job Summary

The Gallery Educator will play a critical role in creating a dynamic, positive, welcoming, and enriching experience for the museum’s youngest visitors. Reporting to the Linde Family Foundation Senior Coordinator of School and Teacher Programs, the individual will collaborate cross‑departmentally to develop, implement, and teach age‑appropriate, curriculum‑based gallery experiences for about 3,000 Maine K‑12 school children each academic year. The position is 6 to 15 hours per week, primarily Tuesday‑Friday, 9:00AM to 1:30PM.

Essential Functions

• Design and implement arts‑integrated gallery experiences for K‑12 audiences.
• Greet and manage museum visit logistics at the campus museum and at the downtown Joan Dignam Schmaltz Gallery of Art in the Paul J. Schupf Art Center.
• Work closely with staff and teaching artists to coordinate the logistics of a museum visit, which typically includes a gallery experience, studio project, and lunch.
• Lead or co‑lead tours, workshops, and professional development programs for area K‑12 educators.
• Provide support for existing and new educational programs.
• Facilitate interactive in‑person and virtual tours for schools.
• Lead art activities in area schools, in collaboration with classroom teachers, for a multiple‑visit program for 3rd, 5th, and 8th‑grade students.
• Assist with data collection and evaluation of participant feedback.
• Participate in scheduled training sessions and become trained in all exhibitions and programming.
• Conduct independent research on artists and artworks in museum exhibitions and the museum’s permanent collection.
• Be able to work occasional weekends and/or evenings.
• Follow policies and procedures to ensure a safe work environment.

Position Qualifications

• Education and/or experience: Bachelor’s degree with 2+ years of recent and relevant experience or equivalent experience and education in Art History, Studio Art, Classroom Teaching, or Museum Studies.
• Experience in the development of arts‑integrated education programs, art‑making workshops, and curriculum is preferred.
• Familiarity with gallery‑based discussions that combine visual arts and academic subjects focused on contemporary art and utilizing visual thinking and inquiry‑based learning strategies preferred.
• Relevant engagement and/or administrative experience preferred.
• Strong oral communication, interpersonal, and public communication skills to interact with all levels of visitors, staff, and trustees.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to complete clear, concise, and accurate reports and other documentation.
• Highly motivated, flexible, and comfortable with all audiences.
• Strong attention to detail and problem‑solving skills with the ability to handle situations with tact and diplomacy.
• Ability to work independently as well as in a team, exercise judgment, establish priorities, and complete projects with minimal supervision and to adjust as new projects are assigned.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (e.g., Word, Excel) and Google Suite (e.g., Mail, Calendar, Docs, Sheets, and Slides); ability to learn Airtable, Adobe Creative Suite, EventBrite, SurveyMonkey, Workday, and other Colby tools as needed.

Physical/Mental Demands

The job requires frequent movement around the office space and within hallways, meeting rooms, and other parts of the campus facilities. It also involves prolonged personal computer use, lifting up to 35pounds, and shifting focus quickly to meet urgent task deadlines. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Disability Accommodations

Colby College actively supports the Americans with Disabilities Act and will consider reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.