MBG Issue #126: An Unholy Experiment

Issue # 126

An Unholy Experiment

July 31, 2009

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Jim Drain, I Will Show you the Woe-Joy Man, 2009, Detail of video still. Courtesy the artist.

from the editor

First things first: ever since Merce Cunningham passed away last weekend, I've been thinking about him. In particular, I keep flashing back to an installation I saw last summer at Dia:Beacon,Tacita Dean's Merce Cunningham performs STILLNESS (in three movements) to John Cage’s composition 4'33" with Trevor Carlson, New York City, 28 April 2007 (six performances; six films). For this issue, I've written a brief reflection about Cunningham and Merce Cunningham performs STILLNESS.

This short, mid-summer issue also contains two features about the Blanton. With new director Ned Rifkin, the institution has entered a period of reassessment. In an interview with Rifkin, I ask about his first impressions of the Austin, his priorities at the museum and his love of guitars. Meanwhile, Dan Boehl tackles Jim Drain's installation in the Blanton's WorkSpace Gallery and muses about the politics of the WorkSpace program more broadly.

If you find this issue all too brief, have no fear. ...might be good's Fall Preview is coming your way next Friday.

Claire Ruud is Editor of ...might be good.

interview

Ned Rifkin

By Claire Ruud

Ned Rifkin. Courtesy Smithsonian Institution.

Ned Rifkin, the Blanton's new director and the former undersecretary for art at the Smithsonian Institution, is charming and diplomatic. Despite his punishing schedule—he is conducting half-hour interviews with every single staff member and meeting all the various "stake holders" in the museum—Rifkin graciously agreed to give me his full attention for nearly an hour.

…might be good: So, what’s your sign, Ned?

Ned Rifkin: Are you asking what my birthday is? It’s November 10.

…mbg: A Scorpio? So what does that mean about you?

NR: I have no idea. I know what Scorpios are supposed to be, but I don’t know what that means about me.

…mbg: I’m a Ram. I think we’re supposed to have a firey relationship. We both want to be in control. So your official start date at the Blanton was May 1, but how long have you actually been living here?

NR: I’d been back and forth a number of times in May and June, but I actually moved here on July 4th.

…mbg: Have you had time to explore the city at all?

NR: Not much. I’ve been focusing my energy here at The Blanton, which hasn’t had a permanent leader for well over a year, so the anticipation and eagerness of people here and elsewhere has been pretty substantial. But of course, I’ve had to go shopping; I’ve had to eat.

…mbg: Have you fallen in love with any Austin restaurants?

NR: Well, I’m vegetarian, so the answer is yes, but I’m still finding my way around. Besides, it’s so hot out that I’ve found myself just wanting to be cool, really to just stay inside.

…mbg: I was a vegetarian until I moved here. After about six months here, I just had to try the barbecue, and that was the end of that.

NR: The barbecue may be excellent, but I’m going to forego it for sure, as well as anything else that has parents.

…mbg: You’re a parent; you have children.

NR: Yeah, and I don’t eat them either. I’ve nibbled on them, though, and they’re very tasty.

…mbg: Where are they now?

NR: I have a son who teaches at The University of Southern California, another son who is also a teacher in Seattle, and third who’s a musician in Atlanta.

…mbg: That’s a lot of sons.

NR: Yeah, it’s a lot of sons; it’s a lot of light.

…mbg: What are you reading right now?

NR: I’m reading a biography of Sam Cooke by Peter Guralnick and Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald. And of course, I’m reading memos, histories of this organization [The Blanton] and so forth. I’m taking in a lot of information right now; it’s like trying to sip water from a fire hose. It’s pretty wonderful; I’m just sponging.

…mbg: Who’s Sam Cooke?

NR: Oh my goodness, is the door closed? Don’t let anyone hear you. Sam Cooke began his career as a gospel and spiritual singer, and then crossed over into rock. He was a very famous singer in the 50s and early 60s, but he was murdered at a fairly young age. He was one of my very favorite singers from that time period. And the author of the biography, Peter Guralnick, is an historian with a wonderfully rigorous, detailed style. The book paints a very rich picture, kind of like a cultural anthropology.

…mbg: Sounds like music might run in the family.

NR: I’m musical. I grew up on rock and classical music.

…mbg: Do you, by any chance, play electric guitar?

NR: I do play electric guitar, but I tend to play more steel string acoustic. Actually, two of my guitars were made in Austin by a great luthier here in town—Collings Guitars. But I also have an electric guitar and a classical guitar and I like to play them, too. I actually have five guitars.

…mbg: Do you plan on joining a band?

NR: It’s not a priority. I’m not a joiner so much, but I do like to play with people.

…mbg: Speaking of priorities, what have been your first priorities at the Blanton?

NR: My first priorities are to get to know the people who work here, the organization and the university—to understand the organization’s past and present, strengths and weaknesses. Practically speaking, I’m starting with individual meetings with every member of the staff and the various stakeholders and supporters. There’s a lot of people time. And here we are.

…mbg: Here we are. So what do you see as the Blanton’s strengths?

NR: I took this opportunity because the Blanton is part of a university community that values learning and teaching, within a larger Austin community that values creativity. What is created here in the film, music and intellectual communities reaches audiences nationally and internationally. Everything’s in place here to cultivate a museum that functions on that same level.

…mbg: What about weaknesses?

NR: One of the questions this museum faces, as all museums do right now, is how to generate revenue in order to fuel programming and staff and other initiatives. This is a youthful organization; the Blanton in its current incarnation is almost brand new. Three years ago when the new building opened, there was incredible excitement—a convergence of energy and resources. Now, the organization is hitting that “get real” moment in the midst of a time when the world doesn’t have as much disposable cash as it did a few years ago. It’s not a weakness, it’s a diagnosis of the situation.

I’m reluctant to start talking about the organization’s weaknesses because, at this point, all I have are first impressions from an outside perspective. Others have told me what they think our weaknesses are. For example, more than a few times, I’ve been told that Austin is not a very philanthropic community.

…mbg: I’ve been thinking a lot about the philanthropic culture here in Austin. I recently went to a workshop on fundraising run by the city for nonprofits. Nell Edgington, the president of a “social innovation” firm called Social Velocity, seemed to think that there is the potential for a more philanthropic culture here. She pointed out Austin’s robust venture capital ecology and suggested that nonprofits and their funders might use a similar model to their advantage.

NR: If this is a “tough town,” as people have told me, I’m interested in where is that culture being developed.

When I was at the High Museum in Atlanta, Coca-Cola was one of the biggest businesses, and for that reason, it was a key player in developing Atlanta’s culture of philanthropy. I’ll never forget the day when the CEO of Coca-Cola started talking about “strategic philanthropy,” which is basically a euphemism for marketing. It sounds better, but it isn’t. Within the concept of strategic philanthropy is the expectation that organizations are working for the shareholders, and therefore the shareholders should be somehow “getting the most” out of whatever they give. That makes sense from a business point of view, but that’s not what philanthropy is.

I don’t know yet what the equivalent of Coca-Cola is here in Austin. Through good leadership, it’s possible to develop a vibrant philanthropic culture that supports and sustains what we really value.

…mbg: And, as you already mentioned, it’s a hard moment financially. I took a look at the Blanton’s budget, and it looks like you’re going to be in the red next year.

NR: You know, I don’t think so. We’re in good shape compared to many institutions.

…mbg: Will the Blanton be replacing Gabriel Perez-Barriero [former Curator of Latin American Art] this year?

NR: You’re right, there is a conspicuous vacancy in leadership position in Latin American art. We will certainly look for a successor fairly soon. I don’t think there’s any chance of replacing Gabriel. People aren’t replaceable. But Ursula Davila-Villa [Interim Curator of Latin American Art] has done a wonderful job since Gabriel resigned.

…mbg: Just one last thing. You’re the “special adviser” to President Powers. What does that mean?

NR: It’s actually not an official position. What it means to me is simply that when Bill Powers has a question about art, I’m the “go-to guy.” This came out of conversations with the President about art and the university. I said, let’s take a holistic approach. If the Blanton is going to be successful it has to be so in its emanations. I have a lot of experience in public art and so on that could be helpful.

…mbg: Yes, I mean, you’re used to running 6 museums at once.

NR: No, I didn’t run six museums. The directors of six museums reported to me. I directed directors. After that, I wasn’t sure I was going to return to art museums, but this opportunity at a university museum like the Blanton in a community like Austin’s really inspires me.

Claire Ruud is Editor of ...might be good.

review

Jim Drain
WorkSpace, Blanton Museum of Art, Austin
Through November 1

By Dan Boehl

Jim Drain, I Will Show you the Woe-Joy Man, 2009, Installation view. Courtesy The Blanton Museum of Art.
Photo: Rick Hall.

The WorkSpace program at the Blanton Museum of Art is one of the best things going for contemporary art in Austin. The program brings an early-career artist to Austin, funds a new space-specific work, and provides public access to the artist through gallery talks and UT classes. It also provides the artist a laboratory for experimentation. Offering relief from the dominant gallery-driven commercial production model that encourages artists to display continuity of style and medium, WorkSpace exists blissfully outside of the coastal art centers and their scrutinizing gaze. It’s like what happens in Austin stays in Austin. Not all WorkSpace artists experiment while participating in the program, but Jim Drain has wandered from his studio practice so far as to seem like a new artist altogether.

Specializing in bulbous knit sculptures and collage, Drain eschewed his practice for I Will Show You the Joy-Woe Man (2009). Instead, he created an out of control multi-tiered sculpture and video installation that rampages like the Frankenstein monster. File cabinets fill the gallery, providing a mute architecture for the eight video projections of debauchery and excess that swirl up the walls. In the videos, made-up and costumed revelers gyrate, dance, regurgitate bird squawks and dialogue in an orgiastic hierarchy of excess. It’s quite literarily an ungodly mess; while watching a large bloodcovered man in lycra finger his chest wounds like stigmata, I felt physically ill.

Though Drain says the Epic of Gilgamesh inspired the Joy-Woe Man, the installation resists narrative. The file cabinet sculpture anchors the installation, providing a kind of fixed solidity. Florescent lights and pig masks rest in drawers and nooks like ideas. The three-tier videos become morally minded as they move up the wall. On the second tier, the neon sign “EZ” appears and pans, seeming to cast a moral gaze on the revelers. “The Promiseland” sign floats on the top tier like the gift of heaven way up there, beautiful, stolid, unobtainable.

The video vernacular is borrowed straight from Ryan Trecartin. An androgynous figure slowly dances, seeming to beckon with romantic love. A skeletal kachina doll lords over a pig carcass like an omen. Grackles chitter. There’s a lot going on everywhere in an enthralling, sickening disaster. The sculptural elements are well placed and calming, though latticed webbing and bones upset the placid workaday structure. In essence, Drain has created a monster, combining media with the semblance of reason, never predicting the outcome. It’s an unholy experiment. One he wouldn’t have the opportunity to conduct anywhere but in the WorkSpace gallery, and in that way, it’s a triumph.

Jim Drain, I Will Show you the Woe-Joy Man, 2009.

I Will Show You the Joy-Woe Man was created with a lot of help from Austin art outfits. The video shoot was staged at the Okay Mountain gallery, and the Totally Wreck crew provided many of the bodies, costumes, and even some sculptural elements for the completed exhibition. UT staff helped with the video editing and production. I note these facts because I noticed a large contingent of the Austin art community present at the opening, something I haven’t seen in the years I’ve been associated with the Blanton.

This isn’t the first time the WorkSpace exhibition relied heavily on the labor of the Austin community. The Blanton enlisted local artists in the construction of Lisi Raskin’s Armada (2009). As I mentioned before, this collaboration between the guest artist and locals makes the WorkSpace program exciting and vibrant. But the collaboration raises broader issues. Why would a local institution pay an outside artist to create work using the free labor of local artists? If the Blanton is going to rely on community good will to create projects in a ticketed museum setting, how are the locals to benefit? In return for this good will, how does the Blanton promote locals in other venues and US cities?

Now, I’ll not profess to know the ins and outs of the WorkSpace program or the promotional habits of the Blanton curatorial staff. They may be stumping for Austin artists wherever they travel. The issue of museum/community collaboration has been on the top of mind for years, and I was thinking about this article published in Technology In The Arts when I saw Austin artists featured in the Drain videos. The Blanton is doing something very special with WorkSpace. They gave Drain a laboratory in which to embody his Franken-kinetic fantasies. Austin artists accessed an upcoming talent. But what is the next step in this collaboration between the Blanton and the art community?

Dan Boehl is a poet. His chapbook Les MISERES ET LES MAL-HEURS DE LA GUERRE will be available from Greying Ghost this fall.

announcements: news

Merce Cunningham Remembered

Merce Cunningham performs STILLNESS

Since learning of Merce Cunningham’s death last Sunday, memories of Tacita Dean’s Merce Cunningham performs STILLNESS (in three movements) to John Cage’s composition 4'33" with Trevor Carlson, New York City, 28 April 2007 (six performances; six films) (2008) have been floating through my head all week. Last year, I saw Dean’s six projected films of Cunningham installed in Dia:Beacon’s vast, dark basement. Scattered throughout the space, the projectors clicked along, marking the passage of time. But Cunningham’s luminescent figure remained nearly motionless for long stretches (4 minutes and 33 seconds at a time, to be exact), embracing the duration.

For me, Dean’s installation is a particularly moving eulogy to both Cage and Cunningham because of the way it envelopes the viewer in the durational quality of being. The films chronicle a few brief moments of life, measured in 4 minute and 33 second intervals.

I’ve never seen Cunningham perform live. I know him through still photographs, video tapes, written descriptions. When I saw Dean’s installation last summer, I wanted to write about it. But then I made the mistake of reading Holland Cotter’s New York Times review of the piece first. He put it so well.

“Ms. Dean’s film of Mr. Cunningham’s performance is about the sound and motion of history in action: the personal history of one man’s fidelity to the memory of another; the cultural history of a living artist transmitting and rejuvenating the creative essence of one who has died; the contemporary history of a younger artist preserving and honoring all this, and the two men (the piece is above all a portrait of Mr. Cunningham) in her art.”

This week, I’ve wanted to write about both Cunningham and Dean’s portrait of him. And I’ve found myself ill equipped to do so. For me, the artist’s death is largely a symbolic event, embodying the irretrievability of an historical moment. Now that Cunningham is gone, why do I find myself wanting to experience Dean’s Merce Cunningham performs STILLNESS again? The desire underscores what drew me to the work in the first place: a longing to hear the sound and feel the motion of the past in action.

Others have spoken very eloquently in remembrance of Cunningham: Alastair Macaulay narrates a video obituary on the New York Time’s site, Mark Swed wrote a more personal piece on Culture Monster, The Walker posted two short pieces written by staff who worked with Cunningham, and WNYC collected a number of videos spanning Cunningham’s career.

Claire Ruud is Editor of ...might be good.

announcements: exhibitions

Austin On View

Colby Bird: Cold End
okay mountain
Through August 8

From the press release: In Cold End, Bird had created works that directly reference the artist’s studio practice and the “artist’s gesture” as a method of situating oneself on the continuum of global commerce and class. Modes of commerce and their role in the defining of social strata are prominent themes in Bird’s work, from street level drug trafficking to middle class manual labor to fine-art dealing.

Austin on View

Mark Making: Dots, Lines and Curves
lora reynolds gallery
Through September 5

From the press release: This exhibition brings together works that are concerned with the act of mark-making, including drawing, sculpture, video, cut paper, and painted wood. The show considers the primacy of how the pen or pencil hit the page, how the artists have controlled and exploited the possibilities of their mark, and how a line or curve can occupy a space.

Jana Swec & Jared Theis
d berman gallery
Through September 5

D Berman presents work by Jana Swec and Jared Theis, two fixtures on the central Texas Art scene. Don't miss the informal musical performance by the artists on Saturday, August 8 at 1:00 pm.

Houston on View

Torsten Slama
Contemporary Art Museum, Houston
Through August 2

Last chance to check out Torsten Slama's first solo museum exhibition. For more information, see Lauren Hammer's review in Issue # 124 of ...mbg.

San Antonio Openings

This…Is Your…, This…Is My…
UTSA Satellite Space
Through August 2

This… Is Your…, This… Is My… presents five artists from both coasts of the U.S. whose work conjures landscapes from stories thereby evoking both geological strata and the layers of personal memory. Participating artists include Hilary Harnischfeger (New York), Gisela Insuaste (Brooklyn), Mariah Johnson (Los Angeles), Hilary Pecis (San Francisco), and Leslie Wayne (New York).

San Antonio on View

Let this be a Sign
Unit B
Through September 5

Let This Be a Sign addresses the “sign” in contemporary art. The artists in the show find their sources in language that comments on pop culture, politics, and beauty. By executing works with the focus on the perception of the sign, these works stimulate the viewer to become a questioner by inviting reflection on the intentions and meanings. Artists include: Alejandro Diaz (New York, NY),Kristy Perez (San Antonio, TX), and Gary Sweeney (San Antonio, TX).

Jonathan Monk: Rew-Shay Hood Project Part II
ArtPace
Through September 6

See Laura Lindenberger's review in Issue #125 of ...mbg.

Ft. Worth on View

Everything Must Go
Subtext Projects
Through August 6

Curated by Alison Hearst and Erin Starr White, Everything Must Go investigates our rabid consumer culture and its connections to contemporary art. Participating artists include: the collaborative group Everything in Heaven is TV (artists Chad Allen, Ben Aqua, Juan Cisneros, Amanda Joy, and Eli Welbourne), and Mary Benedicto, David Horvitz, Fawn Krieger, Jason Simon, Viginia Yount, and Chu Yun.

announcements: events

Austin Events

Church of the Friendly Ghost + COMMUNITY ACTION FUN TIME!
Salvage Vanguard Theater 2803 Manor RD
Sunday, August 2, 2009 7pm-Midnight
Admission: $5

Creative electronic sound artists will perform on the Salvage Vanguard's stage while a garage sale of Treasure City's coolest toys happens in the gallery. Before the performances, an informal workshop/work session on circuit bending will take place with John Mike from Bleep Labs!
Workshop attendance is open to the public, whether novice, dilettante, or expert, and a $5 donation is appreciated to cover the cost of materials. Attendees may stay on for the evening's performances of course, OR one may chose to attend the performances only, which will get underway around 9PM.
(Either way, we're asking $5).

Jano (thing) Selector /9PM http://awthum.com/
Furby Youth Choir /9:35 http://www.artificialmusicmachine.com/main.php?page=artists&artist=furby
Eric Archer /10 http://ericarcher.net/
Spaceinvader Orchestra /10:40 http://www.myspace.com/thespaceinvaderorchestra
PLUS
-an instructional circuit-bending workshop/work-session (open to the public) and toy sale- http://bleeplabs.com/.

Bike in Movie Night with Michael Jackson's Moonwalker
Mass Gallery & Project Space
Wednesday, August 5, 2009 8pm-10pm
Admission: Free

The movie starts and dusk and its BYOB, we'll provide popcorn. For any doubting the genius and arch-weirdness of this classic piece of 80s cinema, please check out the trailer.

In addition to the movie you can also take a look at our ongoing group show, Inspired Inspirations: Eeew that's Massty!

The show features work by:

Anthony Garza
Max Juren
Xochi Solis
Andrea Bonin
Carlos Rosales-Silva
Sam Sanford
Michelle Devereux
Duncan Malashock
Scott Eastwood
Drew Liverman

LIBRES Y LOKAS
EL ESPECTACULO DE LA POBREZA
Domy Books
August 1, 2009 from 7-9pm
Admission: Free

photos and video by
otis ike & ivete lucas
Plus a performance by Transgender Queens:
Nacha Type, Kelly Kline, Jame Perry... and more surprises.

Saturday, August 1, 2009 at Domy Books, Austin
913 E Cesar Chavez, Austin, TX 78702
7-9pm, FREE ADMISSION

After party at Charlies (1301 Lavaca) with a Tranny Show, 10-2am

Exhibition runs August 1–September 3, 2009

Marathon: Reexamining Sensations of Space
A Collaborative Installation by Sarah Welch, Sarah Crowe, and Graham Austin
Co Lab
Saturday, August 1, 2009 from 7-11pm

Three young artists return to their birthplace after spending time in their respective northern megacities. Back to the Southwest with virgin eyes, they examine ideas related to space, visual perspective, scale, and the real/unreal, all specific to the Texas landscape.

Joy Ride
Co Lab
Thursday, August 6, 2009 from 6-10pm

Joy Ride, the BFF’s annual art show, is a visual manifestation of the urban bicycle movement. The show brings together a diverse group of internationally established and emerging artists and members of the bicycling community all who share a passion for bicycles. Artists include: Agathe Snow / Alessandro Zuek Simonetti / Andrew McClintock / Artus de Lavilleon / Austin Bike Zoo / Camilla Candida Donzella / Ed Glazar / Fast Eddie Williams / James Newman / James Jean / Jessica Douglas / Julia Chiang / Kelsey Brookes / Kenzo Minami / Marc Sich / Martha Cooper / Marco Mucig / Mike Giant / Nathaniel Freeman / Sandy Carson / Scott Campbell / Silver Warner / Steve MacDonald / Takuya Sakamoto / Tara Foley

Follow us to the afterparty at Jackelope, 404 East 6th Street, from 10pm-2am.

* Joy Ride is a component of the Bicycle Film Festival, for more information visit www.bicyclefilmfestival.com

Joy Ride
Co Lab
Thursday, August 6, 2009 from 6-10pm

Joy Ride, the BFF’s annual art show, is a visual manifestation of the urban bicycle movement. The show brings together a diverse group of internationally established and emerging artists and members of the bicycling community all who share a passion for bicycles. Artists include: Agathe Snow / Alessandro Zuek Simonetti / Andrew McClintock / Artus de Lavilleon / Austin Bike Zoo / Camilla Candida Donzella / Ed Glazar / Fast Eddie Williams / James Newman / James Jean / Jessica Douglas / Julia Chiang / Kelsey Brookes / Kenzo Minami / Marc Sich / Martha Cooper / Marco Mucig / Mike Giant / Nathaniel Freeman / Sandy Carson / Scott Campbell / Silver Warner / Steve MacDonald / Takuya Sakamoto / Tara Foley

Follow us to the afterparty at Jackelope, 404 East 6th Street, from 10pm-2am.

* Joy Ride is a component of the Bicycle Film Festival, for more information visit www.bicyclefilmfestival.com

Houston Events

Aurora Picture Show Hosts a Video Salon on the topic of, "Where is the Avant-Garde Cinema Today? "
Aurora Picture Show
Sunday, August 16, 2009 at 1pm

Aurora Picture Show, the Southwest's premier microcinema, presents "Where is the Avant-Garde Cinema Today?," an Aurora Video Salon with Houston-based writer and teacher Michael Sicinski on Sunday, August 16. The discussion will revolve around the question of whether bringing two or more distinct media worlds together compromises traditional experimental cinema.

The free salon is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday, August 16th at the Aurora Video Library, 1524 Sul Ross. Specific topics will include music videos, amateur experiments on YouTube, narrative film excerpts, and modernist international cinemas such as Abbas Kiarostami and Alexander Sokurov that evince an engagement with avant-garde histories and procedures.

Michael Sicinski is a writer and teacher currently living in Houston, TX. He has taught experimental film and video at Syracuse University, Binghamton University, and UC Berkeley. He is a regular contributor to numerous publications including Cinema Scope (Canada), Cineaste (U.S.) and Cargo (Germany).

Aurora Video Salons are free educational discussions with visiting curators and artists at the Aurora Video Library that aim to involve the community, provide context, and encourage media literacy.

announcements: opportunities

Call for Artists

Austin Art in Public Places: New Zachary Scott Theatre
City of Austin
Deadline: September 13, 2009 at Midnight

The City of Austin Art in Public Places (AIPP) program of the Cultural Arts Division, Economic Growth & Redevelopment Services Office seeks to commission an artist/design professional to design and construct a work of art that will contribute to the new Zachary Scott Theatre (ZACH) 500-seat theater complex adjacent to Lady Bird Lake. For a complete listing of application details and necessary qualifications, please click here.

Job Listing

Curatorial Assistant, Asian Art
Museum of Fine Art, Houston
Posted July 14, 2009

The Museum of Fine Art, Houston seeks to fill the position of Curatorial Assistant in Asian Art. The Curatorial Assistant will be responsible for an array of duties related to collection management, exhibitions and support of the curator. A minimum of a B.A in Art History is required and an M.A. in Art History with emphasis on Asian Art and Contemporary Art (China, Japan, Korea or India) is preferred. For full job description and application details, please click here.

Grant Officer
Houston Endowment Inc.
Posted July 24, 2009

Houston Endowment Inc. seeks to hire a grant officer. The Grant Officer is  charged with identifying and developing grantmaking strategies to fulfill the foundation’s overall mission and goals.  In addition, this position entails evaluating grant requests and formulating clear rationales for funding recommendations for consideration by the Board of Directors; monitoring progress on previously awarded grants; and responding to inquiries from the Board and the general public regarding the foundation’s grantmaking. For full job description and application details, please click here.

Executive Director
Houston Center for Photography
Posted July 7, 2009

The Houston Center for Photography seeks a dynamic and experienced Executive Director to provide leadership, vision, strategy and management for the programs and operations of this vibrant contemporary photography organization. The successful candidate for this position will have a minimum of three years' management experience, excellent interpersonal and managerial skills, a passion for the photographic arts, and knowledge of best nonprofit practices, as well as experience with fund raising and financial management of an organization. For complete job description and application information, please click here.

Executive Director
Project Row Houses, Houston
Deadline August 15, 2009

Project Row Houses is seeking an Executive Director to operate this internationally recognized arts organization. This individual will be passionate about the arts and the role of the arts in community engagement. The Board of Directors and Founding Director set the vision of this organization and are looking for an Executive Director to lead the staff  people in implementing the strategic plan and the prudent operation of the organization. For complete job description and application information, please click here.

Visual Arts Director
Say Si, San Antonio
Deadline December 31, 2009

SAY SI is looking to fill the position of Visual Arts Director. The Visual Arts Director is responsible for the planning and evaluation of the organization's visual arts programs, instruction of students, and coordination of staff. For complete job description and application information, please click here.

Fellowship-Online Scholarly Catalogue Initiative
http://www.walkerart.org/index.wac
Posted July 17, 2009

The Walker Art Museum is seeking a temporary, full time fellow to aid in the organization's new initiative to create an online catalogue. Qualified candidates will have at least an M.A. degree in art history with an emphasis in modern or contemporary art. Previous museum experience with substantive work on a museum publication is a plus. For complete job listing and application information, please click here.

Development Manager
Mid-America Arts Alliance
Deadline August 16, 2009

Mid-America Arts Alliance is seeking to fill the position of Development Manager. The Development Manager provides support for the fund raising role of the Executive Director and board members as stewardship manager. For complete job description and application details, please click here.

Director of Programs
Mid American Arts Alliance, Kansas City
August 16 ,2009

Mid-America Arts Alliance is seeking a Director of Programs. The Director of Programs provides leadership and oversight in program development, design, delivery, and evaluation while ensuring that the organization's overall strategic and programming goals are met. For complete job listing and application information please click here.

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