Director of Conservation position at the Chinati Foundation in Marfa, TX
Listing Start Date: March 24, 2025Expires: May 24, 2025n
Job Title: Director of Conservation
Reports to: Executive Director
Overview
The Chinati Foundation//La Fundación Chinati seeks a dynamic professional to oversee a comprehensive conservation and collections care program for the museum. The position’s central responsibility is the conservation of Chinati’s permanently installed artworks, a holding which primarily consists of objects but also includes paintings, works on paper, large-scale installations, and outdoor sculpture. The museum organizes 2-3 temporary exhibitions per year and the Director of Conservation also provides support and guidance regarding those programs. Applicants with a strong background in objects conservation are encouraged to apply; however, given the wide range of artistic media in question within Chinati’s permanent collection and temporary exhibition programs, there is no predetermined area of specialization to define an ideal candidate.
Donald Judd (1928–1994) established The Chinati Foundation/La Fundación Chinati in 1986 as a site for the permanent installation of large-scale works of art. It was Judd’s goal to bring art, architecture, and landscape together to form a coherent whole, and to allow for a select group of artists to present work according to their own intentions. Today, Chinati carefully maintains these installations as they were conceived and presents them to a broad public. Situated on a 340-acre former military base, Chinati’s campus includes 35 individual buildings, many of which were architecturally adapted by Judd. The museum has approximately 20 full-time and 15 part-time employees, an operating budget of $3.2 million, and an average annual visitation of 25,000.
The Director of Conservation will bring a collaborative, innovative, and hands-on approach to addressing the museum’s collections care needs in line with the unique characteristics of Chinati as an artist-founded, artist-centered institution. For example, the buildings which house Chinati’s art installations are valued because of their history and Judd’s architectural interventions, yet they do not meet the typical standards for museum climate conditions. This provides an opportunity for creative problem solving and innovation to find ways to integrate preventative conservation where possible, while also protecting Donald Judd’s legacy and singular vision for Chinati.
The Director of Conservation reports to the Executive Director and works in close collaboration with several other key colleagues, particularly the Facilities Manager and the Director of Preservation and Planning. This team is collectively responsible for the maintenance of Chinati’s art, buildings, and grounds, which together constitute the core of Judd’s artistic vision for the museum. An open, collaborative nature is therefore essential, and the successful candidate will have strong communication skills and the ability to work easily across those departmental divides. This need for seamless inter-departmental collaboration and creative problem solving will only increase in the coming years as the museum will undertake a major restoration of Judd’s central artistic creation for Chinati, the Artillery Sheds housing his 100 untitled works in mill aluminum, 1982-1986.
The Director of Conservation also supports and manages a team of two staff members within the Conservation department whose role is to assist the Director of Conservation with the routine maintenance of permanent installations and temporary exhibitions. Responsibilities Include:
Collections Care
• Envision and formulate systems that support the comprehensive care of the collection through oversight and management of conservation and temporary exhibitions planning.
• Supervise and coordinate the routine, day-to-day maintenance of the collection.
• Conduct routine condition checks of artworks in the collection including those in storage.
• Identify and prioritize conservation treatment needs.
• Execute and/or coordinate conservation treatments on objects in the collection.
• Assess environmental conditions and pest management needs for exhibition and art storage areas.
• Develop and test methods to integrate climate control measures, where needed.
• Establish/maintain a conservation studio to support collections care.
• Maintain conservation files including condition and treatment reports, photo documentation, information on artist’s materials and methods, correspondence, etc.
• Identify areas for research regarding artist’s methods and materials and conservation issues for the collection more broadly.
• Support and encourage the integration of conservation practice into other areas of the organization such as art handling, visitor services, facilities, public programs, security, housekeeping, etc.
Exhibitions Planning
• Oversee exhibition planning and installation, proactively communicating with relevant staff regarding project development and status updates.
• Communicate with artists regarding the realization of commissioned artworks and temporary exhibitions, in keeping with Judd’s ethos of establishing Chinati as an artist-centered organization.
• Oversee timelines and keep projects on schedule to meet exhibition deadlines.
• Administer and facilitate incoming and outgoing loans, including serving as a courier for outgoing loans and overseeing condition checking and installation of all loaned artworks.
Asset Management
• Establish the museum’s first digital asset management system, ensuring the effective care and documentation of the museum’s permanent collection.
• Oversee all collection management duties to ensure best practices for record documentation, including condition reporting, insurance, appraisal values, and tracking locations.
Administration
• Manage a small team of conservation technicians/assistants.
• Supervise and train bi-annual conservation interns.
• Participate in the broader conservation community which may include attending and contributing to conferences and furthering ongoing professional development.
Traits, characteristics, and key competencies:
• Able to set, pursue, and achieve goals independently.
• Able to prioritize and complete tasks and to oversee all resources and people to achieve desired results within allotted timeframes.
• Able to set relevant, realistic, and attainable goals and objectives; to anticipate effects, outcomes, and risks; to manage resources according to set priorities; assess and reflect on successes and failures, and meaningfully incorporate feedback, both personally and institutionally.
• Able to organize and motivate others to accomplish goals and resolve obstacles, with the capacity to tactfully handle difficult situations and treat others fairly, regardless of differences, while maintaining positive relationships.
• Able to self-evaluate, take responsibility for personal actions and decisions, accept setbacks, look for ways to progress, and understand how obstacles impact results.
• Able to respond promptly to shifts in direction, priorities, and schedules while maintaining productivity during transitions.
Qualifications:
• A master’s degree from a recognized art conservation program is required. Object Conservators are encouraged to apply but there is no predetermined area of specialization to define an ideal candidate.
• 3-5 years of postgraduate experience.
• A broad knowledge of artistic materials and techniques is expected, but an interest in the practical treatment and maintenance of modern and contemporary artworks is preferred.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proven track record of conducting research and disseminating findings through publications and presentations.
• The ability to prepare and manage budgets.
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills and the ability to work independently are essential.
Terms:
This is a full-time salaried position based in Marfa, Texas. Regular work hours are 40 hours a week, Monday through Friday. Some weekend, holiday, and evening hours will be required.
Salary range is $80,000-90,000 commensurate with experience. Chinati provides a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans, paid time off and an employer sponsored 403(b) retirement plan. Chinati is a qualified employer for the public service loan forgiveness program.
To Apply:
Email a cover letter and resume to [email protected].
EOE Statement:
The Chinati Foundation is a proud equal opportunity employer and considers all applicants for all positions without regard to age, color, national origin, ethnic origin, citizenship status, disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, pregnancy, genetic information, familial or veteran status, unemployment status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law in its employment policies. In addition, Chinati will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. We strongly encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply.