Executive Director The Louise Fishman Foundation - ArtTable : Job Details

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Louise Fishman Foundation preserves and enhances the legacy of Louise Fishman providing public awareness of her work and her place in art history.

The Louise Fishman Foundation seeks its first Executive Director to partner with the Board of Directors in fulfilling the above mission. Fishman was a major artist of the 20th and early 21st centuries, known for her physical and expressive abstract paintings and works on paper. Born in Philadelphia in 1939 and a graduate of the Tyler School of Art, she moved to New York in the mid 1960s and was based there for the rest of her life. Fishman had major exhibitions of her work at the Neuberger Museum of Art, the ICA Philadelphia, the Weatherspoon Art Museum, the Ringling Museum of Art, the Hood Museum at Dartmouth College, and Krannert Art Museum; and her work is represented in many public collections in the United States and internationally, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Jewish Museum, the Woodmere Art Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She died in 2021. The Louise Fishman Foundation has recently been reformed to build Louise's legacy and articulated its vision as follows: For its duration, the Foundation will ensure and support the commissioning of scholarly works and exhibitions and the development of educational programs that explore Louise Fishman's role in 20th and 21st century art history. We envision exhibiting and placing her work in a wide range of museums nationwide. Our philanthropy will focus on diverse women artists and writers who engage in activities that further the mission and vision of the Foundation.

The Foundation was initially established in 2012 by Louise Fishman and her spouse, Ingrid Nyeboe to support visual artists and arts projects of mutual interest. After Louise's death, its mission refocused on building her legacy and expanding access to her work and ideas while maintaining philanthropic activities. The Foundation has formed a relationship with Van Doren Waxter Gallery in New York to take the lead in representing Louise's work in association with two other galleries: Goya Contemporary Gallery in Baltimore and Locks Gallery in Philadelphia. The Foundation owns over 2500 works comprised of paintings, works on paper, sculpture, and books. A digital inventory of art has recently been completed and the final stages of documenting an extensive archive is under way. Several exhibitions of Fishman's work are scheduled for 2025.

The Foundation is governed by a board of directors chaired by Ingrid Nyeboe and includes Lori Chaikin, Secretary; Amy L. Powell, curator and writer, and Warren Wynshaw, Esq., Treasurer. The Foundation has financial assets to support its work for the near future. There is a part time archivist under contract to continue the work on the archives and a bookkeeping service.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

The Executive Director will be an energetic and diplomatic self-starter with excellent communication and people skills. A passionate and deep knowledge of Fishman's work and a basic understanding of the nonprofit-sector, the contemporary art world, and budget management are essential. The Executive Director will be introduced to all aspects of the existing Foundation's structure by the Board Chair and over time will take full responsibility by overseeing all aspects of the Foundation's operations, working closely with the Board to fulfill the Foundation's mission. The Executive Director will work with the board to envision new initiatives while building upon its current vision and programs. The Executive Director will recommend and develop priorities for projects that the board approves. S/he will oversee external communications and create a public face for the Foundation. Over time, they will become the principal contact with the galleries representing Louise Fishman's work. The position is envisioned initially as part time however with increased fiscal and programmatic growth, this position may transition to full time.

The immediate duties of the executive director will include but not be limited to: conclude the digital inventory of the collection; finalize the inventory of the archives and other works not yet documented; digitize the archives and arrange for them to be publicly accessible; coordinate with the gallery or the storage facility the shipment of artworks for exhibitions; work with consultants and the board to create a legacy and sales strategy; create and build a robust website; organize the recording of oral histories about Louise and her work and arrange for their access to scholars; coordinate public programs with the advice of the Board; coordinate access to the collection by curators and scholars; oversee the budget, bookkeeping, and annual audit; ensure timely filing of annual reports to regulatory authorities and public agencies. Other duties will be assigned as the Foundation grows.

Office space will be provided in the archive room on West 26th Street in Chelsea, Manhattan. Some work may be done remotely as mutually agreed upon by the Board and the Executive Director.

QUALIFICATIONS

A minimum of a BA and 5 years office experience in a gallery/museum/auction house/art library or a nonprofit arts organizationFluency in Excel, Google suite, Microsoft suiteStrong organizational, analytic, and communication skillsA team-player with a collaborative spiritPreference will be given to applicants with a knowledge of and interest in Louise Fishman's workUnderstanding of and experience with fundamental financial obligations of a small nonprofit

TO APPLY

Please send a letter outlining your interest and detailing your skills and applicable experience along with a CV/resume, a writing sample and contact information for three professional references to: [email protected].

COMPENSATION

The position is currently 50% part time and pays $75,000 year. The Foundation will also contribute to help defray health care costs.

Application Deadline: 02/15/2025