Archives and Museum Director

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Job Description

The Los Angeles Philharmonic and Hollywood Bowl Archives tell the story of Los Angeles’s rich musical and cultural history through concert programs, posters, audio recordings, photographs, film, video, correspondence, institutional records, and ephemera. The LA Phil Archives are situated in 4000 feet of the LA County Hall of Records and support the daily activities of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association.

The stories of the LA Phil and the Hollywood Bowl are publically shared through two venues, the Edmund D. Edelman Hollywood Bowl Museum and the Ernest Fleischmann Gallery. The Bowl museum, located on the grounds of the Hollywood Bowl, was established in 1984 and contains a permanent exhibit of the Bowl’s history on the first floor, with exhibits that change annually on the second. Also curated by the Director is the Fleischmann Gallery located in the backstage area of Walt Disney Concert Hall. 

The centenaries of the LA Phil and Hollywood Bowl in 2019 and 2022 are opportunities to illustrate their respective and intertwined histories, and to demonstrate the ways in which archives serve the image and strategic priorities of the Association.

The person sought for this position will have a unique combination of skills and abilities, including the vision to advance the role archives play within the Association and the experience necessary to continue the museum’s excellence.

Statement of the Job: To direct the Los Angeles Philharmonic Archives; to direct museum activities, including the planning and execution of exhibits for the Edmund D. Edelman Hollywood Bowl Museum and the Ernest Fleischmann Gallery at Walt Disney Concert Hall; and to serve as Los Angeles Philharmonic and Hollywood Bowl historian.

Position Elements:

Los Angeles Philharmonic and Hollywood Bowl Archives

  • Oversee the continued development and implementation of an archival and institutional recordkeeping strategy based in 21st C technologies and best practices.
  • Direct and manage current LA Phil and Hollywood Bowl Museum archival collections, both digital and analog, using 21st C best practices.
  • Work interdepartmentally to develop public programs and dissemination strategies for archival collections that support special projects and help advance artistic, communications and fundraising goals. 
  • Act as LA Phil historian; work with Archives staff to respond to requests for information from artists, staff, and the public.
  • Be responsible for fiscal operation of the Archives, including preparing annual budgets.
  • Develop funding proposals in conjunction with Development. Supervise full-time and part-time staff and interns responsible for digital cataloguing, acquisitions, preservation, and storage.
  • Hire technicians, consultants, and interns as necessary or appropriate.

Museum and Fleischmann Gallery

  • Develop and execute creative and educational exhibits on musical topics based on the history and current activities of the Hollywood Bowl and Los Angeles Philharmonic.
  • Hire and supervise project-based teams for exhibit design, graphic design, fabrication and installation, lighting, printing, signage, video production, and expert consulting.
  • Act as Hollywood Bowl historian; respond to requests for information from artists, staff, and the public.
  • Plan and coordinate museum education programs, working closely with the Department of Educational Initiatives.
  • Be responsible for fiscal operation of the Museum, including preparing annual budgets.
  • Serve as resource, writer, and/or editor for exhibit text, publications, grant proposals, and marketing materials.
  • Hire and supervise part-time museum staff and interns.
  • Oversee day-to-day operations.

Position Requirements:

  • Relevant Master’s degree required, specializing in one or more of the following: archival studies, museum studies, musicology, or arts management.
  • Minimum 4 years’ experience as archivist, curator, arts manager/administrator, or equivalent.
  • Knowledge of digital management systems.
  • Extensive knowledge of classical music.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills.
  • Ability to assemble professional museum exhibit team.
  • Ability to work with diverse constituencies.
  • Work evenings and weekends as needed.

How to Apply

To apply, you must write “Archives and Museum Director – LAPA” in the subject line of your email or written prominently on your mailed submission.  Please send resume, cover letter AND SALARY HISTORY to:

Los Angeles Philharmonic Association
Attn: Human Resources
151 South Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012

No phone calls please.

Email: applicant@laphil.org 

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