Art Consultant - maternity cover

Art Consultant

Hours: 24-40 hours per week over 3-5 days – fixed term (maternity leave: 12 months)

Salary: £17,077 per annum pro-rata

Starting date: 11 February 2019

An opportunity to work in a unique gallery and beautiful space, whilst gaining experience in all disciplines within the art market.

The role requires a driven, self-motivated and hard-working individual with passion for arts and crafts and a can-do attitude. She/he will be a confident, outgoing, well presented individual that can strike up and develop client relationships with ease. The candidate must have a friendly and professional personality that upholds the sophisticated image of selling art and craft.

The post holder needs to be self-motivated by sales targets and keen to meet monthly targets. They will be proactive in informing clients of new paintings that have come onto the market which would suit their collection, thus maintaining a personal service to our clientele. They will also need to have the confidence to talk to new clients entering the gallery on a daily basis and to discuss the art we have on offer, matching the right art work with the right clients and developing the clients’ art collection with them in a step-by-step process. They will be responsible for expanding and nurturing a client database, including the gallery's a supporters’ scheme. The gallery has a new personal service to our clientele that includes home approval services where we take the art to client's homes and install and hang the art in their home.

The post holder will work directly for the Gallery Director providing support in curating, hanging and preparing for exhibitions, educational events and private views. He/she is jointly in charge of the programming of four annual Craft Collections in addition to a small number of temporary craft and fine art exhibitions. This requires a strong understanding of art and craft and a love of visiting art fairs and exhibitions to source new artists and makers, also outside regular hours.

The role includes a strong administrative and stock control element - both manual and computerised administration stock systems have to be kept up to date and well maintained. He/she will also ensure that stock is stored safely when not on display and packing and returning unsold work by courier when required.

The post holder helps with the daily upkeep of the gallery, ensuring that exhibition and craft gallery spaces are clean, up to date, welcoming and organised at all times. This also includes wrapping up and protecting stock from damage in a storage room as well as climbing ladders to re-install pictures for exhibitions. The role is fairly physical during installations and take downs.

Person specification
The position combines a number of tasks and responsibilities in the following broad areas:

Essential attributes:

·        Minimum of 1 year of art sale/gallery experience

·        Degree in art history / fine art /crafts /design or a relevant field

·        The ability to instantly build rapport with clients on the phone and face-to-face

·        Passionate and energetic about sales and hitting gallery’s targets each month

·        Retail / customer service experience

·        Proven experience of working successfully to targets

·        Flexible with hours of work for private views / installations / exhibition visits

·        Excellent written and verbal communication skills

·        High attention to detail with immaculate presentation

·        Proficient IT skills

·        Strong administrative and organisational skills

·        Ability to work both independently and as a member of a team

·        Willingness to comply with internal procedures and policies, abiding by health and safety guidelines and sharing responsibility for own safety and that of colleagues

·        Commitment to the Trust's mission as an educational charity.

Desirable attributes

·        Postgraduate qualification on a relevant subject

·        Knowledge of gallery creative learning and outreach

·        Knowledge of art / retail database management and development

·        Knowledge of art PR & marketing

·        Health and safety training relevant to gallery work

·        UK driving licence

·        Experience of managing a stall in an art fair.

Working hours

24-40 hours weekly, as contracted. This includes working on Saturdays. The gallery is open from 10am to 5pm from Tuesday to Saturday – the Art Consultant is required to be on site at core times of 9.45am to 5.15pm. In addition, the post holder has 0.5 hours of cumulative flexitime every day for private views, exhibition visits, stock room maintenance, creative learning events and installations.

The deadline for applications is 17 December 2018.

The New Ashgate Gallery Trust is dedicated to promote and champion the best contemporary art and craft and to provide an unparalleled resource in Farnham, Surrey and beyond. We raise aspirations and inspire excellence. We foster emerging artists through professional practice seminars and partnerships. We deliver art workshops and projects in the gallery and the community, supporting widening and diverse participation in arts. As a not-for-profit organisation, we rely on sales from exhibitions and donations. The New Ashgate Gallery is committed to equal opportunities in all aspects of its work.

www.newashgate.org.uk