Marvol Gallery located on Hazendal Wine Estate is embarking on an important new chapter which will build upon the institution’s seven-year commitment to supporting and promoting local South African artists.

The new direction will continue the success of the inaugural 2024 Hazendal Festival | Soil Edition curated by Khanyisile Mbongwa – establishing the space as a cross-disciplinary sanctuary for deep cultural thinking by supporting artistic expression rooted in earnest interrogation of complex, problematic and hopeful dynamics affecting the African continent in the 21st century. The space will synergise the academic, non-profit and commercial elements of the art world in order to provide a 360-degree support system for its collaborating artists.

With the view of participating in local and international art fairs, collaborating with cultural and academic institutions, and hosting artist residencies – we are seeking an experienced Gallery Director with proven success in navigating the public, non-profit and commercial areas of the art world. The role will require to lead on the commercial strategy of the gallery, to manage a small but busy team, to collaborate with various internal and external stakeholders, and to work closely with the Gallery Curator and Hazendal’s Managing Director on ensuring the Gallery’s vision and mission is realised throughout the space’s endeavours.

The Gallery Director will report to the Managing Director of Hazendal Wine Estate with a dotted reporting line to the Gallery Curator. The overall responsibilities shall include:

• Working closely with the Gallery Curator and Hazendal’s Managing Director on the conceptualisation of the space’s exhibitions, events, and collaborations.
• Managing the implementation of the gallery’s local and international calendars of exhibitions, collaborations, art fairs, and client events.
• Creating and managing successful implementation of an annual commercial and marketing calendar with forecasting and a clearly defined strategy of achieving sales targets. Providing competitor analysis and reports about the gallery’s commercial activities.
• Managing and growing the client base, ideally with experience of working with a CRM system (preferably Artlogic or Monday.com). Managing accurate records of sales, inventory, and client interactions.
• Managing the team of a two Gallery Assistants and an Art Registrar by creating the foundations for smooth 360-degrees daily operations. Managing the Gallery’s Human Resources matters and ensuring all necessary trainings are completed in a timely and effective manner.
• Managing the Gallery’s space by adhering to health and safety standards as well ensuring the gallery space is always presentable for the public.
• Working closely with Department Leaders across the estate to ensure cross-departmental synergies.

Qualifications and minimum requirements:

• Academic background in humanities or proven long-term professional experience in the art world.
• 5+ years of experience in a managerial role in a cultural space with a proven ability to implement successful commercial strategies.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and ideally knowledge of working with a CRM system.

A key requirement of being in a leadership position at Hazendal Wine Estate will be maintaining team harmony and encouraging open communication with the team.