Work with the Exhibitions & Public Programs Department to shape the future of the PLAySPACE Student Gallery! Grow your professional practice through a hands-on paid mentorship program with CCA’s Exhibitions & Public Programs Department!

We are looking for a self-motivated student with an interest in curation, exhibition organization, and arts administration to direct the PLAySPACE Gallery for the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 semesters. This role offers the opportunity to learn about curating, gallery operations and maintenance, art handling, budgeting, and people management.

Each semester, the director will be responsible for organizing 4-6 weeks of gallery programming and then leading an open call process to select, support, and administer 1-2 additional exhibition projects organized by other students.

PLAySPACE Director - Fall 2025 Job Description

CCA’s Exhibitions and Public Programs Department is looking for a student interested in arts administration and creative development to direct PLAySPACE Gallery for the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 semesters. The PLAySPACE Director will organize a series of public programs and exhibitions, the first of which is scheduled to open to the public in October 2025. This will entail managing a $1,000 operating budget, scheduling the workflow for their PLAySPACE exhibition program, leading the installation and deinstallation of their exhibitions, setting up for and staffing events, and promoting their exhibitions and events.

CCA’s Exhibitions and Public Programs department will provide professional development, resources, and hands-on assistance throughout the directorship. To facilitate mentorship and communication between CCA Exhibitions and the PLAySPACE Director, the Director will be required to work one 5-hour shift per week in the CCA Campus Gallery, where the CCA Exhibitions office is located. During this shift, the PLAySPACE Director will be able to meet and interface with the CCA Exhibitions team, but will also be responsible for welcoming and monitoring gallery visitors.

The PLAySPACE Director is scheduled to work 10 hours per week (one 5-hour shift at the Campus Gallery, plus an average of 5 hours on-site at PLAySPACE Gallery or worked remotely). They will report to CCA’s Installation Manager and frequently interface with the Director of Exhibitions and Public Programs and the Gallery Manager. Directors have traditionally been graduate students at CCA, but we are also open to considering applications from highly motivated undergraduate students for this position.

This is a work-study position that pays $19.18 per hour.

Responsibilities include:

• Organizing 4–6 weeks of gallery programming per semester
• Leading an open call process to select, support, and administer 1–2 additional student-organized exhibition projects per semester
• Overseeing a $1000 per semester operational budget, planning and coordinating purchase orders with the Installation Manager
• Overseeing the installation and de-installation of each exhibition, including the spackling, sanding, painting, and lighting of the galleries between exhibitions
• Promoting events via social media, flyers, and the PLAySPACE and CCA websites
• Overseeing and administering selected student exhibitions by providing mentorship and support developing budgets, checklists, and installation schedules
• Setting up for and managing PLAySPACE opening receptions and/or events
• Documenting events and exhibitions for the PLAySPACE archive
• Staffing the CCA Campus Gallery’s front desk 5 hours per week
• Understanding and adhering to CCA Exhibitions guidelines and the CCA campus-wide policies

About PLAySPACE:

PLAySPACE, the Paulette Long and Shepard Pollack Art Community Experiment, is a graduate student-run exhibition program. The program was founded in 2005 to provide resources for student artists and curators to conceptualize and present exhibitions and events oriented toward the academic community. Since the program's inception, PLAySPACE directors have hosted exhibitions and events in several different locations on CCA's San Francisco Campus; PLAySPACE Gallery is currently located at the back of the Nave in CCA's Main Building, highly visible and adjacent to the entrance of CCA’s new expanded campus. Examples of past programming include Between Friends, F*CK, and plaYplaYplaY. See the floor plan of the gallery here.

Physical & Dexterity Requirements:

This position typically involves climbing on ladders, handling artwork and objects of varying dimensions, weights, and volume, and occasional construction-related activities. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand and reach with hands and arms for long periods. If requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable students with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

How to Apply:

Please email the following to exhibitions@cca.edu:

1. A CV
2. A brief cover letter (up to 350 words) including the following:
   1. Why you’re interested in running the PLAySPACE Gallery
   2. How you would approach programming the PLAySPACE Gallery
   3. An idea related to an exhibition or public program you'd like to plan/present, which may include a proposed title, a list of potential artists, and a brief description of the exhibition or event. We understand that ideas may change, this is to give us a sense of what you’re interested in and how you would approach programming the space.
   4. How you might spend the $1000 operation budget. Please note, that we will work with you on a more formal budget approval process if selected. This is to help us learn about resources you might need.

This position is open until filled. Priority consideration will be given to applications received by May 5, 2025, at 11:59 pm PT. Interview and notification will take place in May 2025. Hiring will take place in August 2025.