Claire Vance
Art Gallery Manager | Contemporary Art Administration & Exhibitions
Mercer & Thorne Contemporary
Dear Hiring Committee,
I am writing to express my interest in the Art Gallery Manager position at Mercer & Thorne Contemporary. With extensive experience overseeing exhibition schedules, artwork logistics, and collector stewardship in Chicago, I am eager to bring my gallery administration background to your contemporary exhibition program.
Currently serving as Gallery Manager at Prairie Modern Art Space, I direct day-to-day operations, staffing, and exhibition schedules for an exhibition space presenting six major shows annually. In this capacity, I oversee art handling, detailed condition reporting, specialized fine art shipping, and insurance documentation for high-value loans. I also manage gallery consignment agreements, sales pipelines, and inventory tracking using Artlogic, and coordinate exhibition openings and private previews, which increased annual event attendance by 28 percent.
In addition to commercial administration, my project experience includes coordinating the Midwestern Contemporary Sculpture Showcase, where I managed spatial layout, crating logistics, and mount installations for 14 large-scale sculptural works across two galleries, alongside supervising lighting configurations and catalog proofing. Prior to my current role, I spent nearly five years as Assistant Gallery Manager at Halsted Bridge Fine Arts, assisting with floor planning, catalog production, and client transit logistics.
I welcome the opportunity to discuss how my background in exhibition management, inventory administration, and collector relations aligns with the upcoming programming at Mercer & Thorne Contemporary. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Claire Vance