Freelance Designer

At David Zwirner, we look to be an industry leader in our field, with our artists at the center of what we do. Our global exhibition program expands beyond our locations in New York, London, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and Paris, representing seventy artists and estates. Home to innovative, singular, and pioneering exhibitions across a variety of media and genres. Active in both the primary and secondary markets, David Zwirner has helped foster the careers of some of the most influential artists today. 

Who will work well with us:

• The ideal candidate is someone who is passionate and interested in the arts/larger creative arena or is eager to learn.

About the Opportunity 

Freelance Designer | $60-90/hour

David Zwirner is seeking a seasonal, part-time, freelance graphic designer to join the design team as an integral member, creating innovative and compelling work across print, digital, motion, and spatial media. The role is a critical part of our in-house Marketing Team — a team responsible for the visual and design direction of the gallery's many brand touchpoints, including our digital communications, exhibitions, and galleries.             

The graphic designer works independently under the supervision of the design director and collaborates with other designers and the project manager to create collateral for exhibitions and other gallery initiatives. This freelance opportunity is part of the design team within the marketing department, which produces all graphics for exhibitions and other marketing initiatives, including events for all galleries globally and David Zwirner Books. The graphic designer will be responsible for executing templates, ensuring the correct application of the visual identity, facilitating typesetting, file preparation and prepress, visual research, concept development, and execution of various marketing initiatives. 

Candidates must be diligent, extremely organized, and possess excellent time management and communication skills to thrive in a fast-paced environment. The ideal candidate will be able to provide part-time seasonal support on a long-term basis, establishing a relationship with the Design team and developing an understanding of their goals and objectives.

What you’ll do: 

• Manage, contribute, and complete projects autonomously and independently.
• Ideate and propose new concepts as needed; Conduct visual research and concept development generally.
• Provides all necessary creative support to senior designers, the project manager, and the creative director in all stages of the design process.
• Creates compelling and strategic design solutions for brand and communications across all gallery touchpoints.
• Maintain and produce assets for marketing and exhibitions — including motion graphics, digital advertising, digital exhibition assets, printed exhibition collateral, exhibition labels, vinyl, and wayfinding.
• Maintains and executes graphic templates faithful to the design program, global gallery needs, and guidelines.
• Facilitates typesetting, text changes, production of digital assets for multiple platforms, and print-ready files / prepress.
• Contribute sketches, ideas, and support to the studio, and complete other related duties as needed.
• Ad hoc projects as needed.

What we would like you to have: 

• BA, BFA in Design or equivalent experience required (MFA preferred)
• 3-5 years of experience working in the expanded field of graphic design, gallery or 'Art world' experience preferred.
• Strong typographic skills.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, to take direction, to receive feedback, and to execute accordingly.
• Can maintain fast turnaround and high volume of projects reliably for global gallery needs.
• Ability to multitask and handle multiple projects simultaneously.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Strong communication skills.
• Takes initiative and is self-motivated.
• Solid understanding of digital mechanical specifications, email and advertising material specs, color profiles, and CMYK and RGB color workflows.
• Knowledge of offset and digital print production.
• Curious and passionate about design, with a keen awareness of the evolving landscape of available tools, technologies, resources, and trends.
• Excellent skills in Figma, Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects, and ability to animate motion graphics), Slack, and G Suite.

What you will love about David Zwirner: 

• David Zwirner has pioneered initiatives dedicated to the gallery’s long-standing commitment to kaleidoscopic storytelling, including: David Zwirner Online, David Zwirner Books, Dialogues, Utopia Editions, and Consignments.
• Fundraising initiatives, including David Zwirner's commitment to Galleries Commit.

Please submit a resume and work sample/portfolio, and be prepared to provide three (3) professional references upon request.

David Zwirner is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Gallery is firmly committed to equal employment opportunities in all facets of its operations. The Gallery makes decisions concerning hiring and terms and conditions of employment without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable law.

If you need assistance in applying to a role, you may reach out to [email protected]. No calls or walk-ins will be considered for positions at David Zwirner.