Are you the new director of Oslo Open?

Oslo Open is an independent artist-run and non-profit organization established in 2000 by the city’s artists and several national and local art institutions. In April each year, Oslo Open organizes the city’s largest art weekend with open studios, where over 400 professional visual artists and artisans in Oslo municipality open their workspaces to the public. Oslo Open also organizes an international visitor’s program for curators in May each year, in collaboration with Oslo Art Weekend.

The intensive April days are preceded by a whole year’s worth of work. There is more activity from December to May, and a quieter period from June to November. The position is advertised at 70% and offers great flexibility, allowing it to be combined with other activities. It is you who are the organisation’s driving force throughout the year.

As the director, you must engage and inspire the professional artist community to participate in Oslo Open, and motivate the city’s public to visit our main programme: the open studios. You will develop and run dissemination initiatives such as workshops and guided tours in collaboration with artists and other partners, and follow up the employees in their work with dissemination. You will develop the national and international visitor’s program for professional curators, critics and institution managers. In dialogue with the visual, contemporary craft and other creative fields, you will contribute to Oslo Open’s development as an organisation, strengthen our funding, and through open and professional communication and marketing, work towards increased visibility and position in both the art field and the city in general.

As the director of Oslo Open, you have a unique chance to get to know the entire art scene in Oslo – artists, audiences, exhibition spaces, organizations and supporters. On the board, you have a close dialogue with working artists and art professionals, and in Oslo Open’s reference group you engage fifteen of the country’s leading art institutions and exhibition venues – from the National Museum to Atelier Nord. Oslo Open is also part of several networks, and collaborates with B-Open in Bergen and Trondheim Open.

Oslo Open is a small organization. In addition to the director who also works closely with the board’s chairperson, the staff consists of a project manager in a 20% position throughout the year. In the lead up to the festival in April and then for the visitor’s program in May, the staff expands to a larger team with project coordinators and a communications manager. Depending on future funding, it may be possible to increase the team.

Oslo Open is 26 years old in 2026! We are proud of the more than 17,000 annual meetings between artists and the public that the festival has created through open studios, and we firmly believe that Oslo Open contributes to lowering the threshold for seeing and talking about art. At the same time, we are constantly looking ahead: What is the organization’s next step? What role can Oslo Open play in society, and how can we contribute without losing sight of our core focus? How can Oslo Open change in step with the artists, audiences and the city? As a direct link between artists and the public, Oslo Open is in a unique position to break down barriers and open up art to everyone. As general manager, together with the board, you will set the course for the future.

All qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to apply – regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, functional ability and ethnic background. This is a fixed-term position of five years with the possibility of one extension, salary according to experience (620.000-660.000 for full-time position).

For the right candidate, we are flexible regarding notice period and appreciate the need to end current activity, though we need the candidate to start by 1 January 2027.

If you have any questions about Oslo Open, you can find previous catalogues, statutes, annual reports, history and much more on our website: https://osloopen.no/nb/om-oss.

Oslo Open 2027 takes place from 15 to 18 April 2027. Our international visitor’s program in collaboration with Oslo Art Weekend takes place between the 26th and the 30th of May 2027 *week 21).

We look forward to reading your application and inviting relevant candidates for an interview. (Interviews will take place in week 47 and 48).

JOB DUTIES

• Manage Oslo Open, with budget and financial responsibility, including application writing and reporting, as well as responsibility for the implementation of all activities.
• Be the face of the organization and maintain contact with grantees, foreign missions, visitors, the reference group and others in Oslo Open’s network.
• Establish collaboration with various actors to strengthen Oslo Open’s activity.
• Follow up and evaluate collaborations.
• Ensure good communication strategy and delivery, including implementation and leading the work with the organization’s website, newsletter, SoMe, translation, press, etc.
• Hire, train and follow up project employees.
• ‘Take responsibility of ’Arbeidsgiveransvar’, including the safety and well being of employees in line with Arbeidsmiljøloven (Working Environment Act) and the organization’s financial liability.’
  Working hours are distributed unevenly throughout the year, with lower activity in the fall before escalating from December to April. Work in the evenings and on weekends in connection with events must be expected.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Documented experience in project management, production and dissemination within the cultural field, and good knowledge of financial management.
• Solid insight and knowledge of Norwegian art life.
• A broad network of contacts within Norwegian art life, and preferably also internationally.
• Experience with and interest in cultural policy work is desirable.
• Experience with digital organization and publishing tools, such as Microsoft Office, Make, Google Disk, etc. is desirable.
• Requirement of good oral and written Norwegian, or another Scandinavian language, as well as English.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

• Flexible, solution-oriented and responsible
• Works well both independently and in collaboration with others
• Good communication skills, both verbal and written
• Can plan and organize their own and others’ workdays
• Practical, tidy and systematic

OSLO OPEN OFFERS

• A small but energetic organization in development
• Unparalleled contact with Oslo’s leading visual artists and craftspeople
• Collaboration with a committed and competent board
• Pension scheme, public occupational pension
• Good opportunity for professional development and expansion of professional networks
• Workplace is Oslo Open’s premises at Keysers gate 1, 0165 Oslo (UKS)
• Fixed-term position of five (5) years with the possibility of one extension.
• Salary according to experience (620,000- 660,000 for a full-time position)

The position of director has been 70% in recent years but the board sees the need for a larger position share and is willing to increase this in dialogue with the new director. The long-term goal is to establish a 100% position.

HOW TO APPLY
Application must include a letter of motivation with a CV and contact information in a combined PDF of up to 5 pages. This should be sent to soknad@osloopen.no no later than November 8, 2026. The file should be named with your last name.
The application must clearly state why you are motivated to lead Oslo Open, and why you believe you are qualified, as well as your possible start date.

If you have questions about the position, please contact chair of the board Sarah Kazmi at styreleder@osloopen.no, or current director Frida Rusnak at frida.rusnak@osloopen.no