Director of Art Education, City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program

Posted by on May 10, 2010

Director of Art Education
City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program

The City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program unites artists and communities through a collaborative process, rooted in the traditions of mural-making, to create art that transforms public spaces and individual lives. Since its inception in 1984, Mural Arts has created more than 3,000 community driven murals and provided thousands of under-served youth and adults with award-winning arts education programming.

City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program – Art Education Department

The Philadelphia Mural Arts Advocates (PMAA), the non-profit arm of the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, is searching for a new Director of Art Education to begin on July 1, 2010. The art education department of PMAA serves over 1,500 youth annually, many of whom are referred to our programs because they are truant, delinquent or adjudicated, through free out-of-school time art education programs in neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia. The commitment to this audience has its roots in the early history of the organization (then known as the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network) when the program was seen as a way of channeling creative energy toward positive outcomes for the youth themselves and the communities in which they live.

Job Summary

At the heart of art education at Mural Arts are models of project-based learning and positive youth development. The ideal candidate for this important leadership position will have a proven record of success building and managing a team of program managers and teaching artists able to engage and inspire youth aged 10 to 21 to express themselves effectively through the visual arts, become engaged in their communities, and build skills that will serve them through their middle and high school years and in transitions beyond. He or she will be committed to building the capacity of staff and teaching artists through professional development. As a member of Mural Arts’ senior management team, he or she will be able to articulate goals and create strategies that serve not only departmental objectives, but the mission of the organization, and build and maintain effective relationships among staff, artists, funders, and community partners.

Essential Responsibilities

– Establish department and programmatic vision, goals, policies, and procedures with the Executive Director, Chief Operating Officer, and art education staff;

– Oversee the financial management of the art education department, including annual programming and project budgets totaling over $2 million, including allocation of funds provided by the City of Philadelphia Department of Human Services;

– Undertake both formative and summative evaluations of program and project quality and content;

– Recruit, hire, manage, and evaluate program managers and Associate Director of Art Education;

– Supervise and guide full and part-time administrative staff and roster of teaching artists;

– Facilitate communications between art education staff and Mural Arts’ senior management;

– Provide support and professional development for program staff and teaching artists in areas that include curriculum development; classroom management; and youth, leadership, and workforce development

– Support the development office in maintaining positive and careful relations with funders by providing needed narrative and statistical reports and by helping to cultivate and solicit new donors;

– Identify, initiate, and pursue new programmatic and project opportunities within the organization’s new decision-making framework;

– Develop and maintain positive relationships and communications with Mural Arts’ partners and potential partners, including social service agencies and youth-oriented organizations, arts and cultural institutions, universities, and community and government leaders;

– Develop educational and interpretive initiatives in support of Mural Arts’ tours program;

– Ensure that all programs and projects run effectively and efficiently in support of Mural Arts’ mission, goals, and implementation of Mural Arts’ recently completed strategic plan.

The Director of Art Education reports to Mural Arts’ Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer.

Qualifications include:

– At least five years experience in an urban educational setting, preferably art-based, working with under-served, at-risk, truant, and delinquent youth 12 to 21 years of age;

– Not-for-profit management experience in the arts, art education, education, or related field, including supervisory management of budgets, staff, projects, long-term partnerships, and short and long-range planning.

Additional requirements include:

– Excellent organizational, communication, and leadership skills, including superior writing skills;

– Knowledge of national art education field, including best practices in community-based education;

– Demonstration of innovative thinking and implementation of art education and digital media initiatives;

– Knowledge of contemporary visual art practice, digital media, and artists;

– Experience implementing best practices in youth development;

– Ability to work in a collaborative team-oriented environment;

– Ability to thrive in a high profile and high pressured environment;

– Personally and professionally motivated;

– MA in Education, Art Education, Arts Administration, related field or equivalent experience in field of education or art education;

– Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel;

– Driver’s license preferred.

Salary: Competitive compensation, including health and dental benefits.

Anticipated start date: July 1, 2010

For further information on the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, please visit http://www.muralarts.org.

To Apply

Please submit cover letter, resume, writing sample (2-3 pages), three references, and salary requirement to arted.resumes@muralarts.org with DIRECTOR OF ART EDUCATION in the subject line. Paper submissions will not be accepted. Deadline to apply: May 20, 2010. No phone calls please.