The City of Bloomington has an exciting job opportunity as an Assistant Director of the Arts. We invite diverse talent to join our team and help advance our mission focusing on economic vitality, attainable housing, public safety, progress partnerships, inclusion, open government, sustainability, transportation, and quality of place. Come join us and be part of shaping the vibrant future of Bloomington, Indiana.
Incumbent oversees and/or coordinates a broad range of public art projects, grantmaking, cultural activities, and community events; represents the City to other organizations in matters related to arts and culture; supports strategic development of Bloomington’s arts economy; and supports and advocates for community artists and cultural organizations. This job description is illustrative only and is not a comprehensive listing of all job functions performed. The following are essential duties for this position, performed with or without reasonable accommodation:
Primary
Directs all aspects of public art projects in Bloomington; leads the Bloomington Arts Commission and the Bloomington Urban Enterprise Association in allocation of arts grants; and provides operational oversight of the City-owned Buskirk Chumley Theater and the John Waldron Arts Center as per agreement.
Manages communications, including marketing, public engagement, and coalition building for all arts related programs and activities.
Recommends and/or promotes cultural projects and programs and those that are specifically focused on sustainable economic development and placemaking. Engages in strategic planning relating to the arts economy and quality of place.
Manages projects and events, which includes negotiating agreements with artists and/or organizations; assisting organizations with acquiring noise waivers and/or use of public right-of-way for events when necessary; and maintaining appropriate documentation related to projects and events.
Prepares and administers program budgets, and makes recommendations to the Director on budgeting needs as they relate to personnel, equipment, and materials, grants, public art and communication initiatives. Collects data and reports on arts economy metrics.
Applies for grants and manages grant compliance, in collaboration with internal and external partners.
Supports the Director with departmental administration including but not limited to departmental budget tracking, claims and contract processing, and support on personnel management as needed.
Supervises the Special Projects Manager and arts interns.
Attends, presents, and makes recommendations at City Council meetings, Board of Public Works meetings, and other public meetings.
Participates in policy development, planning, problem solving, and other tasks to advance the goals and initiatives of the department.
Promotes the value of the arts, sustainability, small business, economic development, and arts and culture to the local economy.
Bachelor's degree with major course work in art, fine arts, business administration, public administration, tourism, or equivalent knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential duties of the position
Experience over three years, with managing capital projects and fabrication and installation of large-scale public art projects, curating and mounting art exhibitions, staff and volunteer management, planning and implementing events, and leading organizations and/or programs.
Experience over three years in the public sector, including financial management, board and commission management, contract, and legislative work.
Financial management experience that includes over three years in budget management (creation, tracking, analysis, and reporting); and three years of grant writing and management.
Experience of two years in public communications and media relations.
Knowledge of best practices and procedures of cultural arts programs and venues.
Experience of two years with the technical tools of arts administration, like public art databases, project management platforms, GIS, and Adobe Creative or similar software, preferred.Difficulty of Work
Work is performed in a modern office environment with no unusual physical demands. Work is performed in a highly visible environment and requires occasional evening and weekend work in order to complete job responsibilities. Work is performed on site.
Personal Work Relationships
Position requires constant communication with other City offices, local organizations, media, and members of the general public. Contact occurs during varied situations and circumstances, often requiring tact and use of persuasion to gain cooperation in the face of differences of opinion.