Grounds For Sculpture (GFS) is at the beginning of a long path toward building a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive (EDI) institution. We are looking for individuals, at all levels of the institution, who are interested in joining us on this journey of intentionality and public accountability. This path broadens our workforce (board, staff, volunteers), expands our artist selection and acquisition practice as well as strengthens our internal and external communication systems, networks and norms.
Reporting to the Chief Audience Officer and based on current research and best practices, the Director of Education & Community Engagement will move the institution forward with a mixture of educational, wellness, performance and community programs. The position represents a unique professional opportunity to establish a fundamental framework for engaging current and new audiences building off Grounds For Sculptures’ (GFS) core values, founder’s vision, and institutional identity. GFS is committed to growing our initiatives positioning GFS as a leader in artistic, horticultural, museum, wellness and educational programs. A wide variety of experiences with creation, implementation, evaluation, and management is required. Indoor and outdoor learning experiences and performance activations will build and sustain a suite of programs reflecting the racial and economic diversity of our community while nurturing children as well as lifelong learners.
The Director is expected to be a recognized leader and serve as an effective advocate for innovative approaches in learning, participating, and exploring ideas across a broad field of engagement. The successful candidate will have significant experience creating and curating meaningful learning experiences for a wide variety of audiences.
The Director will have the opportunity to build a department of full-time professionals, which in turn manage work undertaken by part-time educators, and a pool of artists/educators and volunteers. The ideal candidate will be a self-starter with a commitment to a diverse and expansive range of community-based and school programs, artist engagement, exhibition interpretation, internships and more. The candidate will thrive in collaborative based working while providing the education and engagement team with a clear strategic framework for building and deepening GFS’s program and public initiatives. They will work across all GFS departments to cultivate and deepen new and existing partnerships with other peer organizations. Strong written and verbal communication skills are a must.
Responsibilities:
* Experience shaping and managing a department team and working with department and organizational leadership to realize strategic initiatives.
* Management of relationships with school, patron, volunteer, and other community groups and arts organizations in the area;
* Serve as an ambassador for Grounds For Sculpture to help foster a culture of inclusion for all members, donors, volunteers, and guests.
* An interest in sculpture, contemporary art and horticulture.
* Serve as an advocate for GFS internally and externally, assuring that the interests of the organization are advanced and fully understood;
* Design, develop, and implement strategies for evaluating the impact of learning, participatory and mastery programs; including gathering and analyzing qualitative and quantitative statistics.
* Experience creating and managing a sustainable business model for program creation which balances earned and contributed revenue.
* Collaborate with Marketing department to maximize attendance and ticket sales for programs.
* Actively support grant application creation, implementation and reporting in collaboration with Development department.
* Collaborate with Membership Director on programmatic elements designed to engage and grow GFS individual and family membership, particularly in underrepresented constituencies (25-45 years of age; Black and Latinx communities).
GFS is a “best practices” accessibility institution and has a history of programming for people with disabilities’ including those with low or no vision, mobility impairments, and people cognitively impaired. Partnerships with state and regional accessibility organizations facilitate this important work. GFS is committed to being an active, engaged community resource and has begun the work of establishing partnerships that will better fulfill its mission to make GFS accessible to all.
The Director will continue to build and grow these relationships, working closely with community leaders to identify opportunities for collaboration, and assessing and reporting on the impact of this and all programs. We see this position as a key voice and leader in our continued efforts to broaden and expand a culture and community of openness and inclusivity.
IDEAL EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS
The ideal candidate will have the following range of experience and qualifications:
* A proven commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
* Experience with ADA and Wellness programs.
* Proven experience with program and/or education research, evaluation and design with clear and compelling results;
* Track record of community building experience;
* Strong organizational and budgeting skills;
* Management of program and/or education leadership responsibility in art organizations, gardens or community organizations;
* A passion for learning and enthusiasm for sharing that passion;
* Proven track record of working with community leaders, artists, curators, educators, donors, business leaders and a board members;
* A creative collaborator with outstanding oral and written communication skills;
GFS offers equal employment opportunities to all persons without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, parental status, housing status, source of income or military status, in accordance with applicable federal, state and local EEO laws.
Grounds For Sculpture (GFS) is a 42-acre not-for-profit sculpture park, arboretum, and museum, founded by the late artist and philanthropist Seward Johnson. Featuring nearly 300 contemporary sculptures by renowned and emerging artists in a beckoning landscape, Grounds For Sculpture combines art and nature to surprise, inspire, and engage all visitors in the artist’s act of invention. In addition to its permanent collection, Grounds For Sculpture offers rotating special exhibitions in its six indoor galleries, rich educational programs, and dynamic family events. Located in Hamilton, New Jersey, Grounds For Sculpture.
Apply for this job
Please apply directly through our website and must include a cover letter: www.groundsforsculpture.org
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