Community Arts Program Manager

About LA Commons:

We engage communities in the creation of art for public spaces that tells their unique stories and serves as the basis for dialogue, interaction and a better understanding of Los Angeles. Through collaboration with local partners who have built deep wells of trust, we leverage art and cultural approaches to create positive change. 

Since 2002, we have worked with over 1,000 artists, trained and mentored over 3,000 youth artists, and engaged over 35,000 community members in collaboration with scores of partners in neighborhoods across Los Angeles County. Headquartered in Leimert Park, we are committed to investing in resilient networks of youth, artists and community partners in Central and South Los Angeles. 

Position Overview

The Community Arts Program Manager will work as a core member of the LA Commons team under the direction of the Community Arts Program Director. The manager will serve a key role in administration, outreach and facilitation of the work of LA Commons Community Arts projects in South Los Angeles, MacArthur Park and neighborhoods and communities across Los Angeles County. Projects include: intensive neighborhood-based youth artist (age 15-25) workshops, community arts engagement workshops, Leimert Park Day of the Ancestors: Festival of Masks, and community arts to advance equity including: public art, public messaging and cultural asset-mapping. 

A large part of the work of the Manager will focus on furthering the effectiveness of our Leimert Park Healthy Culture Hub aimed at uplifting cultural vitality as a force of healing and resilience for individuals and the community at large. Our key programming in the area centers on Day of the Ancestors: Festival of Masks, a community wide celebration on the last Sunday in June. Our goal is for community engagement leading up to the Festival to support and amplify cultural activities and cultural practitioners, and expand awareness and participation in workshops and events, to promote community wellness and belonging and improve health outcomes. This will include expanding to year round activations with local partners.

Responsibilities: 

• Create and maintain timelines for each project to track partners, youth participants, staffing, timeline of tasks, and update on a weekly basis.  
• Develop detailed project plans, schedules, and budgets to track participants and progress, provide updates on a weekly basis and ensure timely completion of programs.
• Foster strong relationships with all stakeholders involved in the projects through effective communication and engagement of staff and others in program development and implementation as necessary. 
• Assist in organizing the story gathering celebrations and other program events related to the various projects.  
• Maintain shared checklists and ensure timely completion of event related tasks including generation of contact lists for venues and event service providers, programs, sign-in lists and signage; and, acquisition of food and needed event equipment.
• Create slideshows and organize information for artist selection panels, and project specific needs 
• Schedule spaces and handle logistics and tech for meetings, trainings, community gatherings and neighborhood story events
• Coordinate orders and deliveries of project supplies and youth arts packets
• Attend meetings or workshops when appropriate;
• Communicate effectively with LA Commons staff, artists and youth participants
•   Communicate effectively with partner agencies and community stakeholders
•   Provide additional programmatic support as needed.
• Plan and implement programs in Leimert Park as part of our Healthy Culture Hub initiative that align with the organization's objectives and strategic goals.
• Lead project management for our annual Leimert Park Day of the Ancestors: Festival of Masks.
• Participate in outreach and play a central role in engaging Leimert Park Stakeholders in meetings and the activities of the project; and support the Leadership Team for Day of the Ancestors, bridging this activity with the overall goals of the Leimert Park Healthy Culture Hub

Skills, Knowledge, or Other Requirements

• Strong connection to and understanding of Los Angeles neighborhoods; connections to our primary service neighborhoods in South Los Angeles and MacArthur Park/Westlake a plus.
• Outstanding English written and verbal communication skills
• Proficiency in Google suite, Microsoft Office, or similar business software
• Strong sense of professionalism and commitment to collaborative work
• Ability to take initiative
• Excellent organizational and prioritization skills; ability to manage an unpredictable workflow and flexibility to respond thoughtfully and quickly.
• Interest and experience in arts and culture work
• Interest in community arts as an avenue for sharing stories, building community and creating opportunities for youth artists to share their talents and further develop their artistic and leadership skills
• Interest and experience in youth leadership development
• Must have valid CA driver’s license and personal vehicle insurance. 
• Flexibility to work weekend and evening hours in alignment with scheduled programs.

lacommons.org

4343 Leimert Park Blvd. Los Angeles 90008

LA Commons is a fiscally sponsored project of Community Partners, an Equal Opportunity Employer: minority/female/disability/veteran. 

Priority Application Deadline: Sep 21, 2024 Position is open until filled.

To apply, please follow this link to complete an online application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeb8xn5EmpR1YyB_1q-XHyC5A-n6bxGz3hX-NAhgeu5ljZKhw/viewform