Studio and Community Programs Assistant Manager

Department: Education

Reports to: Director of Public Programs

Classification: Exempt, full-time with benefits*

Salary range: $50,000-$55,000 depending on experience

This is an onsite, Boston-based position. Local candidates strongly preferred. No agencies, please.

* Note that the regular schedule requires working Saturdays, select Thursday evenings, and some holidays (currently, the Gardner's community free days, which include Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Juneteenth, and Indigenous Peoples' Day).

Important: Only applications that include a cover letter, résumé, and a demonstration of past program experience will be considered for this position.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Core Values

Isabella Stewart Gardner believed that art had the power to change lives and she built a beautiful, personal, and immersive Museum setting to do so. Today the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (ISGM) is a living embodiment of her bold vision; it's a dynamic place where ideas and creativity in all its forms inspire visitors. Through exhibitions, music, programs, and performances we strive to tell new stories and challenge assumptions by engaging diverse voices and community members.

Our Core Values are:

• Creativity is our Legacy
• Community is our Purpose
• The Collection is our Catalyst
• Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion are our Commitments

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum seeks to connect past with present, develop and sustain mutually beneficial partnerships with our local communities and artists, expand and diversify our audiences, and generate opportunities for creativity. We are firmly committed to creating both an inclusive work culture and a welcoming visitor experience. Our five-year Strategic Plan outlines the Museum's core values, goals, and initiatives that serve as a renewal of Isabella's promise for the Museum to be a place for the education and enjoyment of the public forever.

Position Summary

The Studio and Community Programs Assistant Manager is responsible for developing, executing, and facilitating dynamic and inclusive programming, drop-in art-making opportunities, and experiential activities that inspire visitors to explore creative experimentation, spark generative looking and thinking about art, education, landscape and music, and help visitors make their own connections to art found in the Museum's collection and special exhibitions. This includes gallery programs, free days, select evenings, and drop-in art-making, designed to increase participation and engagement of key communities in Gardner programming, as well as coordinating other special programs and initiatives in collaboration with the Director of Public Programs.

The Studio and Community Programs Assistant Manager contributes to a culture of collaboration, community, and respect while embodying the principles of the Gardner's Strategic Plan and centers the work of Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion in all areas of their work. This role works collaboratively with Education team colleagues and cross departmentally to realize the Museum's audience development goals.

Essential Functions and Primary Responsibilities

• Focusing on the needs and interests of local, diverse audiences, collaborates with local teaching artists and members of the Education team on planning and implementing a range of dynamic art-making and experiential activities and programs for Saturday Open Studios, Free First Thursdays, Access Studio, the Neighborhood Salon Luminaries program, art and wellness programs, additional studio-related programming, and accessibility initiatives.
• Works with visiting artists on projects that align their projects with the institutional Strategic Plan, audience development goals, as well as the Education and Public Programs vision.
• Manages communication and co-creation of programming with visiting artists, welcoming and helping visiting artists, and overseeing general maintenance of the Studio, set ups, and inventory, and supporting an inclusive visitor experience for multigenerational audiences.
• Develops year-long schedule of engaging hands-on, art-making projects for general visitors of all ages for Saturday Open Studios and Free First Thursdays programming, and additional studio programs and initiatives, including an art and wellness project, and other special projects as needed. Collaborates with the Marketing department on audience development and engagement for Open Studios.
• Manages, nurtures, and sustains art-making and close looking programming for visitors with disabilities who participate in Access Studio, a program designed to increase opportunities for individuals with disabilities to engage with the Museum through actively facilitated programming. Access Studio sessions pair close looking and exploration in the galleries with artist-led, art-making and experimentation in the Studio. These programs are designed by teaching artists with disabilities with support from the Studio and Community Programs Assistant Manager. The Studio and Community Programs Assistant Manager works closely with ASL interpreters and the Gardner's Museum Teachers and builds relationships with community organizations. Oversees Access Studio teaching artists, partner organizations, and contractors. Coordinates schedules, outreach, and communications between teaching artists, contractors, and program participants.
• Manages the Polly Thayer Starr (PTS) Visiting Studio Artist Program with support from the Public Programs team. Researches, proposes and invites a diverse range of local teaching artists with robust creative practices, who are invited each year to develop and lead hands-on art-making projects in the Museum's Studio for Museum visitors. Assists PTS Visiting Studio Artists shape their projects to align with the Museum's collection, exhibitions, and priorities as a visitor-centered institution. Maintains Studio program records and evaluation.
• Recruits, trains, manages, and mentors one Polly Thayer Starr Studio intern each year and manages partnership with the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) at Tufts.
• Supports the Neighborhood Salon Luminaries program, a gathering of select Boston-based artists and culture makers, or Luminaries, who bring a fresh lens to the Museum's exhibitions and historic collection through dialogue, collaboration, and new programming, including recruiting, orienting, and developing collaborations with local artists, helping to integrate them into ongoing ISGM programming and initiatives; co-facilitates and co-produces Gardner programming with Luminaries.
• Manages the Bertucci Education Studio; coordinates schedule for members of the Education department and manages Studio use outside of the Education department. Orders supplies, coordinates with other department staff to keep materials organized, and along with other Education staff, helps maintain and monitor usage of Studio space, keeping it organized and accessible.
• Remains abreast of current theory and practice in the museum field concerning studio learning and accessibility work.
• Develops and designs gallery materials and self-guided materials to accompany exhibitions, historical collection, and Studio projects as necessary.
• Leads and facilitates art making experiences that are inclusive and developmentally appropriate, supporting visitors of all ages in their art-making.
• Collaborates with the Programs team in development, execution and evaluation of all public programs as needed. Creates tools to evaluate, adjust, and document programs in the Studio and ideates innovative ways to highlight and celebrate work made by Studio program participants. Prepares and oversees the Studio Programs budget.
• Works closely with members of departments across the Museum to develop and support creative projects for general visitors, Public and Academic Programs, and Interpretation initiatives.
• Trains and supports additional staff and volunteers in co-facilitating art making experiences.
• Maintains a working knowledge of all Gardner educational programs and any other Museum initiatives impacting communication with audiences and Education staff.
• Collaborates with other Education staff on teaching modules for Ambassadors and volunteers.
• Plans and implements Gardner programming for the Boston community, including school vacation weeks, Indigenous Peoples' Day, MLK Day, Juneteenth, and other events as necessary.
• Provides excellent customer service assistance to multigenerational audiences, including families, community organizations, and partnerships.
• On behalf of the Museum, issues an invitation and ensures a strong and warm welcome once new visitors are in the Museum, expanding the Museum's audience.
• Assists with reports and performs administrative duties as necessary.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Required

• Bachelor's degree in art education, art therapy, studio art, or related field or commensurate experience, with a general understanding of art-making materials and studio practice.
• 3 or more years' experience creating studio art projects and leading art-making activities with diverse audiences, including adults and children; arts teaching experience.
• Available to attend ISGM and community functions on select holidays, weekends, and evenings both at the ISGM and in the community. Ability to work required schedule that includes Saturdays, select Thursday evenings, and certain holidays.
• Cultural fluency, empathy, collaborative capacity, and commitment to best practices in arts education and museum education, and specifically, diversity, equity, access, and inclusion (DEAI) is essential, in support of belonging for visitors, collaborators, and colleagues. Commitment to advancing the ISGM's diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience in cultivating collaborative partnerships and positive, creative relationships with diverse audiences, in terms of age, economic status, and cultural background.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, a sense of humor, ability to work well independently, and strong ability to work collaboratively with other museum staff, artists, and community organizations and to facilitate collective planning and program design.
• Poise, maturity, flexibility, initiative, and ability to work as a team player are essential.
• Experience working with the public, guest artists, and community organizations.
• Excellent planning and organizational skills; attention to detail.
• Ability to manage budgets.
• Experience working with interns and volunteers in ways that value and demonstrate appreciation for their contributions.
• Collaborative work style; effective with both internal and external audiences.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to produce simple yet imaginative visitor-facing materials.
• Demonstrated proactive approach to making decisions, identifying problems, creating solutions, and driving projects to conclusion.
• Ability to set up and arrange studio space; ability to lift, carry and move art-making materials or boxes up to 25 pounds.
• Legal authorization to work in the United States.

Desirable

• Museum and/or non-profit experience.
• Interest in connections between historic and contemporary art.
• Graphic design experience.
• Experience managing interns and volunteers.
• Experience with inquiry-based pedagogies and demonstrated application of universal design.
• Bilingual language skills desired; Spanish, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Cape Verdean Creole, or Portuguese a plus.
• Proficiency in American Sign Language (ASL) a plus.

Competencies

• Teamwork and collaboration.
• Creativity and innovation.
• Analytical and forward thinking.
• Initiative.

COVID-19 Protocols

All employees of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum are required to provide their COVID-19 vaccination status. If you are not vaccinated, you will need to participate in an interactive process to request a religious or medical accommodation and to submit weekly test results, in addition to following other federal, state and CDC recommendations.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion is one of the core values we hold close to our business practices. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is committed to affording equal opportunities to qualified individuals regardless of race, color, gender, gender identity, genetics, military/veteran status, pregnancy, religion, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, or any other basis prohibited by applicable laws.

Request an Accommodation

Applicants with disabilities who are unable to fully access ISGM's online application system may contact us at hr@isgm.org for assistance with a reasonable accommodation.

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