“If someone hands you a million dollars, they expect you to turn out an amazing product. It’s a huge thing to carry on your shoulders.”
Inside The Broadway Battle For “To Kill A Mockingbird”
The fight, being waged in the chambers of federal judges in New York and Alabama, offers an unusual glimpse into the vituperative backstage wrangling that can erupt over control of a celebrated work of literary fiction when it has been adapted for the stage.
How Airline Ticket Pricing Could Be Applied To The Arts
The secret of an effective pricing strategy is differentiation and airlines do this on a number of levels, harnessing as many of the factors that affect demand for flights as they can.
Why We Need A New Age Of Romanticism
In our new era of Enlightenment, we need Romanticism again. In his speech ‘Politics and Conscience’ (1984), the Czech dissident Václav Havel, discussing factories and smokestacks on the horizon, explained just why: ‘People thought they could explain and conquer nature – yet … they destroyed it and disinherited themselves from it.’ Havel was not against industry, he was just for labour relations and protection of the environment. The issues persist.
It’s Now Impossible To Make A Living As A Freelance Writer
“Based on my reporting, my own experience, and interviews with more than a dozen writers, the current median price for a freelancer’s work is between 25 and 50 cents per word (though, to be clear, most places no longer pay per word; they pay lump sums that work out to about $500 for a 1,000- to 2,000-word article). Speaking to Black Enterprise, Ben Carruthers, vice president of the Society of American Travel Writers, suggested that a similar $500 rate was standard…in 1977.”
Classical Music’s Insecurity Problem
It’s sad but true that many people denigrate and distrust their own reactions to classical music out of fear that they don’t “know enough,” and that other, more sophisticated folks know more. When people leave the movie theater they rarely hesitate to give their opinion of the movie, and it never occurs to them that they don’t have a right to that opinion. And yet after most classical music concerts you can swing your program around from any spot in the lobby and hit a dozen perfectly capable and intelligent people issuing apologetic disclaimers: “Boy, I really loved that — but I’m no expert” or “It sounded pretty awful to me, but I don’t really know anything, so I guess I just didn’t get it.”
Philosophically, Music Of Our Time Has Lost Its Way
“Few people play instruments, and music at home emerges from digital machines, controlled by buttons that require no musical culture to be pressed. For many people, the young especially, music is a form of solitary enjoyment, to be absorbed without judgment and stored without effort in the brain. The circumstances of music-making have therefore changed radically, and this is reflected not only in the banal melodic and harmonic content of popular music, but also in the radical avoidance of melody and harmony in the ‘modern classical’ repertoire. Released from its old institutional and social foundations our music has either floated into the modernist stratosphere, where only ideas can breathe, or remained attached to the earth by the repetitious mechanisms of pop.”
Are These The Most Influential Philosophers In The Second Half Of The 20th Century?
One philosophy professor, Chen Bo of Peking University, conducted a survey along with Susan Haack of the University of Miami, at the behest of a Chinese publisher seeking important philosophical works for translation.
The Most Ambitious TV Program Ever About Art
“Civilizations,” like “Ways of Seeing,” is an attempt to update Clark’s series. But it’s also an unprecedented undertaking in the annals of television. Unlike “Civilisation,” which was focused on Western art from the so-called Dark Ages until the 20th century, the scope of “Civilizations” is global and reaches right back to cave painting.
That Day 50 Years Ago Sweden Changed What Side Of The Road It Drives On
In the run-up to H-Day, each local municipality had to deal with issues ranging from repainting road markings to relocating bus stops and traffic lights, and redesigning intersections, bicycle lanes and one-way streets.
The Next Arms Race: Artificial Intelligence (And It’s Already Started)
Artificial intelligence is a very powerful technology, and there is an arms race going on. Fast forward 20 years into the future and one of the players could have won the race. China is more likely to win than Russia is, although Russia has a lot going on. So, we could end up in a world that China may not formally control, but they effectively do because they rule the cyberworld.
New EU Regulations On Lights Threaten £180 Million Cost For UK Theatres
Theatres across the UK face unexpected costs in excess of £180 million under “devastating” EU proposals to ban the vast majority of stage lighting by 2020. Costs in London alone are expected to reach £35 million as venues are forced to replace most of their lighting equipment, with experts warning that venues could go dark as a result.
What Kendrick Lamar’s Win Means For Hip Hop
“Lamar’s historic win figures in the grander, affected consecration of blackness within élite spaces—exemplified, I think, by the “thousand flowers of expectation” blooming in Kehinde Wiley’s portrait of Barack Obama. It was Obama, with his caucuses of rappers in the White House, who accelerated the conclusion that hip-hop had earned a prestige as a great American art. In its long and perplexing lurch toward acclaim, did hip-hop sacrifice its edge? Lamar is a fascinating and brilliant non-answer.”
Kendrick Lamar Did The Pulitzer A Favor By Winning
The music Pulitzer was an obscure bauble coveted only by the people who cared about it, of which there were not many. Forget the big reporting and magazine awards; even the poetry Pulitzer mattered more than music. Grammys are the awards that count most in music, and given that Kendrick is already loaded with golden gramophones — though the Album of the Year continues, unconscionably, to elude him — the Pulitzer is just a feather in his Dodgers fitted cap.
So… Blame Humanities For Today’s Bad Politics?
“The midcentury ideal — of literature as an aesthetically and philosophically complex activity, and of criticism as its engaged and admiring decoding — is gone. In its place stands the idea that our capacity to shape our protean selves is the capacity most worth exercising, the thing to be defended at all costs, and the good that a literary inclination best serves. Democratizing the canon did not have to mean abdicating authority over it, but this was how it played out.”
The Internet Has Grown Toxic, Say The Guys Who Built It
“To understand what went wrong — how the Silicon Valley dream of building a networked utopia turned into a globalized strip-mall casino overrun by pop-up ads and cyberbullies and Vladimir Putin — we spoke to more than a dozen architects of our digital present. If the tech industry likes to assume the trappings of a religion, complete with a quasi-messianic story of progress, the Church of Tech is now giving rise to a new sect of apostates, feverishly confessing their own sins. And the internet’s original sin, as these programmers and investors and CEOs make clear, was its business model.”
MoviePass Is Growing Crazy Fast. But Can It Survive?
Since MoviePass slashed its monthly subscription costs last August from $50 to $9.95, its user base has exploded from roughly 20,000 to more than 2 million. In the process, it’s become the fastest-growing paid-entertainment subscription service in history, signing people at a greater clip than Netflix or Spotify. All that disruption in the movie theater business has created enemies and fueled skeptics, but whether MoviePass survives or dies, it has undeniably shaken up an industry that hasn’t changed much since the silent era.
What George Lucas’ Museum Of Narrative Art Will Be
“In their daily lives, people interact with all kinds of popular storytelling visual forms, most of which are maybe not what we have historically called fine art. Our purpose as a museum is to highlight and explore and celebrate the best of these forms, and to really unpack the way in which they work. We’re really interested in this through-line of narrative, the fact that so many artists in so many cultures, times, and places have been compelled to tell stories in different mediums. Why do we have this drive and how does it work?”
How Art Was (Mostly) Protected During World War II
In London, the Elgin Marbles were hidden in Aldwych tube station – although, alarmingly, it was later revealed it wouldn’t have withstood a direct hit. In Paris, the Louvre was emptied out in 1939, with 3,600 paintings packed off to safe houses. The Mona Lisa – now considered too fragile to be moved – was shuttled round the country five times, moving from chateau to abbey to chateau, to keep her one step ahead of the Nazis.
The Art Of Nairobi’s Dancing Buses
Matatu are the privately owned buses that have transported at least 60 percent of Nairobi’s population since the early ’60s. The word matatu comes from the Kikuyu word for “three,” referring to the three ten-cent coins used to pay for a ride to the city when matatus first started operating.
Strathmore – Chief Executive Officer
Strathmore, a Montgomery County nonprofit multidisciplinary arts center, seeks a visionary, expansive, ethical, and collaborative Chief Executive Officer to partner with its board of directors to advance the organization’s overall success and sustainability. The CEO will be the organization’s chief spokesperson in clearly articulating Strathmore’s mission, vision, and values that guide the growth, public image, and increased brand awareness of the organization regionally and nationally.
Organization
The story of Strathmore as a destination for the arts began in 1979 when the newly created Strathmore Hall Foundation entered into an agreement with Montgomery County, Maryland, to develop the historic Corby Mansion and grounds as the County’s first center for the arts. Almost 40 years later, Strathmore has become the go-to place for the arts in Montgomery County and beyond, hosting more than 5,000 artists and hundreds of thousands of visitors at its signature exhibitions, concerts, educational events, and outdoor festivals.
Strathmore currently operates three venues—The Music Center at Strathmore (The Music Center), The Mansion at Strathmore, and AMP by Strathmore. The Music Center at Strathmore opened in 2005 and includes a 1,976-seat concert hall with world-class acoustics as well as numerous rehearsal, education, and administrative spaces. The Mansion at Strathmore, the renovated 1899 mansion, features the 100-seat Dorothy M. and Maurice C. Shapiro Music Room, Strathmore Tea Room, Shop at Strathmore, Gudelsky Concert Pavilion and Gazebo, and numerous smaller spaces used primarily for visual arts programming. AMP by Strathmore is a 250-seat venue that presents live music, comedy, and special events that opened in 2015 about two miles north of the main 16-acre campus. An $8 million extension of The Music Center is currently underway, which will enhance patron accessibility, hospitality, and catering options in the front-of-house areas by the summer of 2019.
Artistic offerings presented by Strathmore in The Music Center include 50 to 60 world-class performances annually by major international artists of folk, rock, blues, pop, R&B, jazz, world music, show tunes, dance, and classical music. Strathmore is honored to be a community resource for its six resident partners, including Baltimore Symphony Orchestra as its Founding Partner, National Philharmonic, Washington Performing Arts, Levine Music, CityDance, and The interPLAY Orchestra. Strathmore’s extensive work in education and community outreach is core to its mission. This includes the highly regarded Strathmore Artist in Residence program, Strathmore Children’s Chorus, Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras, the affiliated partnership with Young Artists of America, and dozens of other education and community initiatives such as art camps, tours, and field trips. With a Metro stop at its door and free parking for its on-campus patrons, Strathmore continues to be a major cultural destination. Additional offerings at Strathmore include rentals by outside organizations and promoters.
Through its partnership with Montgomery County Public Schools, Strathmore brings almost 200 hours per year of free master classes, school assemblies, and music clinics to students in grades Pre-K through 8. Bloom, its three-year-old East County initiative, aims to make the arts available to everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic circumstances, and to provide opportunities to create a growing sense of community across Montgomery County.
Strathmore is governed by a 30-member board of directors, of which two are representatives of Montgomery County Government. Its administrative staff consists of approximately 40 full-time and 80 part-time employees. Led by Chief Executive Officer and founder Eliot Pfanstiehl since 1981, Strathmore now has an annual operating budget of approximately $15 million, of which 40 percent is from earned revenue, 30 percent from contributions and government grants, 20 percent from rental income, and 10 percent from investment income and other revenues. Strathmore’s endowment stands at approximately $8 million.
Community
Located just north of Washington, DC, Montgomery County is a thriving region bursting with newly imagined business and residential areas as well as traditional rural communities. It is the most populous county in Maryland, with approximately one million residents, and consists of three cities, 12 towns, four villages, 33 census-designated places, and five unincorporated communities. It is included as part of the Washington Metropolitan area and is the second most affluent county in the state of Maryland, with one of the highest per capita incomes in the country.
Montgomery County is an important business and research center. Many leading corporations, including Lockheed Martin, Marriott International, GEICO, and Honest Tea are headquartered there, as are several United States federal government agencies. It is the epicenter for biotechnology in the Mid-Atlantic region, housing the National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, and National Naval Medical Center. There are more than 410 parks in the County, including three national parks, with a total of 30,000 acres of recreational area. For golf lovers, there are more than a dozen country clubs, including the Congressional Country Club, which hosted the 2011 US Open. The County’s public and private schools are nationally recognized.
Montgomery County has a wide variety of cultural offerings and recreation to offer its residents and the seven million tourists who visit annually. A vibrant arts and culture scene offers live theater, art galleries, and numerous concert and club venues and includes over 450 cultural organizations and 1,500 artists and scholars. With the nation’s capital just a few miles away, free museums, cultural events, and professional sports teams are just some of the attractions found in the region. Three major airports, numerous public transportation options, including several Metro stations and bus routes, and convenient access to Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) and Amtrak trains make local and regional travel easy.
Sources: visitmontgomery.com; suburbanstats.org; city-data.com; creativemoco.com
Position Summary
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will be uniquely responsible to and partner with the board of directors to advance the overall success and sustainability of Strathmore. This includes accountability for the vibrancy of its programs, quality of its resident partnerships, its financial sustainability, and its impact throughout Montgomery County. The CEO will be the organization’s chief spokesperson in clearly articulating Strathmore’s mission, vision, and values that guide the growth, public image, and increased brand awareness of the organization regionally and nationally. The CEO will identify key stakeholders, cultivate relationships, develop strategies, and define an organizational direction embedded in the cultural, social, community, and educational activities of Strathmore. The CEO will be an aspirational public leader at the forefront of statewide initiatives that strengthen the vibrancy of all communities. Rooted in a spirit of community service and collaboration, the CEO will establish strategic priorities with the board and staff that align with the needs of the diverse stakeholders that Strathmore serves.
Roles and Responsibilities
Strategic Collaboration and Community Engagement
- Spearhead the development and implementation of a new strategic plan and community engagement process that ensures a clear direction, supports Strathmore’s community-wide philosophy, focuses its mission, and guides its overarching vision.
- Investigate and envision the future of the region’s business climate, marketplace, and political landscape to map paths to future projects, programs, and development resources for long-term sustainability.
- Reach out to peer institutions and businesses at the local, state, and national level to learn about best practices, new technology, and innovative programming that can enhance Strathmore’s brand and impact.
- Initiate, develop, and ensure strong collaborative and effective relations with Strathmore’s resident partners and other arts organizations.
- Forge collaborative partnerships and alliances with external mission compatible enterprises to leverage additional resources for future expansion of services to diverse and inclusive audiences.
- Develop innovative and daring applications of arts services beyond the traditional presentation-driven models of arts and culture organizations.
- Bring the gifts of creative thinking, imagination, and inspiration to the widest possible public.
- Perform other strategic collaboration and community engagement responsibilities, as needed.
Fundraising, Public Visibility, and Advocacy
- Serve as the primary spokesperson for Strathmore regarding major statements to the media, government testimony, institutional vision, and collaborative agreement announcements.
- Formulate and direct all major fundraising initiatives and regularly interact with major gift prospects and existing donors.
- Develop and maintain productive relationships with local, state, and federal public and private agencies to financially support Strathmore’s growth and community impact.
- Initiate conversations about the world of tomorrow and the ways in which the arts increasingly can bring socially, economically, and culturally diverse communities together.
- Represent Strathmore in the community by participating on local and regional boards, committees, and commissions.
- Cultivate relationships by hosting stakeholders at Strathmore’s performances and at various evening and weekend events.
- Advocate and testify for arts policy and funding with elected county, state, and federal officials.
- Perform other public visibility, fundraising, and advocacy responsibilities as needed.
Governance and Financial Accountability
- Provide guidance and support to best utilize the talents and resources of the board, stimulate their involvement, recruit new members, and work closely with the board to ensure strong fiscal health and effective governance of the organization.
- Partner with the Board Chair to enable board members to effectively fulfill their governance functions and facilitate optimum interaction between the board and the community Strathmore serves.
- Strategize opportunities for board prospect identification, cultivation, and recruitment; orient, educate, and engage board members to maximize their effectiveness; and celebrate the successes of the board and its individual members in recognizing their contribution of time and resources.
- Advise board committees on the development and implementation of their goals, with an eye towards ongoing board leadership succession planning, and name appropriate staff liaisons to support board committees.
- Ensure effective short- and long-term financial sustainability, with accountability for overall operating and capital budget submissions for board approval.
- Deliver succinct, timely, and relevant information to the board so it can fulfill its responsibilities in setting policies and strategic decision-making.
- Perform other governance and financial accountability responsibilities as needed.
Managerial Oversight and Mentorship
- Supervise and collaborate with the President and Chief Operating Officer who is charged with the internal management of Strathmore’s senior staff, facilities, and operations.
- Maintain ex-officio status on all internal committees, project teams, and departmental groups within Strathmore and lead the weekly Executive Team meetings and biweekly all staff meetings.
- Mentor a diverse team of professionals who deliver a high-quality community experience at Strathmore.
- Facilitate employee development and maintain a culture where diversity and inclusion are celebrated in achieving common goals.
- Oversee management accountability measures and actively address questions and concerns to ensure a safe work environment.
- Perform other managerial oversight and mentorship responsibilities as needed.
Traits and Characteristics
The CEO will be a visionary, expansive, ethical, and collaborative leader who values frequent interaction with others in serving as the public face of Strathmore. An enthusiastic and resourceful entrepreneur, the CEO will be deeply instinctive and receptive to new ideas, opinions, and opportunities. A professional who values social interactions and relationships, the CEO will inspire a harmonious organizational culture while being sensitive to the best investment of time, talent, energy, and resources. The CEO will symbolize the intrinsic cultural, social, and educational impacts that the arts provide in creating dynamic and vibrant communities.
Key competencies of the role include the following:
- Customer and Collaborative Focus – Capacity to build rapport and effectively communicate and listen to a wide array of engaged stakeholders who sometimes have differing opinions and priorities.
- Leadership and Decision Making – Dexterity in prioritizing strategic initiatives while creating a sense of direction embedded in the active participation of a variety of internal and external stakeholders.
- Interpersonal Skills and Diplomacy – Agility in understanding and respecting others, treating them fairly, regardless of personal biases or beliefs, and maintaining positive and productive relationships to reach mutually beneficial outcomes.
- Priority Management and Accountability – Acuity in establishing relevant, realistic, and attainable goals and objectives while anticipating the effects, outcomes, and calculated risks of various options.
Qualifications
A bachelor’s degree is required and a master’s degree in arts administration, business, public administration, or a related field is strongly preferred. A minimum of seven to ten years of related executive management experience leading a broad-based nonprofit performing, community, or educational organization is needed. Qualified applicants will have experience as a visible leader embedded in community engagement and public advocacy, with a passion for the arts and a commitment to effective arts policy and legislation. A leader whose vision has inspired philanthropic and public support, maximized earned revenue opportunities, and achieved financial sustainability are required.
Compensation and Benefits
Strathmore offers a very competitive salary commensurate with experience. The benefits package includes vacation and holiday time as well as medical, short- and long-term disability, and life, vision, and dental insurances. Retirement benefits are provided through a special arrangement with the Montgomery County Retirement Plan, which enables an eight percent match if the employee elects a four percent withholding, beginning after six months of employment with vesting that occurs after three years of employment.
Application and Inquires
Please submit a cover letter, resume, and summary of community partnerships and demonstrable earned and contributed revenue accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred) to:
Dr. Bruce D. Thibodeau, President
Arts Consulting Group
292 Newbury Street, Suite 315
Boston, MA 02115-2801
Tel (888) 234.4236 Ext. 201
Email Strathmore@ArtsConsulting.com
Collecting: Why Canada’s National Gallery Is Selling A Chagall To Get A David
There will, no doubt, be many who oppose the decision. Chagall’s lofty position in the pantheon of Modern art is equalled by few, and bested by maybe only two: Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. David, a towering figure in French neo-classical painting, is no less important, an art historian would tell you, though in another era and for different reasons.
Neuroscience Research: Best Friends Share Brain Waves
New research suggests the roots of friendship extend even deeper than previously suspected. Scientists have found that the brains of close friends respond in remarkably similar ways as they view a series of short videos: the same ebbs and swells of attention and distraction, the same peaking of reward processing here, boredom alerts there.
Can Neuroscientists Figure Out Empathy?
The advances of modern imaging technology mean that we no longer have to guess what the brain is up to. Our innermost thoughts and character are on display, and via scans that lay bare who has lots of empathy and who has none, who lies and who is a truth-teller, whom we should trust and welcome as a friend, and whom we should shy away from. Thanks to modern neuroscience, we can begin to piece together, for example, how we might “improve our society by harnessing the extraordinary positive force of empathy”. Since “neuroscientists, psychologists and geneticists now know which parts of the brain are specifically linked to empathy and compassion”, we should be “considering how we can enhance these abilities . . . .The empathy instinct is an idea whose time has come”.
Online Art Market Report: Some Warning Signs
Even as Instagram surges ahead as the art world’s social media platform of choice, and artificial intelligence is examined for its potential for luring buyers, the overall picture is downbeat as growth slowed for a second year.
Future Of Movies: Battle Between Cannes And Netflix Is Bad – But It’s Hard To Root For Either
France’s protectionist laws, which require a 36-month window between a film’s theatrical opening and its streaming debut, seem like the last gasp of a rapidly dying era. And the manner in which Frémaux handed down the Cannes ban, at the same time as the festival announced it was putting the kibosh on red-carpet selfies, was high-handed and doctrinaire. (In other words, it was French.) It’s increasingly evident that Netflix doesn’t just want to “disrupt” the business of showing movies in theaters. They want to destroy it. But it’s also increasingly evident that Netflix doesn’t just want to “disrupt” the business of showing movies in theaters. They want to destroy it. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings told reporters last year the company wanted to “unleash film,” but he also spoke of the current state of exhibition with glib contempt.
Vend-A-Story – Getting Your Literature From A Machine
Here’s how a dispenser works: It is shaped like a cylinder with three buttons on top indicating a “one minute,” “three minute” or “five minute” story. (That’s how long it takes to read.) When a button is pushed, a short story is printed, unfurled on a long strip of paper. The stories are free. They are retrieved from a computer catalog of more than 100,000 original submissions by writers whose work has been evaluated by Short Edition’s judges, and transmitted over a mobile network. Offerings can be tailored to specific interests: children’s fiction, romance, even holiday-themed tales.
How NYCBallet Planned Its Season Post-Martins
The new team chose two of the six premieres City Ballet will present in the 2018-19 season, reaching beyond the traditional ballet world to commission works by Kyle Abraham and Emma Portner. They learned the puzzle-like intricacy of planning a year’s worth of ballets, which must be chosen so subscribers won’t see too many repeats and scheduled so the whole company — dancers, orchestra, costume shop and more — can handle the workload. And they learned to use analytic tools — think Moneyball, but for ballet — which forecast how well each dance will sell.
Is The College Experience Converging With The Retail Shopping Experience?
As online learning extends its reach, though, it is starting to run into a major obstacle: There are undeniable advantages, as traditional colleges have long known, to learning in a shared physical space. Recognizing this, some online programs are gradually incorporating elements of the old-school, brick-and-mortar model—just as online retailers such as Bonobos and Warby Parker use relatively small physical outlets to spark sales on their websites and increase customer loyalty. Perhaps the future of higher education sits somewhere between the physical and the digital.
Artisan’s Asylum – Executive Director
Artisan’s Asylum, a Somerville makerspace, seeks organized and resilient Executive Director to supervise all aspects of the organization’s operations, programs, fundraising, public visibility and partnerships, and financial planning. Reporting to the board of directors, the ED will be charged with the strategic leadership of the organization, with clear goals of excellence, operational stability, and membership growth. This individual will embrace innovation, creativity, and diversity while working to grow the organization’s funding and ensuring excellent service to members and the broader community.
Organization
Artisan’s Asylum was one of the first large-scale nonprofit makerspaces in the world and is still considered one of the foremost models for new and rising makerspaces that have opened or plan to open. It was founded in 2010 as the brainchild of two makers, robotics engineers Gui Cavalcanti and costume designer Jenn Martinez. Artisan’s Asylum is a unique membership supported makerspace devoted to the teaching, learning, and practice of fabrication. Accustomed to having access to the shops and equipment at Olin College and MIT, their respective alma maters, and using them prodigiously for projects and hijinks as much as for their coursework, Cavalcanti and Martinez were disappointed by how little making they and their friends did in their free time once they graduated and no longer had access to those facilities. They called together a group of fellow makers and started the Artisan’s Asylum in a 1,000-square-foot multi-purpose space. Three moves later, Artisan’s Asylum has grown into a 40,000-square-foot building with over 350 members and fully equipped facilities for woodworking, metalworking, precision machining, electronics and robotics, screen printing, 3D printing, laser cutting, and jewelry making. Supporting its mission through the concepts of make, learn, work, and play, the organization provides Boston-area makers and artists with studio space, educational programs, community events, and instructional classes that empower them to give form to their ideas in a collaborative, non-competitive environment.
Artisan’s Asylum is run by a small staff and a number of dedicated volunteers with a range of skills and interests. Volunteering is strongly encouraged and appreciated and is at the heart of the organization’s culture of inclusion and transparency.
Artisan’s Asylum is governed by a seven-member board of directors, led by Chairperson Rachel O’Neil. Its current operating budget is $1.4 million, with over 90 percent from earned revenue (including membership fees) and less than 10 percent from contributed support.
Community
Located adjacent to Cambridge, Somerville is one of the most densely populated communities in Massachusetts, with more than 81,000 residents located in an area of just over four-square-miles. Rich in both history and culture, the city houses numerous cultural organizations, businesses, and restaurants. Settled in 1630 and incorporated as a city in 1827, Somerville was part of the original route ridden by Paul Revere on his famous midnight ride. It has a diverse population and a vibrant creative community, second only to New York in the number of artists per capita.
Just two miles south of Somerville, the City of Boston has long been the region’s economic and cultural hub, offering a variety of performing and visual arts as well as strong professional sectors in education, technology, and healthcare. It is the largest city in New England and one of the 25 largest cities in the country. Comprised of nearly 4.6 million residents, Greater Boston is youthful, culturally diverse, and socially active. Robust public and regional transportation systems support its draw as a preeminent international destination.
Position
The Executive Director (ED) of Artisan’s Asylum will serve as the Chief Executive Officer, responsible for supervising all aspects of the organization’s operations, programs, fundraising, public visibility and partnerships, and financial planning. Reporting to the board of directors, the ED will be charged with the strategic leadership of the organization, with clear goals of excellence, operational stability, and membership growth. An organized and resilient leader, this individual will embrace innovation, creativity, and diversity while working to grow the organization’s funding and ensuring excellent service to members and the broader community.
Roles and Responsibilities
Organizational Management
- Lead the day-to-day operations of Artisan’s Asylum to ensure that members, instructors, donors, and the community have an exceptional experience every time they interact with the organization.
- Confirm that organizational policies, systems controls, and procedures are in place and regularly reviewed for efficiency and effectiveness.
- Oversee the facilities and equipment, including maintenance, safety, and functionality, while planning for the strategic needs for future programs and space requirements.
- Ensure that the organization is effectively structured and staffed with employees and volunteers.
- Interview, hire, train, and mentor staff, providing performance appraisals and career development on an ongoing basis.
- Maintain an organization with the highest standards, in which all stakeholder obligations, both legal and ethical, are fully met.
Revenue Enhancement
- Provide organizational leadership in all aspects of fundraising and development.
- Identify, build, and maintain strong relationships with key community partners to diversify and expand the organization’s individual, foundation, corporate, and government donor base.
- Guide the board, staff, and members in building a culture of philanthropy, developing strategies, and defining key messages to ensure that revenues meet organizational goals.
- Serve as the chief fundraiser for the organization, directly participating in grant writing, gift cultivation, and solicitation.
Governance and Financial Stewardship
- Identify, cultivate, and assist in the recruitment of board and advisory council members whose skills, experience, financial connections, diversity, and capacity meet the organization’s needs.
- Collaborate with the board to refine and implement the institution’s strategic plan to meet annual goals and priorities.
- Oversee all internal corporate matters, including legal issues and lease negotiations.
- Ensure the financial health of the organization by providing sound budgeting and financial management.
- Provide accurate and timely information to the board so it can effectively fulfill its policy, fiduciary, and decision-making responsibilities.
Vision, Strategy, and Leadership
- Serve as a visible, passionate, credible, and articulate ambassador and advocate for Artisan’s Asylum in a wide range of local and regional communities and settings.
- Guide strategic plan development with the board and members to ensure a clear vision for the impact of Artisan’s Asylum in the future.
- Ensure that programs, culture, facilities, systems, staffing, and operations are effective, impactful, and in alignment with the organization’s mission and vision.
- Demonstrate a collaborative leadership style with a true connection to the organization’s artists, makers, staff, board, and community.
Traits and Characteristics
The next Executive Director will be an experienced leader and relationship builder who values frequent communication and engagement with the organization’s many diverse stakeholders. Able to think conceptually and chart the course for the future,this individual will be a versatile and competitive self-starter with a passion to lead and grow the organization. Valuing creativity and self-expression, the successful candidate will be a decisive leader with an appreciation for practical accomplishments and the ability to balance the external and internal facing requirements of the position.
Other key competencies include:
- Self-Management and Personal Accountability– Prioritizes and completes tasks necessary to meet or exceed the mutually agreed upon expectations of the role while being accountable for personal and professional actions.
- Planning and Organizing– Works within established timeframes and ascertains top priorities for optimum productivity, with procedures, processes, and systems that result in order, accuracy, and efficiency.
- Leadership– The ability to organize and motivate others to accomplish goals while creating a sense of order, direction, and active participation among a variety of stakeholders.
- Resiliency– The capacity to quickly recover from adversity or setbacks and move past obstacles without unnecessary delay.
- Interpersonal Skills – The gravitas to build rapport and demonstrate a sincere interest in others while effectively communicating and relating well to a diverse constituency.
- Conceptual and Futuristic Thinking– The dexterity to forecast long-range outcomes and develop suitable business strategies that anticipate future trends and needs.
Qualifications
Qualified applicants must have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience, plus a minimum of five to seven years of increasing responsibility in a senior management role at an art school, craft school, college, university, or similar organization. Nonprofit management experience is required. Candidates must also demonstrate quantifiable success in fundraising and community relations.
Compensation and Benefits
Artisan’s Asylum provides a competitive salary/bonus, health care coverage, and vacation time.
Applications and Inquiries
Please submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred) to:
Ms. Wyona Lynch-McWhite, Vice President
Arts Consulting Group
292 Newbury Street, Suite 315
Boston, MA 02115-2801
Tel (888) 234.4236 Ext. 225
Email ArtisansAsylum@ArtsConsulting.