Executive Director for Arts @ Large

Organization and Position Overview

Arts @ Large engages Milwaukee’s students, their families, and the community in arts-rich experiential learning. Arts @ Large is committed to providing equitable access to educational experiences that include the arts. Arts @ Large has many program opportunities for artists, schools, teachers, students and the community. Through partnerships with public schools, Arts @ Large builds the confidence and competence of teachers to use the arts to engage students in dynamic educational activities. Each year, Arts @ Large provides hundreds of opportunities for artists to engage with schools and the community, through school residences, gallery exhibitions, professional development, public art installations and performances. Arts @ Large also offers summer arts camp for 3rd to 8th grade students to engage with multiple community artist educators and partners, focusing on a different art form each week. The campers learn the importance of healthy communities and relationships. The Arts @ Large staff and artist educators work with the Junior Counselors and high school students facilitating activities throughout the summer. The Arts @ Large Community Center features a student art gallery, art studios, a café and catering kitchen, a training center and conference rooms, and office space for Milwaukee area nonprofits and small businesses. There also is public space available for rental for weddings, parties, and events. On Saturdays, local artists guide participants to explore their creativity in visual art, music, dance, theatre and literary arts during arts4all. Moreover, Arts @ Large presents a free concert series Music Under the Stars, performances by local musicians, theater, dance, performance art, festivals, art making workshops, and environmental education at the community center and at Paliafito Eco-Arts Park.

The Executive Director will be thoroughly committed to Arts @ Large’s mission. Reporting to the Board of Directors they will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for Arts @ Large’s staff, programs, expansion, and execution of its mission. The Executive Director will have a deep knowledge of the field, core programs, operations, and business plans and ensure implementation with fidelity to mission and core values. The next Executive Director will have strong relationships and connections in the community, will be able to publicly share the impact of Arts @ Large’s mission and vision, and will grow and support a creative and dedicated staff team. Love for the arts, artists, and the community.

To learn more, please visit us at: www.artsatlargeinc.org

Essential Responsibilities

Leadership, Management, and Oversight

• Ensure ongoing local programmatic excellence, rigorous program evaluation, and recommend timelines and resources needed to achieve the strategic goals.
• Lead consistent quality of finance and administration, fundraising, communications, and systems.
• Actively engage and energize staff, volunteers, board members, ambassadors, committees, partners, and funders.
• Develop, maintain, and support a strong Board of Directors and serve as ex-officio on each Board committee.
• Seek and build board involvement with strategic direction for ongoing operations.
• Lead, coach, develop, and retain Arts @ Large’s high-performing, diverse senior management team.
• Ensure effective systems to track scaling progress and measure successes that can be communicated to the board, funders, and other constituents.

Fund Development and Communications

• Expand earned revenue generating and fundraising activities to support and expand programs and operations while simultaneously retiring building debt.
• Deepen and refine all aspects of communications—from online presence to external relations with the goal of creating a stronger brand in the community.
• Use external presence and relationships to garner new opportunities and partners.

Strategic Planning and New Business Development

• Ensure the completion of short and long-term strategic business plan to sustain current programs and for program expansion, potentially into new markets.
• Build partnerships in new markets, establishing relationships with funders, and political and community leaders.
• Be an external presence that publishes and communicates program results with an emphasis on the successes of the program as a model for regional and national replication.

Qualifications and Experiences

• Demonstrated commitment to making the arts accessible for all.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred and at least 5 years of senior management experience; track record of effectively leading and scaling a performance and outcomes – based organization and staff.
• Proven success having developed and operationalized strategies that have taken a program or an organization to the next stage of growth.
• Executive Director/ Chief Executive Officer/ Chief Operating Officer leadership experience, preferred.
• Unwavering commitment to quality programs and data-driven program evaluation.
• Excellence in organizational management with the ability to coach staff, manage, and develop high-performing individuals and teams,
• Experience with setting and achieving strategic objectives and managing a complex budget.
• Past success working with a Board of Directors with the ability to cultivate existing board member relationships.
• Strong marketing, public relations, and fund development experience with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders and cultures.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; a persuasive and passionate communicator with excellent interpersonal and multidisciplinary project skills.
• Action-oriented, entrepreneurial, adaptable, and innovative approach to business and program planning.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with diverse groups of people, internally and externally.
• Passion, idealism, integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven, and self-directed traits are a must.
• Proven leadership, coaching, and relationship management experience.