SEASONAL ARTS ASSOCIATE (PART-TIME)

OVERVIEW

A popular year-round destination, Governors Island is a 172-acre island in the heart of New York Harbor located between Lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn waterfront. For almost two centuries, the Island was closed to the public, operating as a military base for the U.S. Army and, later, the Coast Guard. Today, an award-winning new park is complemented by dozens of unique historic buildings, educational and cultural facilities, a rich arts and culture program and a 22-acre National Monument managed by the National Park Service. Looking ahead, the long-term vision for Governors Island focuses on continuing to expand year-round public access by enlivening it with transformative public art and culture, extraordinary recreational and open space, and research and education dedicated to addressing the global climate crisis.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Trust for Governors Island seeks candidates to support seasonal programming led by Governors Island Arts, the Trust for Governors Island’s arts and culture program.

The Seasonal Arts Associate position is a part-time hourly, seasonal (estimated 9-month term from March 2026 to early November 2026) on-site position on Governors Island working a combination of weekday and weekend shifts. Reporting to the Trust for Governors Island’s Associate Curator and Producer, the position serves a critical role in supporting Governors Island Arts programs and produced events, including public art, performances as part of INTERVENTIONS, Organizations in Residence, THIRD Saturdays, and other duties as assigned.

The role focuses on administrative and practical tasks, assisting with logistics coordination, artist and partner relations, internal and external communications, and on the ground support to deliver programs that enhance visitor engagement across the areas of focus of Governors Island Arts.

The Seasonal Art Associate offers the highest level of customer service to all visitors, partners, and artists, creating a welcoming environment for everyone. The ideal candidate must be highly organized, self-motivated, detail-oriented, adaptable and have excellent written and verbal communication skills. This position requires weekend and holiday working availability.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• BA, associate’s degree, or comparable training and vocational education with a focus on visual art, art history, project management, arts administration, or related fields.

Experience:

• 1-2 years’ administrative experience in a professional setting or directly assisting artists.
• Experience working in a theater, venue, museum, art gallery, or outdoor public space environment preferred
• Experience with management and logistic coordination for residency programs, art production, events, public programming, and/or live performance.
• Experience operating sound equipment (PA systems, audio mixers, mics, cables, signal flow), portable/generator power, and other production equipment for small and mid-size events.
• Experience running sound is preferred.
• Experience working directly with artists.
• Experience working in an outdoor event environment is preferred.

Responsibilities:

• Support with planning, scheduling and logistics of all Governors Island Arts program areas, including public art, Organizations in Residence, live performances, artist talks, workshops, and community events
• Act as on-site liaison with resident organizations, artists, and other Governors Island Arts partners and larger weekend Trust staff
• Track and monitor all Organizations in Residence program activities between April and November, including load in and load out activity
• Support production coordination for all programming, coordinating with internal teams and external artists, artistic companies, and contractors
• Assist with event logistics such as audiovisual setup, hospitality, crowd management, and site plans
• Maintain internal calendars and ticket reservation systems as needed
• Collect marketing assets from artists, agents, companies, and other talent to disseminate internally
• Create digital programs and additional marketing collateral for Governors Island Arts-led programming
• Assist with arranging photo and video documentation
• Assist with collecting financial information for program related payments
• Prepare internal documents and track all program updates for planning meetings
• Assist in management of audience capacity as related to Public Art, performances, and other events

Skills and Abilities:

• Strong organizational and communication skills, with an ability to prioritize, multi-task, and meet tight deadlines
• Ability to work collaboratively and independently, follow through on all assigned projects and maintain open lines of communication at all times
• Comfort working in an outdoor environment for long periods of time and in varying weather conditions
• Comfort setting up and operating sound equipment
• Demonstrated interest in public art and Governors Island, and comfort speaking with visitors to share information and insights on all artwork, performances, presenting partners, Governors Island, and related historical context
• Ability to work a combination of weekday and weekend shifts, including holidays, on an as needed basis
• Proficient in using Microsoft Word, Excel, Google suite, and other similar cloud-based applications
• Valid Driver's License required
• Resident of the greater New York City region
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs. and stand for long periods of time

Salary Range: $19-$22 per hour

Location & Schedule: All positions are located on Governors Island. The position is in-person and follows the schedule listed below:

• March 17 – May 14: Tuesday – Thursday (15 hours/week)
• May 15 – November 20: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (24 hours/week)

TO APPLY

We realize that not all applicants match 100% of the qualifications for a role. If you meet many but not all the criteria and feel you may be a good fit for this role, we encourage you to apply.

Please send a cover letter and resume as a single PDF document to jobs@govisland.org with “Seasonal Arts Associate” in the subject line. No phone calls please.

The Trust for Governors Island values the importance of inclusion, accessibility and a diverse pool of applicants. The Trust for Governors Island does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, genetic information, marital status, membership in an employee organization, military service, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including gender identity), sexual orientation, sexual and other reproductive health decisions, or other non-merit factor.

ABOUT THE TRUST FOR GOVERNORS ISLAND

The Trust for Governors Island (The Trust) is a nonprofit corporation created by the City of New York. It is responsible for the redevelopment and operation of 150 acres of Governors Island. The Trust's mission is to realize the full potential of Governors Island for the inspiration and enjoyment of all New Yorkers, demonstrating a bold vision for public space. For more information, visit www.govisland.org

ABOUT GOVERNORS ISLAND ARTS

Gov­er­nors Island Arts, the pub­lic arts and cul­tur­al pro­gram pre­sent­ed by the Trust for Gov­er­nors Island, cre­ates trans­for­ma­tive encoun­ters with art for all New York­ers, invit­ing artists and researchers to engage with the issues of our time in the con­text of the Island’s lay­ered his­to­ries, envi­ron­ments, and archi­tec­ture. Gov­er­nors Island Arts achieves this mis­sion through tem­po­rary and long-term pub­lic art instal­la­tions and exhi­bi­tions, an annu­al Orga­ni­za­tions in Res­i­dence pro­gram in the Island’s his­toric hous­es, and the curat­ed mul­ti­dis­ci­pli­nary INTER­VEN­TIONS per­for­mance series.