Art Program Coordinator

Position Title: Art Program Coordinator

1 FTE: requires evenings and weekends, 1 flex day per week

Compensation: $55,000

Benefits include generous paid vacation, health, dental, 2% Simple IRA match, short-term disability, 8 paid sick days

TO APPLY: Please send resume and answers as PDFs to the questions in lieu of a cover letter to jobs@pearmentor.org with “Art Program Coordinator” in the subject line. The job will remain open until full. Email only, no phone calls, please – phone calls will not be returned. Successful candidates will be contacted for interview starting April.

1. How will you advance racial equity and social justice through the arts at p:ear?

2. Describe your past experience teaching and facilitating art programming and how that will inform your work at p:ear?

EQUITY AND INCLUSION

We believe in the young people at p:ear and in their unique, creative and powerful place in our community. In order to help youth live healthy and

meaningful lives, p:ear must combat the structural and institutional systems and personal attitudes and behaviors that exist to create and perpetuate racial, social, economic inequities in our community.

p:ear respects and celebrates the diversity, creativity and strength of the p:ear community. Equity and inclusion are a priority across all parts of our organization from programs to administration to personal development. We commit to creating a culture of inclusion, self-reflection, and personal growth. We are committed to using our time and resources to help identify and eliminate disparities based on identity and to promote equitable and inclusive access to our programs. We do this work so we can live in a world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

p:ear is building dynamic relationships based on this understanding. Equity means examining our weaknesses and identifying disparities where they arise. It means aligning with needs and redistributing resources. Equity at p:ear means a thoughtful approach and compassionate action, which includes advocacy in the community and equity education in all areas that p:ear touches and beyond.

Because p:ear is deeply rooted in compassion – which we define as a relational act of understanding another’s experience while providing a safe space – we

commit to deep, program-wide and viscerally equitable practices for homeless and vulnerable youth as they access our programs. We call this love.

p:ear

p:ear builds positive relationships with homeless and transitional youth through education, art and recreation to affirm personal worth and create more meaningful and healthier lives.

At p:ear, our work starts with the realities of today. It ends when young people find and embrace tomorrow. Our beauty—our core-essence—is in everything in between. It’s in the kids, their daily experiences, their struggles, and triumphs. It’s in their journey. We believe every homeless youth has a vibrant future.

p:ear respects and celebrates the diversity, creativity and strength of our community. Equity and inclusion are a priority across all parts of our organization. We are committed to using our time and resources to help identify and eliminate disparities based on identity and to promote equitable access to our programs so we can all live in the world we want for our young people.

POSITION SUMMARY

p:ear is seeking an Art Program Coordinator for a full-time position. The selected candidate will be a creative thinker and organizer with a background and proficiency in working with youth, the visual arts, gallery curation, and community partnerships. This position requires working on-site 4-5 days a week.

This versatile, creative, proactive, and collaborative person is responsible for working directly with youth as a mentor in helping them navigate systems to aid in transitioning out of homelessness; creating art-based programmatic workshops and activities; working closely with program volunteers and guest artists; maintaining and procuring art supplies; curating the gallery; representing p:ear in the community at events and trainings; and furthering p:ear’s mission by building meaningful and healthy relationships with youth, volunteers, donors, and community members. This position requires 3-4 days a week of direct service with youth and staff on the floor during open hours of Safe Space operations, while simultaneously balancing daily administrative duties.

The Art Program Coordinator will work collaboratively with all staff, and reports directly to the Program Director.

REQUIRED VALUES / COMPETENCIES:

● Committed to self-reflection, and personal growth, with a high degree of humor + emotional intelligence

• ● Demonstrated experience working on issues of poverty and homelessness
• ● Commitment to youth-driven and youth-centered programming
• ● Creative Visionary
• ● Must be a positive and strong role model, have a collaborative, team- oriented work style, and strong strategic and problem-solving skills

● Highly proficient in working with youth experiencing severe levels of trauma

● Must be committed to non-violence, trauma informed care + compassionate responses

● Must have awareness of one’s own identity, an understanding of differences, and an excitement about building relationships cross-culturally

● Strong commitment to advancing equity and inclusion and creating and maintaining a diverse environment

● Ability to learn and build on the varying cultural and community norms of p:ear youth and the p:ear donor community

• ● Self-initiating, independent and highly motivated
• ● Able to work in a stressful, physically demanding environment
• ● Strong leadership skills and capacity to work in a deadline-oriented, chaotic environment

● Willingness to take risks and seek innovative solutions

ESSENTIAL DUTIES / RESPONSIBILITIES

Safe Space Support:

Staff Safe Space operations 3 of the 4 days open

Develop healthy, mentoring relationships with youth

Create a safe, supportive and structured environment

Able to work effectively in a highly chaotic, unpredictable and loud

Support program unity by participating in a team approach when providing services

●Build strong relationships / partnerships with volunteers and community partners

• Support onboarding and mentoring of new staff members
• Participate in daily scheduled activities and projects
• Together with other staff, prepare the facility each morning, clean and organize at end of work day
• Aid in taking in and organizing all incoming donations
• Work with other staff to support the general needs of the program and seek interdisciplinary opportunities for learning

● Assist with intakes and data entry for p:ear participants, including youth and volunteer attendance for daily open hours and activities such as workshops and field trips happening in and out of p:ear

Art Workshops:

Provides artistic workshops that work in tandem with the art gallery and going places program

● Secures artists for workshops that stimulate creative expression, joy and a sense of pride in youth

• Recruit and mentor both community guest artists and in-house artists that instruct youth in a variety of different art mediums

● Creates themes for gallery shows and coordinates workshops

Maintain and organize art supplies and track donations

Insure appropriate materials are available for workshops

Expand community partnerships to increase workshop & programmatic offerings, facilitate in-kind services and material donations

● Builds and maintains relationships with individuals and local businesses to

• Facilitates BIPOC artist-in-residence program including the recruitment and onboarding of a diverse group of engaging artists and offering the support and direction they need to succeed

Art Gallery:

• Display and sell youth art in the context of a professional gallery
• Secures guest artists for gallery and determines if they are appropriate for artists workshops with youth

● Curate youth art

• Lead volunteers to organize art storage room, frame youth art, hang all art and maintain gallery walls sold piece to buyer & all payments accounted for and distributed
• Input youth and guest art, make labels and label art
• Responsible for all art from moment of intake, through storage to getting
• Hosts 1st Thursday along with other staff members Organizes 1st Thursday volunteers
• Responsible for off site shows in the community Increase vitality, exposure and sales in the gallery

Going Places:

Introduces youth to new cultural experiences in the community:

• Makes connections with music, theater, dance, etc. organizations to provide tickets for youth
• Insures youth are aware of events and have access to tickets Insure youth have transportation to and from venue
• Insure proper adult support at event

p:ear Jam:

● Work with volunteers to foster a vibrant music experience for youth Insure both group and individual music lessons for youth

• Maintain inventory of musical instruments and equipment and arrange for repairs, upkeep and replacement ●
• Partner with outside music based organizations

Tech Tuesday:

● In collaboration with the p:ear Works program, facilitate the 8 week paid training program

● Create curriculum and engage volunteers to teach the Adobe creative suite to youth for computer and art skill building

● Partner with outside businesses and organizations to build out projects for each cohort; projects have included: skateboard, clothing and shoe design

Administrative / Organizational Support:

• Maintain accurate records & meet all database input needs when appropriate

● Actively participate in fundraising events of p:ear

• Represent p:ear in the community (at events, fundraisers, and learning opportunities)
• Attend and participate in weekly staff meetings and monthly in-service Manage Art program budget

Work Environment

This job operates in an often chaotic, loud environment. This role routinely uses standard (kitchen and) office equipment such as stoves, commercial dishwashers, microwaves, refrigerators, freezers, computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk and work on cement flooring for long periods of time; lift and carry up to 50 lbs with frequent bending