The City of Atlanta is seeking a visionary arts administrator to serve as Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.
About the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs
The City of Atlanta’s Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA) was established in 1974 to encourage and support Atlanta’s cultural resources. The initial mission was to solidify the role that arts and other cultural resources play in defining and enhancing the social fabric and quality of life of Atlanta citizens and visitors.
Today, the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs understands that the arts play an essential role in defining the cultural vitality of the city and is working to enhance Atlanta’s reputation as a cultural destination. The OCA aims to produce programs that contribute substantially to the city’s economy and quality of life. The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs’ programming is executed in four key areas: Arts in Education, Municipal Support for the Arts, Performing Arts, and Public Art. The OCA also manages the Chastain Arts Center/City Gallery at Chastain, the Mayor’s Gallery at City Hall, and Gallery 72.
The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs interfaces with the international community by providing opportunities for cultural exchange. These exchanges inspire the programming for the Atlanta Jazz Festival, ELEVATE, and workshops in OCA facilities by artists, primarily from Atlanta’s Sister Cities. In addition, the OCA routinely works with the Airport Art Program and the Atlanta Beltline on their initiatives, including representation on artist selection panels and oversight of their installations. The City of Atlanta is seeking a visionary arts administrator to serve as Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.
The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs collaborates widely to produce a wide range of activities, events, and installations across five major program areas:
The Cultural Experience Project aligns the City of Atlanta with the philanthropic arm of business organizations throughout the area, providing opportunities for over 30,000 Atlanta Public School students, Pre-K through 12th Grade, to experience the broad range of Atlanta’s premiere cultural venues and artistic programs at no cost to the student.
Municipal Support for the Arts annually contributes funding to arts organizations and individual artists for art projects and experiences in Atlanta. This allows us OCA to support artistic efforts throughout the city and provide an opportunity for arts organizations to increase access to the arts within the city of Atlanta.
The Atlanta Jazz Festival welcomes thousands of residents and visitors to Piedmont Park for OCA’s annual free, multi-day jazz festival each Memorial Day Weekend. In addition to the performances at Piedmont Park, 31 Days of Jazz is a curated collection of jazz events from festival partners hosted throughout metro Atlanta for the whole month of May at venues from rooftops and galleries to museums and restaurants.
The Public Art Program focuses on the conservation and maintenance of Atlanta’s Public Art Collection and also produces ELEVATE, an annual free Public Art festival featuring local, national and international artists 21 About the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (cont.) throughout the city. ELEVATE has been named one of the Top 50 Public Art Projects in the Country by Americans for the Arts and has also been nominated for the Livable Cities Award. The Public Art Program also manages City of Atlanta Public Art Audio Tours, which focuses on educating residents and guests about Atlanta’s Public Art Collection located in the central downtown Atlanta area.
Chastain Arts Center serves over 500 students, employs about 30 instructors and continues to maintain a steady stream of revenue from class enrollment, Art a la Carte summer camp, and the Shop at Chastain. The City Gallery at Chastain hosts exhibitions throughout the year, adding to Atlanta’s unique cultural landscape.
About the Executive Director
The Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs has the primary responsibility of providing leadership and direction for the development, promotion, and preservation of cultural initiatives and programs within the city. The Executive Director oversees the planning and implementation of cultural events such as the Atlanta Jazz Festival and Elevate, art programs, projects, and grants for arts organizations and individual artists that enhance quality of life and expand the city’s international reputation while preserving and protecting Atlanta’s cultural heritage. Additionally, the Executive Director collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to advance the city’s culture and foster partnerships with cultural organizations, artists, schools, and community groups. An annual salary range of $142,258 to $173,880 has been set for this position.
Major Duties and Responsibilities
Specifically, the Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs:
Manages the day-to-day operations of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, including oversight of the organization’s $4.4M operating and $5M capital budgets and a team of approximately 40 professionals
Formulates and implement short- and long-term goals, objectives, and projects, and guides the development and execution of the City’s cultural affairs programs and events
Responds to community needs and requests regarding the creation of new cultural events
Secures grants from local, state, and national private or public agencies that support the City of Atlanta’s cultural programs and events
Establishes partnerships and cultivates relationships with artists, businesses in the creative sector, local universities and school districts, and state, federal, and private sector art funding organizations
Manages communications and relationships with nonprofit cultural entities and facilitates cultural exchange
Leads the formulation of a vision and strategy for the development and expansion of Atlanta’s cultural assets
Serves as the Cultural Affairs liaison to the City’s visioning process, ensuring strategic plan for cultural assets is appropriately reflected in overall City vision Administers economic support to eligible artists, arts organizations, and community art projects via the MSA & CSA programs
Coordinates activities, research, and information sharing with local, regional, state, and national arts and cultural organizations
Considers advice and recommendations from the Arts Council Task Force regarding the Cultural Affairs office’s strategic plan and related objectives and organizes Arts Council Task Force meetings, including agenda preparation, progress reporting, and minute-taking
Qualifications
The qualified applicant for the Executive Director position will have a Bachelor’s degree in business, art, arts management, or closely related field as well at least 7 years of professional arts management experience, including 4 years of high-level supervisory and administrative experience. A Master’s degree is preferred.
The ideal candidate will possess the following knowledge and skills:
Knowledge of current practices in the field of local arts agency administration
Knowledge of the cultural and fine arts needs of the city
Knowledge of non-profit foundations, fundraising, and management
Ability to collect, analyze, and interpret data and information, and to formulate conclusions and recommendations, using independent judgment
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with coworkers, city officials and members of the public representing a diverse range of cultural backgrounds