Overview
About Artistic Noise
Artistic Noise (AN) brings the power of artistic practice to youth who are system-involved and others throughout the community. Our work, ranging from Harlem-based community settings to detention facilities, supports positive reentry for youth and programming for those in need. Through visual arts and entrepreneurship programs, our participants give voice to their experiences, build community through collaborative projects, and learn valuable life and job skills. We believe the practice of making art offers opportunities for young people and communities to transform.
We are looking for an Executive Director who will be based in NYC. AN has been growing steadily for the past few years and we are currently in an exciting time of change. We are seeking a visionary, passionate, and creative leader to usher in this new period of growth.
The below job description represents an ideal candidate. AN understands that no one candidate will embody everything and that each applicant will offer different strengths and abilities.
Who we are looking for:
You believe in the power of art. Our ideal candidate believes deeply in the mission of AN. You believe that our youth can and should be leaders in their communities and that to support their leadership development we, as a society, must provide long-lasting support systems, safe spaces, and mediums for young people to positively develop.
You are committed to social and racial justice. You bring a racial equity lens and analysis of structural racism to all of your work and initiatives. You are committed and interested in how art-making can support these ideals. You have knowledge and experience with the communities we work in and with, professionally and/or personally. You are a community builder, known and respected in your field, bringing existing relationships that will facilitate expansion of our work. You are able to approach this work with vigor, passion, energy, and excellence, with a balance of patience, flexibility and humility. You are honest and sincere, kind and consistent.
You are a proven leader. You have at least seven years of nonprofit experience and five years of supervisory experience. You are interested and skilled in developing and leading creative fundraising strategies for a non-profit. You are a talented manager, with a demonstrated ability to delegate and bring out the best in the people you supervise and to build and oversee operations with clarity and vision. Working in a small organization and youth development excites and inspires you, despite the challenges. You have the creativity and desire to grow our organization.
You are a strong communicator. You have experience serving as an external spokesperson for an organization. You are comfortable speaking about complex and sensitive issues, including mass incarceration, racial and social justice, and identity. You are willing to conduct cold outreach to potential partners and funders in an effort to grow our organization. You are a proficient writer, with an eye for detail. You are capable of liaising with multiple stakeholders at any given time (partners, staff, participants, Board of Directors).
What you’ll do:
Fundraising:
- Serve as the main fundraiser for AN, continuing strong relationships with current funders and partners, including foundation staff and individual donors, and identifying and cultivating new sources of funds (individual, city and state, institutional, etc.).
- Work with our Board of Directors on development and fundraising campaigns.
- Oversee our individual donor database system.
- Oversee grant-writing.
- Represent AN in public settings including public speaking engagements, conferences, media appearances, exhibition openings and art events, blog posts, and op-eds.
Programming:
- Evaluate, assess, and oversee programming, including supervising, regularly reviewing, and leading AN’s staff.
- Recruit and hire new staff as needed.
- Coordinate monthly staff meetings and quarterly Board meetings.
- Support the installation of the year-end art exhibition.
- Attend workshops and programs as needed.
Operations:
- Invoice for fee-for-service programs.
- Manage reports needed by our funders and for government contracts.
- Manage payroll, annual budgets, bookkeeping, and other fiscal items.
- Oversee our Harlem storefront space.
- Manage additional administrative tasks as they arise.
- Work with the Board of Directors to encourage Board growth and development.
- Ensure the Board of Directors is kept up to date on AN as appropriate.
- With the Board of Directors, develop and launch a five-year strategic plan.