Artistic Director and Vice President

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 Artistic Director & Vice President ("Artistic Director") is responsible for leading the visioning, planning, cultivation, and management of Governors Island Arts, the Trust's arts and culture program. Governors Island Arts focuses its work in three distinct areas - commissioning and presenting public art, presenting public arts programming and performance across 150 acres of public space, and hosting cultural organizations through the Trust's Organization in Residence program, a program that activates 150,000 square feet of indoor, historic building space. A member of the Trust for Governors Island senior leadership team, the Artistic Director leads the Governors Island Arts team (which currently consists of two full-time, year-round direct reports), oversees all cultural partnerships, works closely with the Foundation and Trust leadership on donor cultivation and strategic planning, and acts as the Island's lead artistic voice and ambassador for the Island in the NYC artistic community.

The Artistic Director is responsible for leading and implementing the Trust's ambitious plan for public art on the Island: an opportunity to deliver art and programing at scale in a one-of-a-kind landscape to a diverse, NY audience.

Other responsibilities include:

• Lead the long-term, strategic arts vision and manage day-to-day administration of Governors Island Arts.
• Curate, produce, and manage ambitious public art projects, overseeing commissions at a variety of scales, durations, and scopes.
• Expand access to the Island's arts and cultural programs for diverse audiences in our neighboring communities and from around the world.
• Oversee the stewardship of the Island's permanent collection of public artworks.
• Oversee the cultural programming in the Island's historic houses, including a seasonal Organization in Residence program of 25+ organizations annually and the long-term visioning and cultivation of a diverse and year-round cultural community.
• Lead and manage cultural partnerships, including those related to commissions, events, and long-term serial programs.
• Serve as co-lead for work and collaboration with the Governors Island Arts Advisory Committee.
• Work closely with the Trust's senior team on Island coordination and strategic initiatives.
• Oversee the Governors Island Arts budgets and calendars related to cultural programming, and work closely with the Trust's leadership team on budget planning.
• Collaborate with the Public Affairs team on audience engagement, press and PR, marketing and communications for Governors Island Arts.
• Serve as spokesperson for Governors Island Arts.
• Work with Trust leadership, staff, and the Governors Island Foundation on fundraising efforts for cultural programming, including identifying and cultivating donor prospects, and managing major asks and funder relationships.
• Manage Governors Island Arts staff.
• Function as an ambassador for Governors Island and its growing cultural community in New York and beyond.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

Bachelor's degree in art, curatorial practice, arts administration, art history, or a related field.

Experience:

Minimum 10 years of experience in overseeing or collaborating on art commissions (with specific experience in public art) and original cultural programming, with a history of success in planning, developing, and executing a creative vision. Experience fundraising for specific commissions as well as general operating support for arts and cultural work. A strong track record of working closely with artists, communities, cultural organizations, funders, and city agencies.

Skills and Abilities:

• A visionary with a deep love and commitment to public space, art, and artists.
• A natural collaborator, with management experience within the cultural field.
• An understanding of cross-disciplinary practices and a keen understanding of the local, national and international cultural landscape.
• An ability to work curatorially across multiple artistic disciplines and at a diversity of scale and diversity of representation.
• The ability to oversee all aspects of a public art commission from beginning to end, with in-depth experience working closely with artists on the development of projects, siting works and managing production needs and project teams.
• Demonstrated experience in cultivating organizational partnerships.
• Ability to interact with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders including TGI Directors, government officials and staff.
• Ability to work with legal colleagues to negotiate and execute artist, partner, and vendor agreements, including contracts for new commissions, long-term loans, performances, and other legal documents related to the art program.
• The ability to juggle multiple programs, at various stages of development, seamlessly and simultaneously.
• Strong decision-making capabilities both in the moment and in long-term visioning.
• Proficiency and experience in working with development staff on fundraising and the cultivation of cultural funding prospects.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Comfort engaging with cultural leaders, board members, donors and press
• Civic mindedness with a strong commitment in advancing the Trust's mission.
• Valid driver's license.

Salary Range: $152-$157k commensurate with experience.
Generous paid time off and excellent benefits package including medical/dental/vision/life insurance, and retirement plan with company contributions.

Location and Schedule:All positions are located on Governors Island. This position is in-person four days a week and remote one day a week.

TO APPLY

A cover letter must be included with your resume as one document.

No phone calls please.