Public Art Program Support Specialist

  • Department: Public Art
  • Location: 4Culture, 101 Prefontaine Pl S, Seattle, WA 98104
  • FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
  • Salary Range: $50,965-$64,600 (Includes a competitive package of benefits, including participation in the Washington State Retirement System)
  • Reports to: Public Art Program Director
  • Apply by: Friday July 1, 2022, 4:00 pm PDT

About the Role

We seek qualified candidates for the position of Public Art Program Support Specialist. This position will facilitate the administrative functions of a regional Public Art program. This position serves as support staff to the Public Art team, currently six members, and a nine-member volunteer Public Art Advisory Committee. This position will report directly to 4Culture’s Public Art Director

About Us

4Culture is an independent public agency, chartered under state law and King County ordinance in January 2003, after 35 years as the King County Office of Cultural Resources. The ideal candidate for this position champions public support for arts and culture and has demonstrated sustained commitment to advancing racial equity and social justice. As the cultural funding and services agency for King County, Washington, 4Culture works to make the region vibrant. The organization’s four program areas—Arts, Heritage, Historic Preservation, and Public Art—put public resources to use all over King County.

4Culture's Programs and Services

  • Arts funds individual artists, artist groups, and arts organizations that provide access to art experiences for all King County residents and visitors.
  • Heritage helps communities recognize, preserve, and explore our shared heritage—in all the places where the past meets the present.
  • Preservation supports the protection and stewardship of historic places.
  • Public Art commissions and collects for the King County Public Art Collection, bringing artists’ thinking to the spaces we share and offer consulting in the region.

Guided by a vision of a King County in which every person has what they need to explore and create culture, we’re working to become an actively anti-racist organization. We know that this work is urgent and ongoing; as a public agency, we’re committed to being transparent about our successes and failures. 4Culture is part of the system of white supremacy that has historically disadvantaged Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color. We are working to understand systems of structural racism, dismantle them with the tools available to us, and build up something equitable that supports and recognizes the value in cultural expression of all of people, especially those in King County.

The Essential Duties and Responsibilities of the Public Art Program Support Specialist

  • Coordinate administrative aspects of regional public art program including managing contacts database and digital and hard copy filing systems for documents and images.
  • Assist with preparation of required materials for archive collection records.
  • Manage electronic contacts on public art listserv and respond to requests from other arts agencies and the general public related to program information and calls for artists.
  • Serve as support staff for 4Culture Public Art Advisory Committee, including preparation of meeting notifications and minutes, agendas and handout materials, and refreshments.
  • Assist Public Art team as needed with special initiatives or program-related activities and projects.
  • Serve as the primary administrative organizer for public art section artist/artwork selection panels, assisting the designated Project Manager, and using 4Culture’s web-based application system.
  • Assist in the preparation/creation of publications and presentations such as the Annual Public Art Plan and 4Culture’s Annual Report, Enews content and other 4Culture outreach and advocacy materials as requested by the Public Art team.
  • Coordinate Public Art Program staff meetings.
  • Serve as back up for visitors to Gallery 4Culture and the 4Culture offices.
  • Contribute to the overall health and welfare of 4Culture by participating in internal work groups that address overarching issues affecting the operations of the agency and collaborate in a collegial manner with other 4Culture program and administrative staff.
  • Work independently and collaboratively in an open office environment.
  • Anticipate needs of the team members this role supports, using high business acumen.

You Will Be Most Successful In This Position If You Have The Following Qualifications:

  • Written and oral communication skills and organizational skills are essential for this job.
  • Ability to organize meetings including preparation of agendas, presentations and minutes.
  • Ability to maintain focus and attention to detail while completing multiple complex tasks simultaneously, within an active and high-performing work group.
  • Self-motivation and an ability to assess the needs of staff members and provide assistance.
  • Ability to process collection records, archive materials, and other database information in a consistent manner with a high degree of attention to detail.
  • Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, e-mail and the Internet.
  • Ability to work independently and to converse easily and clearly with 4Culture staff and volunteers, government employees, artists and members of the general public in an effective, congenial, and professional manner.
  • Understanding of contemporary art and public art issues.

Additionally, you will be prepared to take on this role if you have following experience, abilities, commitments, and skills:

  • Artwork Archive, or other art collection management software
  • Cloud-based digital asset management systems
  • Salesforce, or other contacts database systems
  • Familiarity with local, regional, and national visual artists
  • Familiarity with municipal and non-profit local arts agencies throughout King County
  • Publication development such as educational support materials, exhibition catalogs, interpretive materials for visual art exhibitions or collections
  • Graphic design skills
  • Resource development, which may include development of sponsorships, partnerships, and contractual projects.

Minimum qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in arts or non-profit administration, art, art history, or related field and at least one year of arts administration (or equivalent combination of education and experience). The most successful applicants will also have experience working with public art commissions and/or non-profit boards, artist selection processes, public construction projects, design professionals, vendors/contractors and individual artists.

Compensation

The pay range for this position is between $50,965 to $64,600. Salary will be negotiated and based on the selected candidate and their experience and includes a competitive package of benefits. It is classified as Regular Full Time, non-exempt.

Work Environment

  • Position works a 37.5 hour work week, Monday-Friday.
  • This position will primarily be onsite 4Culture at 101 Prefontaine Pl S, Seattle, WA. Seattle. Starting July 1, 2022 this position may be hybrid (3 days in the office/2 days remote).
  • Occasional early morning, evening and/or weekend hours are required.
  • Alternative work arrangements may be considered and will be based on operational needs.
  • Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

Benefits of Working at 4Culture

Working at 4Culture provides the chance to support and learn from the cultural community that makes King County a vibrant region to live in. Our mission affirms a deep commitment to racial equity as we work with our community to end institutional and structural racism. We work toward this goal, while supporting the physical and mental health of all 4Culture employees. Maintaining an appropriate work life balance is essential to our work, and 4Culture prioritizes staff wellness and the continual evolution of a healthy organizational culture.

The perks of working at 4Culture include a 37.5 work week, flex schedule, 12 days of vacation in the first year of employment (including Juneteenth and Indigenous Peoples’ Day), and sick leave. Staff receive an ORCA transit card, and an attractive and comprehensive savings and health insurance package consisting of medical, dental, vision, and life and long-term disability insurance for employees.

To Apply

Please apply online no later than Friday, July 1, 2022, 4:00 pm PDT. You will need to log in or create a 4Culture account in order to access the application. Please contact Kelly Pajek at kelly.pajek@4culture.org if you have any questions about this position or Andy Le at andy.le@4culture.org or Jackie Mixon at jackie.mixon@4culture.org if you have any difficulty with this application process.

The privacy of applicants will be respected and preserved until the last phase of the hiring process. For example, references will be checked during the process of interviewing the finalists and with the applicant’s knowledge.

No Discrimination in Hiring

4Culture is committed to upholding and promoting equal opportunity in employment. We recognize that diverse perspectives, ideas, cultures, and life experiences of all employees are critical to our success. We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace that reflects our residents, meets the needs of the communities we serve, and leverages the power of our employee's individual uniqueness. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to creed, age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical handicap, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability unless such limitations are necessary for the performance of the role and no less discriminatory alternatives are available.

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