Position Announcement PreSident And executive director Public Art SAint PAul February 2015
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
PublicArtSaintPaulSearch@lutmanassociates.com
www.lutmanassociates.com
Position Announcement
President and
Executive Director
Public Art Saint Paul
February 2015
Interested applicants should send a cover letter
describing their interest in the position and
resume detailing their relevant experience to: Search contact:
PublicArtSaintPaulSearch@lutmanassociates.com Sarah Lutman, Principal
Lutman & Associates
Applications will be reviewed as they are accepted, PublicArtSaintPaulSearch@lutmanassociates.com
until April 3, 2015. 651-485-4379Public Art Saint Paul, a 501(c) (3) corporation, was founded by Christine Podas-Larson
and civic leaders in 1987. A highly respected and accomplished arts leader in the region, Podas-
Larson has announced her intention to retire at the end of June 2015.
In a statement that marked the organization’s 25th anniversary, Podas-Larson provided the
following snapshot of the organization and its work:
“From today’s vantage point, we realize that program production of the breadth, depth, scale and
impact of Public Art Saint Paul’s work is not for the myopic or faint of heart. It requires broad artistic
vision, deep immersion in the city, and skill in artmaking and event presentation across artistic
media. It takes passion, a discerning ear to the civic ground and an eye to the horizon of modern
urban life. It requires a sustained and unique partnership with the City of Saint Paul. It engages a
vast network of community partners, a staff that works with imagination and commitment, and a
working board of directors that assures sound governance. All of this mines a deep fondness among
citizens of Saint Paul for this place of their personal histories and civic lives.
“The world of public art has come to view us as a cradle for public art creativity and innovation; our
mid-sized city has been able to create an oversized footprint in the world of public art.”
Mission
Public Art Saint Paul brings artists together with communities to shape a public realm that
fosters imagination, explores and illuminates civic values and the community’s evolving history,
and strengthens public places as vessels of public life.
Values
Our work beautifies the city and brings the essential experience of art into our everyday civic
lives. Through our bold vision, our fearless leadership, and our impactful programs, Public Art
Saint Paul envisions, embodies, and manifests:
The Beloved Community: We are committed to fostering, through art, a renewed sense of,
as Martin Luther King envisioned, “a beloved community” as the foundation for a healthy
society.
The Urban Future: We are committed to fostering the spirit and health of our citizens and
the sustainability of our environment. We are committed to shaping a more equitable and
just city. Our work considers how artists can illuminate conditions and change the way
individuals behave and cities work as we chart the urban future.
The Future of Public Art: We are committed to sustaining and expanding the position of
Public Art Saint Paul as a national leader in the practice of public art. That model practice
is socially engaged, arises from deep immersion in City Systems, reaches across disciplines
to form communities of artistic practice, and plays out across the broad expanse of the city
over a long arc of time. It maintains high standards of artistic quality.PUBLIC ART SAINT PAUL
Public Art Saint Paul was formed in 1987 to engage artists as meaningful participants in city planning,
design, and building, and to foster imagination, illuminate civic history, and strengthen public places –
and thereby public life – in Minnesota’s capital city.
Since its founding, Public Art Saint Paul has emerged as a leading advocate for artists working
in the public sphere. The organization places City Artists in Residence within City government
to contribute new thinking and to collaborate on early-stage planning across City departments;
developed and now administers the City’s Public Art Ordinance; restores and maintains the City’s
collection of significant public artworks; and produces large-scale artist projects that captivate civic
imagination. Public Art Saint Paul also produces educational programs to engage and serve children,
families, and communities.
Public Art Saint Paul defines “City Art” as visionary, artist-led work that is made from and within the
systems that underlie city life – systems of infrastructure, water, food, open spaces, urban forest,
health, and maintenance. The City Art concept is carried out in all Public Art Saint Paul programs.
Through its longstanding and successful track record of ambitious programming, Public Art Saint
Paul has built a unique and trusted platform where artists, professionals across disciplines, and
residents can come together to make Saint Paul a more beautiful and dynamic place to live and work.
CORE PROGRAMS
Cornerstone examples of the organization’s efforts and success include the following long-term, core
programs:
City Artist in Residence Program
Through the City Artist in Residence Program (CAIR), Public Art Saint Paul employs artists to
identify ways to intervene “upstream” in city projects and processes. Artists work side-by-side with
City colleagues to bring new thinking and ideas into the earliest stages of urban planning, capital
project design, and public place maintenance and programming. From a base in the Department
of Public Works, artists’ involvement reaches across City agencies, including Parks and Recreation,
Planning and Economic Development, and Libraries. Foundations, private contributions, businesses,
individuals, and government funding programs support CAIR.
City Artists In Residence lead important City Art demonstration projects. For example:
Senior CAIR artist Marcus Young initiated Everyday Poems for City Sidewalks in 2008. Through
his immersion in the processes involved in Public Works’ sidewalk maintenance, he learned that up
to 10 miles of city sidewalk are replaced each year. Young reimagined sidewalk panels as pages in a
city poetry book. With initial funding from Public Art Saint Paul, Young instituted a citywide poetry
contest, with winning citizen-authored poems stamped into the fresh concrete. The program hasproven enormously popular and has served as a model for cities and states nationwide. The City is committed to continuing the project for “as long as it replaces sidewalks” and now funds the effort through its Public Art Ordinance. Over the past seven years, 46 poems have been placed in more than 750 installations in neighborhoods citywide; 102 city blocks have three or more poems installed, and 17 percent of land in Saint Paul is within a two-minute walk of a poem. Young is now applying the principles of systemic arts integration into other routine city functions, such as street reconstruction, where he curates a program that is transforming stop-sign posts into sculptures. In 2014, 80 artist-designed posts were installed; Young notes endless possibilities, with 7,000 stop signs in Saint Paul. “Building a city is an art form. Even the small mundane things, like a post, contribute to the art of the City”. CAIR artist Amanda Lovelee’s immersion in Saint Paul Parks and Recreation revealed the challenge – and opportunity – of urban sites in transition. In response, she created a two-year temporary City Art installation, Urban Flower Field, which animates a vacant city lot that is ultimately planned to be downtown’s largest park. Collaborating with scientists and City landscape architects, Lovelee’s vision, inspired by the Golden Mean, is articulated in 96 bio-diverse plots of flowers that bring beauty to the vacant lot while testing soil remediation. The project incorporates walking paths, seating areas, and places for neighbors to congregate informally or participate in public programming. In 2014, Sensible Land Use Coalition named Urban Flower Field a Great Place of the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area. The Award recognizes places that are exceptionally memorable, transformational, and that elevate function to art. Saint Paul Public Art Ordinance Public Art Saint Paul led the drafting and advocated adoption of the Saint Paul Public Art Ordinance, which was enacted in 2009. The visionary legislative purpose and intent of the Ordinance is clear: “The City Council believes that planning and development decisions should give aesthetic and social value equal weight with any project’s functional and economic values. Public art strengthens public places and enhances and promotes Saint Paul’s identity as a livable and creative city and a desirable place to live, work and visit.” Saint Paul’s Ordinance is unique among municipal public art programs nationwide because artists add their perspectives and insights to city plans and capital project designs, as well as create public art for buildings, infrastructure, and landscapes. The Ordinance allows flexibility to take a broad view of the City’s capital program and to bundle percent-for-art resources for greater impact, where appropriate. The Ordinance states that artists’ involvement should begin at the earliest stages of conceptual planning and continue through project design and implementation. Guidelines developed under Public Art Saint Paul’s leadership outline concrete steps through which City departments, district councils, contractors, and artists will work together to shape the city through its plans and projects in years to come. Public Art Saint Paul raises funds from public and private sources to support Ordinance administration. With the City, Public Art Saint Paul oversees the Ordinance Administrator’s work.
City Arts Collaboratory The City Art Collaboratory, led by Director and artist Shanai Matteson, and curated by Olive Bieringa and Marcus Young, provides a cohort of multi-disciplinary artists and their STEM professional collaborators the time and experiences to learn, engage, and prepare for future action. Funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and private grantors, the Collaboratory is Public Art Saint Paul’s research and development (R&D) program. Its focus from 2013-16 is on water quality. The Collaboratory plans field trips and explorations that introduce the cohort to urgent environmental challenges, opportunities, and aspirations in and around the Mississippi River in Saint Paul. Cohort experiences and insights are being documented and widely shared both within the cohort and with the broader community through a series of public presentations and interactive programs. The Collaboratory experience is prompting national interest; a book reflecting on the cohort R&D experience is in process. Western Sculpture Park Public Art Saint Paul produces and funds Western Sculpture Park’s exhibition and cultural programs in the heart of a diverse, low-income neighborhood just west of the Minnesota State Capitol. Curated by John Hock, Western Sculpture Park opened in 1998 and currently features 15 sculptures, most either on long-term loan from the artists or commissioned for permanent installation by Public Art Saint Paul. Western Sculpture Park recently received official designation as the City’s sculpture park. A highlight of Public Art Saint Paul’s public programming in Western Sculpture Park is the PASPider mobile art lab that provides free, drop-in art-making workshops. In 2014, the art lab served over 500 young people. In keeping with Public Art Saint Paul’s current projects and themes, current workshops are centered on the theme of the City’s water system. Public Art Stewardship For more than 20 years, PASP has led public art stewardship efforts in Saint Paul. The organization was originally engaged as the national SOS! Program leader for the Twin Cities and State of Minnesota, subsequently focusing efforts exclusively in Saint Paul. Public Art Saint Paul has saved important historic sculptures, raised more than $300,000 from private and public sources to support this work, and engaged a citywide stewardship corps of over 200 volunteers. Major restoration projects include the New York Life Eagle by Louis Saint-Gaudens (1890), Indian Hunter and His Dog by Paul Manship (1926), and most recently Schiller by Ignatius Taschner (1907). Currently, plans are in process for restoration of the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Monument by John K. Daniels (1903), prominently located overlooking downtown Saint Paul from Summit Avenue. Public Art Saint Paul annually maintains restored works, the sculptures exhibited in Western Sculpture Park, and other pieces commissioned by the organization that are installed throughout the city. The organization worked closely with the City of Saint Paul to institute a municipal commitment to public art stewardship.
Projects Periodically, Public Art Saint Paul partners with artists to produce large-scale public art projects. Following are three examples: CREATE: The Community Meal: 2013-15 Public Art Saint Paul commissioned and produced artist Seitu Jones’ far-reaching project, CREATE: The Community Meal. This on-going intervention in the urban food system engages the entire city in a civic dinner table conversation about food, food access, and food justice. The project’s most visible climax to date was a September 2014 meal served for 2,000 people at a half-mile-long table set in the middle of Saint Paul’s Victoria Street. Over 515 volunteers supported the meal from planning through production. Local chefs prepared the meal featuring locally and organically grown produce from new immigrant farmers of the Minnesota Food Association and Hmong American Farmers Association. Spoken Word artists and the young people they mentored performed Spoken Remedy, revealing food traditions and rituals of the world cultures that form Saint Paul’s diverse population. Poetic grace opened and closed the meal; Ananya Dance Theatre trained 250 table hosts in the cho- reography of service. CREATE continues through 2015-16 with the rollout of Mobile ArtKitchens to teach healthy food preparation throughout core city neighborhoods. CREATE: The Neighborhood Meal will host healthy meals in homes, and a CREATE kit and book will share Jones’ vision and artistic strategies with cities throughout the region and nation. The University Avenue Project: 2008-10 Public Art Saint Paul commissioned and produced The University Avenue Project, a six-mile photo- graphic inquiry by photographer Wing Young Huie. The project transformed a major thoroughfare (now the Green LRT Line) into a six-mile public gallery of more than 400 images that revealed the underlying and diverse socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic communities who work, live, and go to school along this urban thoroughfare. Public Art Saint Paul worked with Wing Young Huie and Ste- ven Dietz of Northern Lights.mn to create a projection site (with 40-foot screen), open five nights a week for free screenings of images, and accompanied by a soundtrack featuring local musicians. Monthly cabarets featured local performers. The project was the subject of a two-part Minnesota Historical Society Press book. Both CREATE: The Community Meal and The University Avenue Project were supported, in part, by Joyce Foundation Awards granted to Public Art Saint Paul to commission new works from artists of color. International Stone Carving Symposium, Minnesota Rocks!: 2006 Public Art Saint Paul convened artists from Japan, Germany, China, Mexico, Zimbabwe, Egypt, Italy, Finland and Minnesota to create sculptures from Minnesota stone, a vital state resource. The Stone Carving Symposium aimed to build international amity as artists shared creative perspectives and learned about one another over the divides of language and culture. Over 35,000 people experi- enced art in the making as the artists worked in a highly visible open-air studio; the project reached a worldwide media audience of 18 million. The resulting sculptures are permanently installed through- out the City of Saint Paul.
Governance
Public Art Saint Paul’s Board of Directors currently is comprised of 14 members, including five
Founding Members who have served for more than 10 years and are elected each year as long as they
are willing to serve. The remaining nine board members serve terms of three years. In first quarter
2015, additional board members will be elected. A small group of non-voting Emeritus Board Mem-
bers is available to add support and expertise as needed on Public Art Saint Paul projects. The Board
meets monthly, establishing the overall direction and policies of the organization, collaborating with
management on the development of financial plans and monitoring financial systems and results,
supporting the organization’s fund-raising, and networking on behalf of the organization’s current and
future projects. Board membership reflects Saint Paul’s cultural diversity; members include experts
in public art, urban planning, city administration, financial management, law, communications, engi-
neering, and other disciplines.
Finances
Public Art Saint Paul is often involved in multi-year R&D, planning, and production cycles, and as a
result, annual expenditures fluctuate based on the scale, phase, and schedule of works in production.
Public Art Saint Paul seeks multi-year grants to support its initiatives, fostering financial stability and
allowing grant funds to be released over time as projects unfold organically. For example, in 2014
Public Art Saint Paul produced CREATE: The Community Meal and brought forth major new initia-
tives from the CAIR program, all projects that were two to three years in planning and development.
Year-end 2014 expenditures totaled $875,000. Year-end expenditures from the 2013 audit totaled
$746,000. In preparation for the leadership transition of founder Christine Podas-Larson, Public
Art Saint Paul has been awarded a total of $500,000 in two-year transition grants aimed to support
major programs during the transition as well as support organizational capacity building.
Major recent supporters of Public Art Saint Paul include the McKnight, Saint Paul, F.R. Bigelow,
Mardag, and Hardenbergh Foundations; the Katherine B. Andersen Fund; the John and Ruth Huss
Fund; the Minnesota State Arts Board the National Endowment for the Arts, the Joyce Foundation,
and ArtPlace America. Individuals and family foundations also contribute generously to the organiza-
tion, and businesses provide both generous cash and in-kind support.
Staffing
Public Art Saint Paul operates with a small core staff and multiple contracted project managers. In
addition to the full-time President, Public Art Saint Paul employs a full-time Operations Director, a
part-time Development Director (position currently vacant), and a full-time Administrative Assis-
tant. Beyond the core staff, the organization employs a 65 percent time education director, and two
City Artists in Residence (one at 80 percent time and the other at 70 percent). Artists and profes-
sional consultants work on a part-time contractual basis to oversee key programs of Public Art Saint
Paul, including administration of the Public Art Ordinance, leadership of the City Arts Collaboratory,
and stewardship of the City’s significant artworks. Several artists are currently commissioned by
Public Art Saint Paul to create new works or to carry on existing projects, including new sculptures
for Western Sculpture Park and the second phase of CREATE: The Community Meal. In addition,
professional consultants are engaged to provide support in organizational public relations, graphic
design, and volunteer coordination.PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR POSITION
Public Art Saint Paul’s President and Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors and is the senior
leader responsible for fulfillment of Public Art Saint Paul’s mission and for all aspects of Public Art Saint
Paul’s management and operations, strategic planning, creative and artistic leadership, fund-raising, finance,
marketing and communications, operations, and personnel management. The President and Executive
Director is a visible, active member of Saint Paul’s and the Twin Cities’ civic community, representing Public
Art Saint Paul to a wide range of publics; she or he serves as Public Art Saint Paul’s lead fund-raiser.
The President and Executive Director is responsible for achieving
Public Art Saint Paul’s long-term goals, WHICH ARE:
• To create City Art of highest quality over a long expanse of time and over the large expanse of the city’s
geography;
• To further the evolution of public art practice;
• To nurture the spirit of all those who live, work, study, conduct business, and play in our city;
• To catalyze positive social change and environmental stewardship;
• To build the community’s self-understanding and its capacity for creativity and hope;
• To foster understanding of art in the public sphere, interactive engagement in its production, and
commitment to its care;
• To expand our network of community, organizational, bureaucratic, professional and financial
partnerships that support artists working in the public sphere;
• To sustain worthy programs and allow for creative artistic exploration that will lead to new City Art
action; and
• To build organizational capacity during an historic period of leadership transition.
The President and Executive Director is the primary contact with the Board of Directors and, as such,
is responsible for working closely with Board members to communicate financial and strategic issues,
report regularly on progress toward attaining goals, and to maintain and strengthen Board effectiveness.
Responsibilities include identifying and recruiting Board candidates (with the Nominating Committee Chair);
planning the annual Board calendar (with the Chair); working with individual Board members on fund-raising;
and planning Board meetings and preparing Board materials in ways that engage and support transparency and
active Board involvement. The President and Executive Director is a member of the Board of Directors and
serves as an ex-officio member of all Board committees.
The President and Executive Director will:
• Serve as the organization’s lead artistic entrepreneur, staying abreast of artistic work, ideas, and trends;
articulating the benefits of artists’ involvement in civic life; and defining the vision for the organization’s
artistic programs and profile;• Nurture and continue to build Public Art Saint Paul’s vital partnership with the City of Saint Paul;
• Cultivate strong relationships with existing and new donors; identify, develop, solicit, and secure new
funding sources at all levels;
• Lead the strategic development of marketing and communications efforts to clearly articulate the orga-
nization’s mission, build its regional and national reputation, and reach and engage artists and audiences;
• Develop and submit for approval a multi-year financial forecast and annual operating budget, and en-
sure that expenses are appropriately authorized, monitored, and adjusted, as required;
• Ensure that business operations are appropriately maintained including overseeing purchasing, payroll,
document retention, compliance requirements, human resources records and systems, and correspon-
dence;
• Negotiate and sign contracts for the organization including with artists, government agencies, program
personnel, partners, and venues;
• Ensure the use of best practices throughout the organization including all aspects of fund-raising, pro-
gram delivery, public relations, technology, human resources, and customer service.
Ideal Candidate Qualities
LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE – Proven leadership skills including experience working with a Board,
staff, and volunteers to set and achieve long-term goals. Strong fund-raising track record including individual,
foundation, corporate, and government funding experience. Demonstrated management and organizational
development experience sufficient to ensure effective leadership of people, finances, and operations.
ARTISTIC KNOWLEDGE and EXPERIENCE – Knowledge of the current and historic work of artists in the
public sphere, and of contemporary practice in the public art sector. Knowledge of the other key professionals
and organizations working in the public art field locally, nationally and internationally, and of field-wide ideas
and trends. Ability to partner creatively with artists, curators, and producers to develop and support public art
projects, educational programs, and public forums.
PUBLIC PRESENCE and COMMUNICATIONS ABILITY – Ability to articulate persuasively the artistic vi-
sion for the organization and to advocate for artists’ roles in public life. Capacity to represent Public Art Saint
Paul inside and outside the organization with confidence, clarity, and enthusiasm.
CREATIVITY – Ability to lead Public Art Saint Paul’s strategic plan creatively, and to use limited resources in
an imaginative and entrepreneurial manner.
COLLEGIALITY/PARTNERSHIP ABILITY – Ability to create and maintain an effective working relationship
with Public Art Saint Paul’s many collaborators, including artists, city officials, grantmakers, individual donors,
businesses, members of the community, and other partners.Required capacities:
• Passion for the contribution of artists to civic life and for the mission and programs of
Public Art Saint Paul;
• Respected by artists as an empathetic and effective producer and collaborator;
• At least seven years of increasingly responsible leadership experience in the non-profit
sector including significant interaction with or leadership of a Board of Directors;
• Experience managing staff;
• Experience developing and managing long-term forecasts and annual budgets and financial
processes;
• A track record of successful fund-raising experience;
• Demonstrated commitment to accessibility and inclusiveness for artists and communities.
Compensation: Competitive salary and benefits package
Interested applicants should send a cover letter describing their interest in the position and
resume detailing their relevant experience to: PublicArtSaintPaulSearch@lutmanassociates.com
Applications will be reviewed as they are accepted, until April 3, 2015.
Our client, Public Art Saint Paul, is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
###You can also read
