Artist Programs Manager, Artist Legacy and Engagement

Position Summary

The Artist Programs Manager, Artist Legacy & Engagement leads the design and implementation of programs that support visual artists throughout their careers. This role is central to Creating a Living Legacy (CALL)—an initiative that supports artists to take agency over the shaping, preserving, and stewarding of their own legacies—and contributes significantly to artist-centered engagement and support within the Joan Mitchell Fellowship, a five-year, unrestricted grant program focused on community building and providing artist support services. The Manager ensures artists receive access to practical tools, peer networks, and advisory support to take agency over their careers, archives, assets, and narratives, designing programmatic offerings with care and foresight, translating artist needs into action, and working closely with internal and external collaborators to ensure high quality, values-aligned programming.

The Manager is based in the Foundation’s NYC office and works in close partnership with the Director of Artist Programs. They collaborate within the Artist Programs team—especially with the Artist Programs Manager, Grants—and across departments to ensure that all offerings are artist-centered, values-aligned, and responsive to lived realities, with a focus on equity, accessibility, and cultural responsiveness. The ideal candidate is curious, proactive, deeply respectful of artists, and committed to equity and collective learning. They bring a sharp strategic lens, grounded program implementation experience, a broad understanding of artists’ career and legacy needs, and the ability to balance vision with logistics.

Key Responsibilities Will Include

Program Strategy and Design (CALL & Fellowship)

• Design and lead the implementation of artist support offerings that help artists actively shape and preserve their legacies, and oversee the integration of offerings in the areas of:
  • Financial literacy and wellness
  • Career sustainability and advocacy
  • Peer exchange and community building
• Develop (and refine when existing) program models, curricula, and session formats. Ground program offerings in a culturally responsive, artist-centered framework that acknowledges disparities in access and opportunities
• Identify and partner with expert advisors (organizations and collectives, archivists, legal professionals, curators, artist foundations, etc.) to co-create and deliver content
• Work with Director of Artist Programs to map out annual and multi-year engagement strategy across programs
• Develop strategies that integrate legacy thinking across all artist engagement touchpoints

Artist Engagement Leadership and Oversight of Program Execution

• Steward long-term relationships with artists in the CALL and Fellowship programs, providing continuity and care throughout their program experience
• Oversee additional professional development offerings (i.e. financial literacy, self-advocacy) as they relate to long term sustainability. Supervise and partner with the Artist Programs Associate to ensure effective coordination of all artist engagement activities
• Design and facilitate in-person convenings, including content framing, facilitator selection, and event pacing
• Oversee consultant and facilitator relationships:
  • Develop scopes of work
  • Lead onboarding and evaluation
  • Ensure contract deliverables are met
• Regularly assess artists’ evolving needs and recommend programmatic adjustments or additions
• Lead development of program evaluation strategies, in collaboration with the Grants Manager:
  • Define key goals, success metrics, and learning questions
  • Oversee survey and feedback processes
  • Analyze findings and draft internal reports
• Ensure high-quality documentation of programming:
  • Collaborate with Communications on summaries, social posts, or feature stories
  • Work with staff to maintain institutional memory and archives
• Manage program-specific budgets and resource allocation, in consultation with the Director
• Oversee and ensure smooth execution for workshops, meetings, and events (virtual and in-person), coordinated and executed in collaboration with Artist Programs Associate.

Cross-Departmental Collaboration and Institutional Role

• Represent Artist Programs in cross-functional projects and planning
• Contribute to team-building and institutional learning efforts
• Attend site visits, network meetings, or conferences to represent the Foundation’s work and stay informed on field-wide trends, as needed
• Collaborate with staff at the Joan Mitchell Center (New Orleans) to align on artist experience across sites

Qualifications, Knowledge, Skill Required

• Minimum 8 years of progressively responsible experience in the visual arts field, including direct experience in complex project management, program development and coordination, and direct artist-centered support.
• Strong grasp of legacy planning, professional development, and resource equity for artists
• Demonstrated experience designing programs with and for artists at multiple career stages
• Excellent facilitation and partnership-building skills
• Experience managing budgets, supervising team members and overseeing consultants
• Strong communications and strategic planning abilities
• High degree of cultural fluency, humility and care in working with diverse communities
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and adaptable in a fast-paced environment
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); familiarity with project management and CRM tools a plus.
• A collaborative, respectful team player who takes initiative, values feedback, and honors the vision of leadership while contributing creatively.
  
  

• Compensation: $ 100,000 - 110,000 per annum
• Medical, Dental, Vision, Short- and Long-Term Disability, Life Insurance
• 401k + Employer contribution
• Generous PTO, Sick and Floating Holidays
• Commuter benefits (parking and mass transit)
• Pet insurance, group accident insurance, MetLife Auto and Home Insurance, Legal Insurance
• Behavioral Health Employee Assistance Program

Note: The salary range is based on the Foundation’s approach and commitment to providing competitive and equitable compensation. The range shared is a guideline for the salary offered, which will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, special licensing or qualifications, unique skillsets, and other factors which will impact their contribution to the role and Foundation as a whole. In addition, the Foundation completes regular compensation analysis which aligns with our equitable compensation philosophy.

Application / Interview Process

All applications should submit a resumé and separate a cover letter inclusive of salary requirements to [email protected].

As a part of our interview process, selected candidates will meet with prospective peers, leaders, and stakeholders who you will maintain ongoing touchpoints with. All offers of employment are subject to successful completion of reference and background checks. By submitting your resume for this role, you are affirming your submission is true and accurate as well as understand our recruiting process and the benefits offered by the Foundation.

Accommodations

Equal Employment Opportunity / Reasonable Accommodations

The Joan Mitchell Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a strong commitment to equity and inclusion in our organizational culture and our hiring practices. The Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, religion, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage or citizenship, disability, marital status, partnership status, veteran status, gender (including gender identity), sexual orientation, or any other factor prohibited by law. The Foundation believes that commitment to principles of fairness and respect for all help create a climate that is favorable to the free and open exchange of ideas.

The Foundation proactively seeks to reach out as widely as possible in order to attract the best candidates to join the team. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply even if not sure you meet 100% of our qualifications. Employment decisions are made based on an individual’s qualifications to contribute to meeting the Foundation’s objectives and its organizational needs. This description and potential offer shall not be construed as a contract of any sort for a specific period of employment as the Foundation recognizes employment is at will.

Although the above statements are robust and intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the individual(s) hired into to this role, they are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required. The Foundation reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and to assign other duties as necessary. In addition, the Foundation will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals in all aspects of the employment process. If accommodations are needed for the role, they can be submitted to [email protected].

About Joan Mitchell Foundation

The Joan Mitchell Foundation cultivates the study and appreciation of artist Joan Mitchell’s life and work, while fulfilling her wish to provide resources and opportunities for visual artists. Through its work, the Foundation affirms and amplifies artists’ essential contributions to society.

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