Job: Visual Arts Coordinator

The Visual Arts Coordinator at the Office of the Arts (OFA) will oversee OFA-initiated extracurricular visual arts activities at Harvard College. Most of the programming will be directed toward Residential Houses and first-year dormitories or related spaces. Some will occur in other campus locations.

This position reports to the OFA’s Director of the Ceramics Program/Visual Artist Specialist. This position will assist with the development and execution of programming in the visual arts that engage House communities and first-year students. By building programs in the residential community, the OFA aims to advance activities that foster creative expression, build creative communities, advance diversity, belonging, and inclusion; and promote wellness. This position will work with instructors from a variety of art mediums to teach within the Houses and may, on occasion, need to take on the role of instructor of non-credit workshops. The OFA is dedicated to building a diverse community of individuals who are committed to contributing to an inclusive environment. Applicants from underrepresented populations are strongly encouraged to apply.

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

Program Development

  • Build and coordinate visual arts programming across the house system and first-year student experience through the Office for the Arts.
  • In collaboration with the Houses and First-Year Experience Office, develop visual arts programming, outlining a menu of visual arts workshops and events for Harvard undergraduates with an outline of cost and materials if applicable.
  • Assess and identify art-making spaces campus-wide and across the House system and First-Year Experience Office. Establish what types of activities spaces can support. Develop a plan for Houses and First Year Experience Office to program visual arts activities in available art spaces.  Also explore non-arts spaces for creative use.
  • Develop a “materials library” for instructors/houses to access tools and materials for workshops and events that can be borrowed from the OFA rather than purchased.
  • Create methods to evaluate the success of programming and gain student feedback that will be shared with House and First Year Experience collaborators.

Business Operations

  • Organize and implement administrative systems and procedures performing necessary support of all, non-credit, visual arts programming.
  • Prepare, administer, report on, and implement a budget for Visual Arts Programming for the Office for the Arts.
  • Oversee the preparation of statistical information on program finances and attendance.
  • Invite instructors and temporary staff to the accounts payable system to arrange payment. May need to access sensitive, personal information in cases where an individual cannot access the system.
  • Prepare and track invoices for visual arts activities. Submit invoices to collaborators covering the use of staff, instruction, and materials needed to support visual arts programming.
  • Oversee the work of student workers and/or contracted instructors. Schedules and distributes work to student workers and contracted instructors.
  • Assist in preparing for and managing the Visual Arts budget.

Communications

  • Identify collaborators (Faculty Deans, House Administrators, Arts Tutors, First Year Experience Office) across the house system and the Office of First Year Engagement for messaging and directory that can be updated annually.
  • Create a house-wide communication portal for ideas to be shared and houses to collaborate on art-making activities.
  • In collaboration with the office of the Associate Director for Programming and Communications at the OFA, update OFA website with information for houses to access around visual arts planning within the OFA.
  • Collaborate with all Harvard staff, curators, department heads, and other arts colleagues, as well as representatives of partner/student organizations on matters of programming and planning.
  • Assist, when needed, House collaborators and First Year Experience Office with the promotion of visual arts programming in the houses, prepare flyers, document events, and distribute photos for future advertisement.
  • Compile event-related information for visual arts events such as titles, descriptions, biographies, photos, consent forms, presentation slides, etc.

Instruction

  • May be called upon to teach a variety of art mediums in a non-credit, workshop format. Subject matter may include painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, photography, printmaking and other disciplines.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Arranging furniture, light lifting.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

On-site during the academic year and hybrid (1 day remote per week) during summer. Must be able to travel to different sites/offices on campus. Locations include Ceramics Studio (Allston), Residential Houses (Cambridge), and Office for the Arts main administrative building (Cambridge).

BENEFITS:

We invite you to visit Harvard’s Total Rewards website to learn more about our outstanding benefits package, which may include:

  • Paid Time Off: 3-4 weeks of accrued vacation time per year (3 weeks for support staff and 4 weeks for administrative/professional staff), 12 accrued sick days per year, 12.5 holidays plus a Winter Recess in December/January, 3 personal days per year (prorated based on date of hire), and up to 12 weeks of paid leave for new parents who are primary care givers.
  • Health and Welfare: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits, disability and life insurance programs, along with voluntary benefits. Most coverage begins as of your start date.
  • Work/Life and Wellness: Child and elder/adult care resources including on campus childcare centers, Employee Assistance Program, and wellness programs related to stress management, nutrition, meditation, and more.
  • Retirement: University-funded retirement plan with contributions from 5% to 15% of eligible compensation, based on age and earnings with full vesting after 3 years of service.
  • Tuition Assistance Program: Competitive program including $40 per class at the Harvard Extension School and reduced tuition through other participating Harvard graduate schools.
  • Tuition Reimbursement: Program that provides 75% to 90% reimbursement up to $5,250 per calendar year for eligible courses taken at other accredited institutions.
  • Professional Development: Programs and classes at little or no cost, including through the Harvard Center for Workplace Development and LinkedIn Learning.
  • Commuting and Transportation: Various commuter options handled through the Parking Office, including discounted parking, half-priced public transportation passes and pre-tax transit passes, biking benefits, and more.
  • Harvard Facilities Access, Discounts and Perks: Access to Harvard athletic and fitness facilities, libraries, campus events, credit union, and more, as well as discounts to various types of services (legal, financial, etc.) and cultural and leisure activities throughout metro-Boston.

TO APPLY: Please send in your application through the Harvard Careers Portal : HERE

Image Credit: Office for the Arts at Harvard