Lead Educator [Socrates Sculpture Park, Long Island City, NY]

Socrates Sculpture Park, an internationally renowned contemporary art park, is at once an artist studio and exhibition space, performance venue, civic commons, and neighborhood park, distinguishing itself as an open, welcoming environment to imagine, create, and experience art. Socrates is known for presenting contemporary public art alongside a dynamic season of public programming that spans music, dance, theatre, film, and fitness. All this takes place on five beloved waterfront acres, where more than 150,000 people visit and 10,000 children receive free visual arts education annually. Our Arts Education initiatives include half-day sculpture workshops tailored to youth groups from community centers and summer camps; drop-in art-making workshops every Saturday for children and their families; and community days that invite the public to enjoy open workshops, music, and performances. Through it all, our objective is the same: to use a hands-on, engaged learning environment as a means for creative expression that inspires confidence in communication, independent thinking, and problem solving.

Socrates Sculpture Park seeks an experienced and innovative Lead Educator to teach, facilitate, and coordinate core aspects of our vibrant seasonal educational programming, including Sculpture Studio and Sculpture Camp. This is a new position involving teaching as well as administrative coordination and youth staff management, for an individual who cares passionately about arts education and expanding local access to the arts.Candidate will have demonstrable arts education teaching experience, particularly for diverse teens and youth of varying abilities, ideally in-school and out of school settings; will be enthusiastic about youth mentorship and cultivation; and highly capable of creating and holding a generative, supportive space. Candidate will also have a dedicated interest in assuming the role as lead point person for Socrates education offerings- managing our young educational support team and paid Summer interns, and handling the logistical and organizational details of the applicable educational programs, detailed below. Lead Educator will work in collaboration with the Director of Public Programs, who will plan and run the overarching season of events, and the Park’s Executive Director.

Sculpture Studio Program:

Role: Designing curriculum, teaching and facilitating art-making program for middle/high school students during school year (Spring & Fall sessions).

– Lead Educator will craft a hybrid in-school/at the Park art-making experience for 5 pre-established local school partners, with 2 distinct attending classes from each.

– Unique curriculum will resemble “3-part program” format: 1 pre-visit in school, 1 full day learning and art-making at the Park, 1 post-visit in school.

– Lead Educator also responsible for working with Socrates crew to stage/install created student artwork for temporary installation in the Park.

Sculpture Camp Program:

Role: Facilitating and managing youth staff of summertime art-making program for 5-12 year olds in local youth groups and day camps; teaching two weeks of program.- Sculpture Camp is a 6-week program in July/August: two 2-hour art-making sessions per day, five days a week, 60-80 campers per session, with a new art project each week. Lead Educator will teach 2 weeks of Sculpture Camp, and host 4 visiting teaching artists.

– Lead Educator will coordinate all aspects of Sculpture Camp: Springtime outreach and registration of youth groups and day camps; managing sizable youth staff during program including education manager, team of SYEP (Summer Youth Employment) and Studio in a School interns, 4 visiting teaching artists, attending campers and their staff.

– Management includes: Evaluations and paperwork for SYEP and Studio in a School, scheduling with youth staff, fielding calls/emails from registered camp groups, monitoring registrants, maintaining art materials inventory and ordering.

– Ensuring diverse Summer youth workers receive purposeful enrichment in supportive, often first-time work environment through training, reflection/discussion, staff bonding.

Arts Ed Administration:

Role: Coordination of visiting teaching artists and materials for drop-in art-making offerings.

– Lead Educator will coordinate with selected visiting teaching artists for Socrates’ weekly SaturdaySculpture Workshops: 18 total, mid-May to mid-September, offered 12-3pm every Saturdayas drop-in art experiences for kids and families. Lead Educator will ensure confirmation of each artist and assisting youth staff; manage material inventory/ordering.

– Lead Educator can also assist Director of Public Programs with: booking visiting teaching artists and ordering materials for select festivals/community days; overlaps in educational staff coordination; possible curation of SSW and Sculpture Camp artists/projects.

This is an exciting new role at the Park for the majority of the calendar year:

April-June: 3 days a week.

July-August: 5 days a week.

September-November: 3 days a week.

Schedule is to be determined and discussed with candidate.

 – B.A. or M.A. in relevant field (arts education-related strongly preferred), AND/OR clearly demonstrable, multi-year professional experience in teaching arts education.

– Experience developing curriculum; teaching and/or working with youth and teens of varying abilities.

– Strong history engaging with diverse populations through educational programming or other services.

– Administrative experience, ideally in program coordination.

– Must enjoy working outside and in various types of weather.

– Excellent interpersonal skills and passionate interest in participating in Socrates community.

– Positive and engaging presence capable of focusing and holding space with youth outdoors.

– Demonstrable arts practice and interest in varying materials highly favored. Excitement about creating “out of the box” learning experiences- valuing experimentation, play, and process.

Strongly encouraged to apply: Socrates Sculpture Park seeks to hire staff members who reflect the diversity of the communities it serves. A plus: familiarity with Socrates, its programs, and Astoria/Long Island City or general Queens community; Queens resident; Spanish speaking.

Salary: Base $250/day. Schedule to be determined with the candidate (see above re: FT/PT status) and pay is ultimately commensurate with fit and experience.

Website: http://socratessculpturepark.org/