Articulations

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Wanted: Dream Arts Leader

Do you dream of the day when the City of Austin truly recognizes, respects, and supports local artists? Do you have what it takes to bring that day about? The city is hot to find "a creative, energetic, and innovative leader" to head its revamped Cultural Arts Program, now located in the city's Economic Growth and Redevelopment Services Office, where it will coordinate support and advocacy for Austin's performing arts, visual arts, music, film, and interactive communities. The lucky leader of the program will preside over a $3 million operating budget, capital resources for public art, and eight staffers, and he or she will have to ride hard on the city's long-troubled cultural-funding program (which is getting, it should be noted, a long overdue overhaul), nurture and assist local artists and arts organizations in developing themselves and the industry side of the communities they belong to, and invent new ways to get behind and boost Austin's creative vitality -- over the long haul. Applicants are required to have a degree in art or arts, business, or public administration, plus at least five years' work experience in arts management (two as a boss), but given the history of diversity and divisiveness in our cultural community, and the repeated failures of the city to act on long-range strategic plans, the city might also require extensive diplomatic service, preferably in a strife-torn region where peoples of varied backgrounds have long had trouble communicating. That would prove invaluable, not only in negotiating the many, many differences within the arts community (singer-songwriters are not classical musicians are not visual artists are not filmmakers, etc.; major institutions are not small, grassroots arts companies are not umbrella organizations are not individual artists, etc.), but also in communicating with people outside the arts -- say, business leaders or individual citizens -- about the value of culture to our civic life. (Hint: The money from it is important, but it's not all that's important. Art enriches us as human beings -- in education, imagination, compassion, wisdom, joy, you name it -- which makes for a smarter, more innovative, better city.) The job will be tough, no matter how you slice it, but if you think you're up to it, the deadline for applications has been extended to Friday, July 18, 1pm. Apply online at waller.ci.austin.tx.us/jobapp/jobs_detail.cfm? Requisition_ID=7924, e-mail your résumé to [email protected], or mail it to Roberta Byram, Human Resources Dept., PO Box 1088, Austin, TX 78767.