Director of University Arts Engagement

Department
 

AI Logan Center

About the Department
 

Designed as a home for the creative life of the University of Chicago campus and the City of Chicago, the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts is a partner, resource, and catalyst for developing deeper cultural networks and richer creative projects at the University, across Chicago and beyond. An innovative hub for arts education and artistic practice, the Logan Center provides an environment that catalyzes creative inquiry and supports the arts practice and scholarship of our students, faculty, and staff often in partnership with the broader community. A platform to showcase today’s most innovative creators across all media, the Logan Center acts as a locus for impactful and collaborative artistic programs with partners in nearby South Side communities and across Chicago and also serves as a key catalyst for collaborative programming across UChicago Arts. The 180,000-square-foot multidisciplinary University arts center is designed to encourage collaboration across the artistic spectrum. With classroom and performance spaces supporting a full range of disciplines—theater, cinema, dance, music, creative writing, and visual art—the Logan Center will house a 474-seat performance hall, a 100-seat proscenium theater, a public art gallery, a 150-seat black box theater, a 129-seat film screening room, the performance penthouse, a café, and more than 90 individual rehearsal rooms, workshops, studios, and classrooms. To learn more please visit http://loganartscenter.uchicago.edu.

Job Summary
 

The Director of University Arts Engagement leads the Logan Center’s collaborative programming and University engagement efforts by working in partnership with faculty, students, staff and other partners from across the University and throughout Chicago to develop, enhance, and support collaborative arts projects and programs that contribute to the creative environment at the University and support the artistic work of our students and faculty. The Director supports these efforts by encouraging collaboration between the Logan Center and other University departments and programs, leading student engagement programs, and developing partnerships with city-wide organizations. The Director reports to the Associate Provost and Executive Director of UChicago Arts and the Logan Center and works closely with the Senior Director for Programming and Engagement.

Responsibilities

• In partnership with the Senior Director of Arts Technologies and Senior Director of Programming and Engagement, ensures that the Logan Center continues to advance and support the curricular and co-curricular objectives and priorities of the core arts academic programs.
• Works closely with faculty and students to support, encourage, and develop collaborative programs that enhance artistic practice, teaching, and scholarship. 
• Develops and implements a process to invite faculty from across the University to partner with the Logan Center to develop public arts programs.
• With the Assistant Director of University Arts Engagement, develops and implements the Logan Center’s student arts engagement strategy that supports a vibrant student led co-curricular arts community for student organization and individual students.
• Works closely with Theater and Performance Studies, the Department of Music Student Performance Programs, Careers in in Arts Culture and Entertainment and Journalism and Creative Writing; Chicago Studies, Center for Leadership and Involvement, UGRAD, College Housing and other partners, and colleagues in Campus and Student Life to support and engage student use of the Logan Center and engagement with the arts more broadly.
• Provides strategic leadership to the UChicago Arts Pass Program, supporting the Assistant Director of University Arts Engagement, to achieve the goal of engaging every student in the College and a significant number of graduate and professional school students in the artistic life of the City of Chicago.
• Serves as primary liaison with College and Graduate Admissions offices and supports efforts to attract arts interested students to the University of Chicago.
• Works with Logan Center / UChicago Arts communications and marketing team to develop marketing strategies to raise the visibility of the Logan Center and enhance overall audience engagement.
• Assists in fundraising efforts as appropriate.  Works with the Directors of Development and Communications to develop strategies that create strong student and alumni community and connections to the Logan Center and UChicago Arts more broadly. 
• Works in partnership with faculty and other campus partners to co-develop arts projects that advance the goals of UChicago Arts.  Works closely with academic, presenting and professional arts organizations across campus to make connections that take advantage of collaborative programming opportunities. 
• Serves as a responsive program curator, to develop events and programs with faculty, students, and others that support the curricular and co-curricular work of our students and faculty (ie. visiting artists that lead master classes, area studies centers arts programs, etc.); encourage collaboration across artistic disciplines; and raise the visibility and impact of the Logan Center on the artistic and cultural communities at the University, across Chicago, and beyond.
• Builds and maintains relationships with arts and non-arts colleagues on and off-campus to diversify the voices presented at the Logan Center and University.  Networks and partners with national and international presenters, cultural organizations and artist managers that align with our mission to present, collaborate, commission and exchange ideas and projects.
• Works with the Senior Director of Programming and Engagement to build and sustain civic and cultural partnerships, and engagement strategies, that emphasize impactful, integrated and mutually beneficial partnerships.  Co-leads University engagement with key city-wide collaborations such as EXPO Chicago, Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) city-wide festivals, International Puppet Festival, etc.) 
• Hires, trains, supervises and evaluates the Assistant Director of University Arts Engagement, student interns, and other program consultants.
• Develops and manages the University Arts Engagement budgets including endowed funds and grants.
• Serves as a member of the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts staff and assists with various programs and projects. This includes representing the Logan Center on various arts-related committees both within the University and beyond.
• Uses in-depth knowledge and experience to administer the delivery of services to program participants and/or beneficiaries such as communicating with program sponsors and academic advising for undergraduate students.
• Manages program budgets and recommends or makes budgetary recommendations.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications
 

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

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Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

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Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Graduate degree, preferably in an arts or arts administration related field.

Experience:

• Seven years of arts administration or program development experience.
• Experience supervising staff. 
• Demonstrated ability in financial/ budgetary processes (analysis and reporting).
• Familiarity with and experience working in a variety of civic arts organizations.
• Familiarity with and experience working in foundations and funding agencies.

Preferred Competencies

• Exceptional organizational skills.  Oversee complex projects and schedules, maintain deadlines, work within budgets, with the ability to set priorities and manage several projects simultaneously. Successfully manage a workload that balances long-range planning with the unanticipated daily demands of art exhibition spaces.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills with the ability to synthesize and accurately present relevant information.  Expertise in digital communications including developing web content related to collaborative programming.
• Demonstrated success in building collaborative relationships with diverse constituencies. Experience working closely with faculty, students, staff, artists, and community members.
• Knowledge of the University of Chicago or another large research institution. 

Working Conditions

• Willing and able to work evenings and weekends as needed. 
• The successful oversight of collaborative programming in a 180,000 Square ft. facility involves conducting regular building rounds. 
• Considerable office work.
• Occasional pushing and lifting of equipment. 
• Commute off site to local vendors, arts pass partners, etc;
• Occasional out-of-town travel. 

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (preferred)

When applying, the document(s) MUST  be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family
 

Administration & Management

Role Impact
 

Individual Contributor

FLSA Status
 

Exempt

Pay Frequency
 

Monthly

Scheduled Weekly Hours
 

37.5

Benefits Eligible
 

Yes

Drug Test Required
 

No

Health Screen Required
 

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
 

No

Posting Statement
 

Employees must comply with the University’s COVID-19 vaccination requirements. More information about the requirements can be found on the University of Chicago Vaccination GoForward .
The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

 

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