Visual Arts Center of Richmond

Visual Arts Center of Richmond

Chief Executive’s Position Profile

Introduction:

The Visual Arts Center of Richmond engages the community in the creative process through the visual arts. Through a broad range of studio classes and workshops, it serves approximately 5,000 adults and children each year. The Center provides opportunities for people to express themselves through clay, wood, fiber, painting, photography, printmaking, glass, metal, drawing, writing and the decorative arts. It also offers five exhibitions annually, with work by emerging and established artists and a focus on innovative materials and processes. The Center is located in a newly restored, 30,000-sq.-ft. historic building in the Fan District of Richmond, Virginia. Staffing includes 10 full-time and seven part-time employees, 75 adjunct instructors, and 250 volunteers.  The annual operating budget is $1.7 million.

History:

Founded in 1963 as the Hand Workshop by Elisabeth Scott Bocock, the Visual Arts Center began in a house on historic Church Hill where craft artists worked, exhibited and taught neighborhood children to create with their hands.  For the next 22 years, it operated in various locations in Richmond. In 1985, the Center moved to the historic Virginia Dairy Building on Main Street where it leased space for 17 years before purchasing and later renovating the building. Completed in 2007, the renovation transformed the facility into an inviting and inspiring space and a state-of-the-art regional arts center. Since then the Center has continued to expand programs, raise its visibility within the community and increase its support base. The Visual Arts Center now is one of the major arts organizations in Virginia.

Major Programs:

• Adult and Youth Art Classes:  Offering more than 500 classes for adults and children throughout the year, The Visual Arts Center is the largest professional studio-class program in Richmond.

• Exhibitions: Five times a year the Visual Arts Center offers acclaimed exhibitions in its 1800-square-foot gallery. The exhibitions feature both emerging and established artists, with a focus on innovative materials and processes. Related gallery talks, panel discussions and workshops accompany the exhibitions.

• Artventure: Artventure provides children and teens with unique opportunities to work directly with professional artists and professional materials and equipment.

• Craft & Design Show – Once a year this signature show brings some of the country’s top craft artists to Richmond to exhibit and sell their work. Now in its 45^th year, the show is conducted at the Science Museum of Virginia and draws art enthusiasts from throughout Virginia.

• Art & Coffee – Every second and fourth Tuesday, programs related to exhibition and education themes are provided free to the community. Hands-on workshops, lectures and demonstrations are presented by artists and scholars.

• Art After School:  Art After School opens doors and encourages self-discipline, focus and creative exploration for students in selected Richmond Public middle and elementary schools. Each year, partnering schools and organizations are selected to participate in Art After School classes, which are taught free of charge through the generous support of corporations and foundations.

• Side by Side Saturdays – This grant funded program offers workshops to intergenerational pairings of parents/ grandparents and children on Saturday mornings. The classes are free and a portion of them are reserved for underserved audiences.

• Second Friday Sampler – On the second Friday of each month, free sample workshops are conducted on a first-come, first-serve basis for individuals who want to test the waters of a particular discipline before enrolling in a class.

• A Space of Her Own (SOHO): SOHO is a partnership between the Visual Arts Center and two other Richmond nonprofit organizations. It engages girls in a journey of envisioning, developing and creating their own spaces through art-based projects, creative writing and interaction with inspiring female mentors. A 22-week program, SOHO reaches some of Richmond’s children who are most in need, living in the city’s highest concentrations of poverty with the city’s highest crime rates.

Strategic Plan:

Please see Strategic Plan 2009-2012 Summary (PDF).

Position Overview:

The chief executive of the Visual Arts Center of Richmond will have the opportunity to lead and grow one of the most respected arts organizations in the Central Virginia region. The chief executive will join a financially sound organization with a loyal following, a diverse and committed Board of Directors and a capable and committed staff.  The Visual Arts Center has a three-year strategic plan approved by the Board of Directors in 2009.

The successful candidate will share a commitment to the mission of the Visual Arts Center to engage the community in the creative process through the visual arts. He or she will have executive-level experience with a nonprofit arts- or arts-related organization, or at least five years of senior management experience with a corporation, and demonstrated success in fund raising. He or she also must combine a thorough understanding of nonprofit financials with the ability to inspire vision and generate new ideas. Excellent communication skills and an ability to connect with others at all levels are essential. An advanced degree in business or arts management is preferred.

Key Attributes of Successful CEO Candidate:

1. Proven innovative and creative leadership capabilities with internal and external constituents; the vision and confidence to seek out and seize opportunities, and the initiative to ensure that ongoing administration and annual fund raising are successful.
2. Proven capability of working effectively with staff, Board of Directors and supporters.
3. Exemplary communications skills, including strong public speaking ability, to represent the Visual Arts Center effectively, communicate its mission, and persuade constituents of the importance of the organization.
4. Demonstrated successful fund-raising capabilities. The chief executive is a principal fund raiser for the organization.
5. Financial acumen, business sense, and an entrepreneurial spirit to manage the budget effectively and understand more complex business opportunities.

Other important qualities:

• A “drive to be successful,” to overcome obstacles in the pursuit of the Center’s mission and well-being.
• A commitment to the Visual Arts Center and its mission to engage the community in the creative process through the visual arts.
• An understanding that the Visual Arts Center values the creative process.

Education: Advanced degree preferred.

Compensation and Benefits:

Salary is commensurate with the successful candidate’s skills and experience.  The Visual Arts Center provides a menu of competitive benefits including medical insurance; life insurance; disability insurance; dental insurance and vision insurance.

Application Process:

Send an email with resume and cover letter detailing your qualifications and salary requirements to the Visual Arts Center Search Committee at visarts.search@gmail.com.  We anticipate screening candidates in February/March.

Applications will be considered until the position is filled.

The Visual Arts Center of Richmond is an equal opportunity employer.