Art Starts is an award-winning charitable, not-for-profit organization committed to arts-based community development in the city of Toronto. Our mandate is to build healthier communities using the arts. We are a growing organization currently operating five sites across the city. We understand that the arts are a medium for engaging residents, creating a shared sense of identity, identifying challenges and collectively working to overcome them.

Art Starts uses the arts as a vehicle to encourage social change in underserved neighbourhoods by offering high quality, responsive and relevant creative opportunities to those who do not have access. We bring together professional artists with people from various neighbourhoods and create projects and programs in all artistic media, with all ages, with artists and participants from various ethnic backgrounds. We reflect the cultures of the neighbourhood and build bridges among them. We also function as an advocacy and referral organization for the artists with whom we work.

Position Summary: The Managing Director is responsible for overseeing and managing all operations related to Art Starts successfully using the arts to build healthy communities. This is a one-year contract to cover a maternity leave.

Responsibilities:

• Managing the overall strategic direction of Art Starts’ programming and administration, in partnership with the Board and staff
• Supervising the Program Director, Director of Development and Administration Manager
• Cultivating, developing and facilitating new relationships and partnerships that support Art Starts’ growth and mandate
• Researching and pursuing new funding sources in collaboration with the Director of Development to support our desired growth
• Continuing to nurture existing funding sources/bodies
• Developing annual budgets and program plans with the Director of Development and the Program Director
• Overseeing funding applications (including government, foundations, corporate, etc.) and writing reports
• Overseeing the development of a new social enterprise initiative at the Yorkdale Community Arts Centre
• Writing and/or overseeing the production of all communications including website, marketing materials, press releases, social media, print and email newsletters
• Overseeing all systems related to running Art Starts in a prudent, responsible manner (e.g. record-keeping, final reports, financials etc…)
• Reporting to the Board of Directors

Job Requirements:

• minimum 3 years management experience
• exceptional HR skills
• experience in and a profound understanding of art-making in a community context
• outstanding written, verbal and communication skills
• demonstrated communications experience (web, social media, press releases)
• expertise and experience managing a charitable, not-for-profit organization
• demonstrated success in management
• artists are encouraged to apply
• experience with social enterprise an asset

Send resume & cover letter to: hr@artstarts.net

We regret that only those applicants to be interviewed will be contacted.

No phone calls please.