President

President

The Opportunity

The Board of Directors of Studio in a School seeks a charismatic,
visionary, politically fluent leader to serve as the new President
of Studio NYC as it enters a key phase of its evolution. This is a
highly specialized opportunity for an experienced, thoughtful
individual to build on Studio NYC’s outstanding 47-year legacy of
championing the arts in New York City and ensuring that visual arts
education evolves with the rapid social, political, and economic
changes that are shaping the future of New York City’s and our
Nation’s public school students.

The President will

• Provide management acumen and strategic vision for the
  organization while building bridges among artists, schools,
  students and families, arts organizations, neighborhoods, and
  elected officials to advance arts programming, access, and equity
  in the New York City region.
• Play a significant and influential role in the continuing
  development of quality instruction in the visual arts and enhance
  its impact on the lives of students.
• Serve as a key leader, influencer, and change agent in the arts
  and arts education in the New York City region as well as at the
  national level.
• Position Studio NYC for continued success as an active and
  important advocate in these areas, and have a powerful voice in
  shaping the strategic direction of the organization, and its
  support for students and artists, its community partnerships, and
  its development and fundraising strategy.
• Lead Studio NYC’s partnerships with New York City by regularly
  interfacing with City and County leaders including the Mayor’s
  office and other elected officials and City agencies such as the
  Department of Education, Department of Cultural Affairs, and other
  potential partners.
• Deepen Studio NYC’s existing partnerships and endeavor to
  actively create meaningful arts education programming and
  pioneering strategies and initiatives.
• Build and establish new relationships with community groups,
  nonprofits, schools, foundations, and cultural organizations across
  the region, nationally, and around the world.

Most importantly, this leader will be charged with substantively
increasing access to improved arts programming and education and
proactively striving to create opportunities for the region and
beyond.

About Studio in a School

Agnes Gund, philanthropist and President Emerita of The Museum of
Modern Art, founded Studio in a School in 1977 during a financial
crisis that severely reduced arts education in public schools. With
the support of generous individuals, foundations, and corporations,
Studio in a School continues to provide visual arts programming
taught by artists to students from Pre-K to college in New York
City and beyond. Studio in a School Association, a 501(c)(3)
not-for-profit organization, provides professional learning,
partnerships, internships, and research grants on a local and
national scale under the auspices of its two LLCs, Studio in a
School NYC and Studio Institute.

Studio NYC engages more than 30,000 public school students in all
five boroughs each year and aims to ensure that New York City
public school students receive standards-based, quality instruction
in the visual arts regardless of socio-economic status.

While nurturing age-appropriate skills in artmaking and art
literacy, Studio NYC programs affect the “whole learner” by
stimulating student development in realms such as habits of mind
(e.g., envisioning, persistence, observation); language
acquisition; and social-emotional growth. Students in Studio NYC
programs become more willing to experiment and problem-solve; learn
to work collaboratively; acquire and use new vocabulary; and grow
adept at reflecting on their work and that of their peers.

Studio NYC hires and prepares professional working artists to
become Artist Instructors. Studio NYC provides extensive
professional development that enables them to acquire the necessary
knowledge and technical skill to teach Studio NYC’s curricula and
model key habits of mind practices such as curiosity,
experimentation, problem-solving, persistence, and
reflection.

Studio NYC has received several accolades for providing visual arts
education to young students. In October 2017, in recognition of its
consistent quality and accountability, Studio NYC was awarded the
2017 Arts Education Award, one of the National Arts Awards bestowed
by Americans for the Arts. In October 2018, Studio NYC received the
inaugural Chapman Prize from the Council on Foundations in
recognition of Studio’s “significant contributions to American
society.”

The other LLC under the umbrella of the Studio in a School
Association is Studio Institute which shares tested innovations,
visual arts curricula, classroom program models, professional
development models, arts internships, research grants, and
assessment methods with arts and educational communities outside of
New York City.

Studio NYC and Studio Institute are designed to work
collaboratively by sharing best ideas and practices among their
leadership, staff, and artists. For more information about Studio
in a School and its robust programs, please visit http://www.studioinaschool.org/

Main Focus and Key Responsibilities

In serving as Studio NYC’s chief advocate, strategist and
visionary, the President will

• Oversee Studio NYC’s 19 full-time staff, of which seven are
  union administrative staff, plus 100 unionized artist instructors
  and a seasonal workforce of about 50 additional employees. Working
  closely with an experienced and passionate staff, public officials,
  arts organizations, and other stakeholders, this leader plays a
  central role and contributes their collective vision to creating an
  ecosystem where visual arts education encourages the creative mind,
  thrives, and advances social justice.
• Be responsible for managing Studio NYC’s $5M annual operating
  budget.
• Supervise the Program, Development, Finance and Human Resources
  Departments.
• Oversee operational and administrative functions for the
  Association, including meeting and committee support for the Board
  of Directors, tracking the Association’s $20M endowment, and
  providing management services to Studio Institute, such as
  financial oversight, fundraising, marketing, and human
  resources.

The President will be a decisive and transparent leader with the
ability to execute on goals, lead collaboratively and by example,
and support the activities of staff, the Board of Directors, and
project committees and working groups. In addition, the President
will be responsible for raising the approximately $5M annual
operating budget, leading fundraising efforts with individual
donors and foundations, establishing and overseeing fee for service
contracts with local government entities, and working to raise
overall arts and education funding while also making tough
decisions on resource allocation.

The President will report directly to the Board of Directors of the
Studio in a School Association and will interact regularly with the
Founder, Chair of the Board, Vice Chair for Studio NYC, and Board
Committee Chairs.

Candidate Profile

Strong candidates will have a passion for the arts and their
contributions to the development of children, experience in arts
administration and relevant knowledge and expertise regarding the
mechanics of providing age appropriate arts education. We recognize
that there is a spectrum of lived and professional experience that
will set candidates up for success in this role. While no one
candidate will have every experience outlined in the position
description, ideal candidates will display the following
professional and qualities and personal attributes.

Executive Leadership and Management: The President will have
proven strategic abilities, strong senior management experience,
sound financial acumen, and a demonstrated record of collaborative
leadership and executive-level experience in program leadership and
resource development. Together with staff and the Board of
Directors, the ideal leader will possess the skills to articulate
the organization’s vision and lead its implementation. An open and
inclusive management style ability is necessary to nurture,
inspire, empower, and engender a shared vision with this diverse
team. The President will have a record of initiating and overseeing
complex projects and bringing them to successful conclusion, as
well as directing and ensuring accountability for all finances and
operations of a multifaceted organization.

Passion for Arts Education and Access: Studio NYC seeks a
President who has a demonstrated passion for visual arts education,
along with the ability to serve as a thought leader and respected
advocate within the community. The ideal candidate will be familiar
with current trends in visual arts education and a leader in and
champion for the arts, with the gravitas and credibility to
influence arts and education programming and funding. A bold
thinker who is deeply community-oriented, this leader will play a
highly visible advocacy role on behalf of Studio NYC, with a deep
focus on the future of the field and the impact of a changing
political landscape. Most importantly, the President will possess a
high degree of emotional intelligence and a natural ability to
connect with the communities and students who are most impacted by
Studio’s work with a sense of humility and warmth.

External Relations and Fundraising: The President will have
a compelling public presence and be exceptionally skilled at
developing, building, and sustaining excellent relationships.
Politically astute, this leader will have a demonstrated ability to
connect with and build bridges among the various stakeholders of
Studio NYC and throughout the field, including staff, Board
members, students, families, school officials, colleagues,
community leaders, and donors. A strong communicator with the
ability to galvanize an audience, the President will be able to
speak and write clearly and compellingly to all audiences about the
organization’s history, impact, growth strategy, and future
direction. The President will be a highly skilled fundraiser with
the ability to raise funds from individual donors, institutions,
and events and serve as the face of Studio NYC. Considerate and
open, the President will work for the benefit of Studio NYC by
promoting dialogue to identify best practices, synthesize divergent
views, and coalesce all constituencies around a shared view or
plan.

Business Acumen and Operational Expertise: The President
will bring a strong record of successful oversight and management
of finance, human resources, and operations. This leader will
promote a culture of excellence and high-quality execution at all
levels within the organization and provide outstanding stewardship
for Studio NYC.

Skilled and Inspirational Manager: The President will be a
decisive, results-driven leader with a collegial, team-oriented
working style that is open and nimble.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary
range for this role is $210,000 – $270,000. Studio NYC provides a
generous and comprehensive benefits package. Note: New York City
area residency required. This position is NOT fully remote and
consists of a hybrid in-office and remote work schedule.

Contact

Koya Partners, the executive search firm that specializes in
mission-driven search, has been exclusively retained for this
engagement. This search is led by Stephen Milbauer and Chartise
Clark. To express interest in this role please submit your
materials here:
https://talent-profile.diversifiedsearchgroup.com/search/v2/20961,
or email Stephen and Chartise Clark directly at smilbauer@koyapartners.com;
cclark@koyapartners.com. All inquiries and discussions will be
considered strictly confidential.

Koya Partners is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to
individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified
individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing
interest online, please email NonprofitSearchOps@divsearch.com.
If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional
information regarding how to request an accommodation for the
interview process.

Studio in a School is an equal opportunity employer and strongly
encourages applications from people of color, persons with
disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants.

About Koya Partners

Koya Partners, a part of Diversified Search Group, is a leading
executive search and strategic advising firm dedicated to
connecting exceptionally talented people with mission-driven
clients. Our founding philosophy—The Right Person in the Right
Place Can Change the World—guides our work as we partner with
nonprofits & NGOs, institutions of higher education,
responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities
and around the world. For more information about Koya Partners,
visit https://diversifiedsearchgroup.com/koya-partners.

To apply, visit: https://diversifiedsearchgroup.com/search/20961-studio-in-a-school-president/

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