Topical Cream is a New York-based non-profit, supporting the work of women and gender-nonconforming individuals in contemporary art through public programming and digital publishing. We are seeking an art writer to mentor system-impacted youth via our new Art Writing Mentorship program, developed in collaboration with Recess/Assembly.
Literature, film, and art criticism have mapped and narrated the vital, natural evolution many make from being system-impacted to being a published author. The Art Writing Mentor will work with at least one writer who has been system- or court-impacted to help them harness the power and importance of their experiences, training them in the craft of art-writing, while also providing them with concrete skills that can translate to a variety of fields.
This is a three-month position, expected to last approximately from September through November. This position requires a time commitment of 20 hours, or three days, per week. The pay rate is $20/hour. Though the work will be largely remote, candidates should be based in New York City.
The Art Writing Mentor will be assigned to at least one art writing mentee. Through the course of the program, the Mentor will:
Meet three times weekly with the assigned mentee(s);
Facilitate the mentee(s)’s collaboration with New York-based artist(s), allowing them to learn about art directly from artists, rather than a gallery or museum;
Provide art-historical research guidance to the mentee(s) by producing a three-month syllabus;
Help the mentee(s) to strengthen concrete skills, including (1) interviewing, (2) calendar and project management, and (3) social media awareness;
Attend workshops with artists, writers, and other professionals in the field;
Work with each mentee to conceptualize, draft, edit, and publicize a full-length feature for topicalcream.org.
Topical Cream is seeking politically-driven, empathetic candidates who:
Identify as female or gender-nonconforming;
Are based in New York City;
Have some experience working with youth or young adults;
Have broad knowledge of contemporary art and art theory;
Are skilled art writers and critical thinkers (being a published writer is a bonus, but not required).
To apply, email your resume and a brief cover letter to jobs@topicalcream.org. Preference will be given to candidates who apply by September 6.