Building upon a stable foundation, the Executive Director will:

● Bring a leading-edge vision and leadership to the organization’s direction, growth and development, including an assessment of its current grantmaking programs and goals; encourage and support innovation and strategic risk-taking within a rigorous and responsible programmatic framework;

● Become an expert on the organization – its history, priorities, values, issues, and funding strategies; establish strong working relationships with the Board of Directors, staff, artists, awardees, funders, partners, and the public;

● Oversee the organization’s financial operations; develop its budget; ensure that staff and programming keep within the allocated financial resources; provide the Board and funders with timely financial data for budgeting decisions and fundraising plans; execute, in collaboration with staff and board, an ambitious fundraising plan that is set forth in the recently devised strategic plan;

● Procure and manage at least $1.3 million annually by articulating Artadia’s value proposition and identifying potential revenue streams (including earned income); develop and lead a fundraising strategy appropriate to Artadia’s artists, patrons and potential supporters; work with the Board to assure long-term sustainability; steward existing funding sources and cultivate new individual, foundation, and corporate supporters;

● Establish a relational approach to sustaining donor relationships by engaging audiences, patrons and the broader communities in the core program cities; this includes an active travel schedule and leading dynamic donor trips focused on Artadia’s mission;

● Sustain and promote an artist-centric vision; ensure that the organization’s integrity and service to the artists is of the highest quality;

● Building on Artadia’s legacy, take a leadership role in furthering the support for artists nationwide; convene and collaborate with other organizations when appropriate to expand interest in, visibility of and support for Artadia’s mission and its artists;

● Ensure that Artadia sustains a culture of inclusivity and is a truly national program, working across race, class and ethnic boundaries and reaching deep into grass-roots organizations to increase opportunities for active engagement for artists regardless of location, gender, age or ability;

● Manage external communications by representing Artadia publicly; building relationships with like-minded organizations and thought leaders; cultivating speaking engagements; conducting interviews; encouraging key conversations about philanthropy and increasing the visibility of and deeper understanding of the value of supporting artists;

● Consider key alliances and partnership opportunities in the for-profit sector, such as commercial galleries, auction houses and art fairs, that may create platforms for Artadia Awardees in the marketplace and for the organization;

● Supervise a motivated professional staff; delegating specific responsibilities and appropriate authority, holding individuals accountable for specific and collective performance, maintaining a nurturing environment that fosters staff satisfaction, mentorship, and retention;

● Nurture relationships with the existing dedicated and diverse Board of Directors to maximize their interest and involvement in the growth and development of Artadia; ensure the Board has the right balance of members, information and resources necessary to govern effectively and responsibly; activate board committees; and establish opportunities for sustained meaningful engagement in the seven key program cities.

Executive Leadership should demonstrate cultural competency, exhibit a commitment to visual artists and have a keen understanding of the sector. They should have a demonstrated commitment to Artadia’s mission and vision, and value an artist-centered approach to decision-making. Prospective candidates must have a strong fundraising and cultivation track record and be able to manage multiple priorities simultaneously, as well as exhibit excellent written and verbal communication, analytic, computer and organizational skills. Strong candidates will be versed in coalition building and execution within the arts ecosystem.

The ideal candidate will possess the following skills and experiences:

● Strong leadership, facilitation and managerial skills, including proven recruitment, supervisory, staff development and retention, program management, and budgetary skills

● Strategic fundraising expertise to maintain and grow a diverse funding base for Artadia, including but not limited to foundations, government, individual supporters, and special events and initiatives

● Understanding of and an engagement with the arts funding community, including but not limited to foundations, government, and individuals

● Ability to assess current fundraising efforts and build upon existing development systems to diversify income opportunities

● Creative problem solver with the demonstrable ability to think strategically

● Ability to manage deadlines and stressors productively and professionally

● Ability to understand and enable a number of specialized efforts such as legal issues, fundraising, programs, tax and finance in collaboration with external vendors

● Maintain a strong network of artists, relevant practitioners, and funders

● A minimum of ten years relevant experience in the arts connected to grantmaking, artist support and services.

After one year, we expect to have achieved the following together:

● Secured $1.3 million for Artadia’s operations and programs for fiscal year 2027

● A complete assessment of Artadia’s programming history, archive, management systems, fundraising tools, relationships, and assets

● A thoughtful strategic process and implementation schedule informed by Artadia’s key priorities

● Savvy use of existing funding relationships to ensure continued visibility and sustainability of the organization

● Strategic building of new donor relationships and funding opportunities to ensure support of the organization’s efforts

● As part of the existing strategic plan, incrementally build the organization and its programs to an appropriate level of staffing and funding

Reporting Relationships & Work Environment

The Executive Director reports to and serves as a thought partner to a national Board of Directors (~30 individuals), and directly supervises the Program Director and Director of Advancement (on a team of 5 employees). The Executive Director will be responsible for further developing the team work environment.