Website Artadia
JOB DESCRIPTION:
| In looking forward to our 30th anniversary of providing unrestricted awards and support programs to artists nationwide, Artadia is excited to announce our search for our next transformational leader. This is an exciting opportunity for a visionary leader to further build on the many accomplishments of its departing, dynamic Executive Director and to expand support for visual artists across the United States.
Background Artadia is a non-profit grantmaker and nationwide community of visual artists, curators, and patrons. We elevate the careers of artists at pivotal moments in their practice and help strengthen their communities through a proven combination of recognition, grantmaking, community support, and advocacy. Since its founding in 1999, Artadia has awarded over $6 million in unrestricted funds to 440 artists in 8 cities. Founded by Christopher E. Vroom and a group of arts leaders in San Francisco, Artadia was built on the belief that visual artists play a foundational role in shaping society and the arts economy, both as storytellers and as civic leaders. In dialogue with the artists’ communities they intended to support, Artadia launched an awards program that now encompasses seven major U.S. cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, and the San Francisco Bay Area, in addition to a roving city in partnership with 21c Museum Hotels. As Artadia expands on over two decades of work, it centers responsiveness as a practice and works to prioritize what artists need now and into the future. In addition to strengthening our core Award program, we have developed the Artadia Network—an innovative platform for meetings and workshops that will unite artists across geographies, disciplines, and generations, increasing their access to the expertise of Artadia’s colleagues—and to one another. In 2020, as cofounder of Artist Relief, Artadia joined a coalition of arts grantmakers to offer immediate aid to artists throughout the United States working in many disciplines, who experienced extreme financial hardship as a result of COVID-19. A total of $25 million was raised as part of this joint effort, supporting 4,682 artists with $5,000 emergency relief grants from April 2020 to June 2021. Furthering this work Artadia developed and implemented the Sustaining Fund in 2025; a program that provides past Awardees with one-time unrestricted emergency grants. Artadia is currently working toward a multi-year partnership with United States Artists to convene our creative communities across the country. In 2025, following a consensus driven process, Artadia produced a comprehensive five year strategic plan to address the evolving arts ecosystem, centering partnership as a practice and reiterating a steadfast commitment to addressing what artists need now and into the future. Today, Artadia recenters its focus on the dignity and humanity of artists; building responsive models that examine holistically what it means to be a practitioner in a society that both deeply requires their expertise but too often fails to provide the necessary resources and pathways to produce flourishing outcomes. Through our collaborative work across artists’ communities and institutions, Artadia continues to create conditions necessary for artists from all backgrounds to thrive and succeed. To do this work, Artadia has five full-time and one part-time staff and an operating budget of $1.3 million, significant cash reserves, flourishing relationships with institutional and corporate funders, and substantial support from private donors. |
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Executive Director is responsible for fully articulating the organization’s mission, and collaborating with the Board of Directors, staff, and other stakeholders to clearly and consistently implement the vision of what the organization contributes to the artists it serves. This includes implementing a newly completed 5-year strategic plan (2025–2030); fundraising, sourcing and managing resources, day-to-day management, and representing the organization and mission. The Executive Director will embrace this consensus-built plan for artist programs and services, as well as the organization’s philanthropic future, ensuring Aratdia’s mission and purpose remain achievable and sustainable.
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.
QUALIFICATIONS
| 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 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 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. The below reflects our current work environment: ● The position is currently envisioned as full time (40 hours per week) with flexible hours; additional hours required for events and trips |
TO APPLY:
Verge Agency, Inc. is exclusively managing this search. Please submit a cover letter and CV to Lise Ragbir and Julia Hendrickson at [email protected] no later than Friday, March 6, 2026 at 11:59pm ET. All inquiries, including any assistance or accommodation requirements due to a disability should be emailed to Verge. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and initial conversations will be conducted on a rolling basis. After the initial conversation, a Search Committee made up of members of the Artadia Board of Directors will review applications and first round interviews will begin in mid/late March 2026. Interviews will initially be conducted via Zoom video conference. We anticipate at least two rounds of interviews—which may include a paid assignment and presentation—and a final in-person meeting in New York. Reference checks will be conducted at the conclusion of the process for two finalists.
Artadia is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive and equitable arts community. Applicants from populations underrepresented in the art world are strongly encouraged to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, familial status, sexual orientation, national origin, ability, age, or veteran status.
COMPENSATION:
$175,000
Benefits Include:
Employer-sponsored health care, vision, and dental insurance; 14 paid holidays and 15 vacation days per year (Artadia’s office is closed between the Christmas and New Year holidays); Opt-in 401k program; Flexible work schedule; 2 days in-office in Dumbo, 3 days work-from-home; Professional development resources
APPLICATION DEADLINE:
03/06/2026
To apply for this job email your details to community@weareverge.org