Salary: $95,384 – $114,819 Annually
Closing Date: Monday, April 24, 2023
 
Are you passionate about public art and the invaluable impact it has on fostering a vibrant, inclusive, and welcoming community? Do you have expertise in public art and experience overseeing public art program development, installation, and maintenance? If so, the City of Walnut Creek welcomes your application.

The City of Walnut Creek’s Arts and Recreation Department is seeking to fill a full-time, Public Art Manager position. This impactful position is responsible for the administration of the Walnut Creek Public Art Program, which includes municipal and private development public art projects generated by the City’s public art ordinance. The Public Art Manager, in coordination with the Bedford Gallery Curator, the Arts and Recreation Director, and the City of Walnut Creek Arts Commission, is responsible for the development and implementation of all aspects of the Public Art program.

The City’s robust award-winning employee engagement initiative, CARE, focuses on three key areas: providing career development opportunities; promoting connections among employees; and supporting employee health and wellness. As part of the CARE program, the City offers compressed work schedules (i.e. 9/80) and hybrid remote work opportunities for eligible positions.

Ideal Candidate Statement:

The ideal candidate has experience managing a public art program, is diplomatic, responsive and a strategic planner with an excellent record of building and maintaining close working relationships cross-departmentally, within their public art network, and among consultant and artistic communities.
 
The Public Art Manager’s areas of focus include (but are not limited to) the following:

General Administration:

• Write, prepare, and present/distribute internal and public-facing reports, press releases and other required materials to the Arts Commission and community.
• Develop, prepare and monitor/revise policies (Public Art Master Plan, Strategic Plan, Public Art ordinances), reports and biennial budget proposals to assist the Arts Commission and its committees and recommend changes to program policies and procedures, or new guidelines, as needed.

Public Development Projects:

• Develop and manage all stages of public art projects, from Request for Qualifications through maintenance period, for all municipal capital improvements involving the design and integration of art into the construction of public sites and buildings, including preparing, monitoring, and administering program budgets, contracts and maintaining close working relationships with all project stakeholders.
• Provide technical advice on art project designs, specifications, construction methods and materials to artists, the Arts Commission and other stakeholders.

Private Development Projects:

• Work with the Community Development Department to ensure private development projects are in compliance with public art requirements.
• Assist developers in identifying and procuring an Art Consultant to manage all aspects of a project and in presenting artist design concepts to the Arts Commission. Or act as Art Consultant for select special projects as needed. Research and recommend project sites and artists, advise on contractual agreements, federal and state public art laws and provide technical review and advice.

Conservation:

• Responsible for overseeing maintenance and conservation of Walnut Creek’s existing public art inventory, including labeling and signage for artworks.
• Resolve issues with landscaping and maintain ongoing communication with building owners that host public artworks to ensure compliance with the City’s public art ordinance.

Outreach and Education:

• Manage the education outreach program, including development of public art walking tours, development of volunteer training materials, training volunteers, and managing updates and redesigns of the public art brochure, audio tour and map.
• Plan and implement public art programs, including temporary projects, to help inform and educate the Walnut Creek Community.

Education and Experience:

A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in visual arts, arts education, arts policy or a closely related field, and a minimum of three (3) years of experience in the field of public art; or any equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the knowledge, skills and abilities as listed below. Municipal experience is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The ideal candidate will have:

• Considerable knowledge of systems and processes relating to City Arts Commissions, public art ordinances, and public art master and strategic plans.
• Knowledge of municipal budgetary and purchasing practices.
• Experience with methods and practices utilized in planning, organizing, and coordinating art education programs.
• Skill and experience in communicating effectively in English both orally and in writing; making professional presentations; and writing and developing program marketing materials and correspondence.
• Skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with diverse groups, including internal and external customers.
• Ability to plan, develop, and implement arts programs responsive to diverse public and private community needs and service demands.
• Experience supervising staff and working closely City departments including Community Development, Public Works and the City Manager’s Office.
• Ability to effectively utilize computer applications and technology related to the work.

Special Requirements:

Possession of, or ability to obtain prior to employment, a valid Class C California Driver’s License and a good driving record.

The employee’s work hours may vary in accordance with program needs and the employee may be required to respond to calls for assistance during off-duty hours.
 
The deadline to apply is Monday, April 24, 2023 before 11:59 PM PST.

To be considered for this exciting opportunity, candidates should apply at www.walnut-creek.org/jobs.

Applicants possessing the MOST DESIRABLE qualifications will be invited to continue in the selection process, which will include an external oral board panel interview tentatively scheduled for the week of May 15, 2023. An eligible list will be established as a result of this examination process and will be valid for a period of six months.

All applicants will be notified by email as to whether or not they are invited to participate further in the selection process, which will most likely include a department interview and follow-up interview with the Director of Arts and Recreation.

Applicants considered for appointment to this position will be subject to a thorough background check, including but not limited to DOJ and FBI fingerprinting, credit and criminal history checks.

If special accommodations are necessary at any stage of the examination process, please provide the Human Resources Department with advance notice and every attempt will be made to consider your request.

Please see the Program Supervisor class specification found HERE for a complete description of this classification’s representative duties, requirements, working conditions, and physical requirements. Benefits offered to this position in the General Management Unit may be found HERE.

As required by law, all public employees are designated as Disaster Service Workers. As such, all City of Walnut Creek employees may be called upon to assist in the event of fire, flood, earthquake, or other natural or man-made disasters.