Summer Art Camp Instructor

Northwest Employment Works; Northwestern Ontario; On-site; CAD 30,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

An established cultural institution is seeking enthusiastic Summer Art Camp Instructors to lead engaging art programming for children and youth. This role offers a unique opportunity to inspire creativity and foster a love for the arts while developing teaching skills. Instructors will plan and deliver art activities, manage classroom dynamics, and collaborate with a dedicated team to create a fun and inclusive environment. If you are passionate about art and education, and eager to make a difference in young people's lives, this position is perfect for you. Join us for a summer of creativity and learning!

Qualifications

• Candidates should have experience in art education or visual arts.
• Strong communication and organizational skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead art workshops and tours for children and youth.
• Develop engaging lesson plans and art activities.
• Maintain a positive and safe learning environment.

Skills

Visual arts history knowledge

Educational program delivery

Public speaking

Group management

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Adaptability

Education

High school student

College/University student

Job description

Summer Art Camp Instructor

Status: Full-time Summer Student Employment (40 hours per week)

Supervisor: Gallery Educator

Pay: $17.70/hr

Start Date: May 26 2025

End Date: August 29 2025

Application Deadline: April 25 2025

The Opportunity

The Thunder Bay Art Gallery is seeking two dynamic and enthusiastic instructors to lead a summer of art camp programming in an inspiring creative environment. Successful candidates will have the opportunity to share their passion for art and education while developing their teaching skills as they plan lessons, teach fine art techniques, guide gallery visits, and lead art-based play both in the Gallery and outside. Knowledge of visual arts techniques and/or education experience is an asset.

The Thunder Bay Art Gallery’s Summer Art Camp program is a popular high-quality arts and culture experience for children and youth. Camp participants develop visual literacy and critical thinking skills as they explore art history, engage with Indigenous and contemporary Canadian art in the gallery spaces, and learn about diverse art-making practices. While discovering new artistic techniques, participants have fun learning hands-on skills and build their creativity and problem-solving ability.

The Thunder Bay Art Gallery is uniquely positioned in Northern Ontario as a cultural institution with significant regional, provincial, and national profile. The Gallery has grown steadily for nearly 50 years and is at a crucial stage of growth and advancement as we prepare to move into a purpose-designed facility on Thunder Bay’s beautiful waterfront that will more than triple our operating and programming space.

Primary Areas of Responsibility

1. Assist the Education Coordinator in delivering exhibition tours and hands-on art workshops to school-aged children and youth (Grades K-12) during the month of June as part of the Gallery’s popular school programming.
2. Develop engaging and age-appropriate art activities, lesson plans, games, and gallery tours in collaboration with the Education Coordinator and their co-Instructor.
3. Research the Gallery’s current exhibitions to incorporate into Summer Camp programming through tours and activities.
4. Incorporate artworks in the Gallery’s Permanent Collection into activities and art projects.
5. Plan and execute the set up of the Summer Camp classroom to create a positive learning environment.
6. Maintain a clean and safe workspace throughout by performing daily set-up, clean-up, and organization of the classroom and art supply room.
7. Work with a materials budget to plan required art supplies and submit purchase requests.
8. Deliver instruction to participants in drawing, sculpture, ceramics, painting, printmaking, collage, multimedia, and other art-making processes. Depending on the strengths and personal interests of the Art Camp Instructors, they may also use traditional and natural materials in their programming.
9. Create prototypes of art project ideas to inform the teaching process to be saved and used for future educational programming at the Gallery.
10. Create a fun, inclusive, safe, and dynamic classroom environment through the application of relevant group/classroom management techniques throughout the summer. The Education Coordinator will mentor Instructors in classroom management strategies.
11. Communicate with parents and the Education Coordinator on a regular basis to receive feedback and ensure the success of the summer camp program.
12. Complete administrative duties including keeping attendance, ensuring distribution and return of permission forms, review of class evaluation forms, and ensuring a balanced budget.
13. Instructors will alternate the role of lead Instructor and assistant each week. The lead will facilitate the projects and organize the classroom space. The assistant will act as a support for the lead Instructor, preparing materials, supervising camp participants during breaks, and assisting them one-on-one.
14. And, responsibilities as assigned.

Essential Skills

• Some technical knowledge of visual arts history, mediums, and practice or experience in planning and delivering engaging educational programs.
• Comfortable with the public and able to lead large tours and art-making workshops for groups of different ages and abilities, adapting the approach to the art experience as required.
• Enthusiasm for sharing learning and experiences.
• Innovative and adaptable to the changing needs of program participants.
• Strong oral and written communication skills for engaging with program participants, educators, and others in a clear and appropriate manner.
• Collaborative mindset with an ability to work independently towards a shared goal.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Safety conscious.

Candidate Eligibility

1. To be eligible for this position, which is funded in part by the Young Canada Works program, candidates must:
2. be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, or have refugee status in Canada; Note: Non-Canadian students or graduates holding temporary work visas or awaiting permanent resident status are not eligible.
3. be legally entitled to work in Canada (have a valid social insurance number);
4. be between 16 and 30 years of age inclusively at the start of employment;
5. have registered as a high school, college, CEGEP or university student;
6. meet the specific eligibility criteria of the program to which you apply; and
7. be registered in the YCW online candidate inventory.

About Thunder Bay Art Gallery:

The Thunder Bay Art Gallery gratefully acknowledges that we are located on the territory of the Anishinaabe peoples of Northwestern Ontario. We work and live on the lands of the Fort William First Nation who are signatory to the Robinson-Superior Treaty of 1850.

As the public art gallery for Thunder Bay and Northern Ontario, the Thunder Bay Art Gallery exhibits, collects, and interprets art with a focus on the work of contemporary Indigenous and Northern Ontario artists. The Gallery nurtures a life-long appreciation of the visual arts by:

• presenting exhibitions of artistic and educational value to cultivate a depth of visual arts experience for the public in Thunder Bay and the broader region of Northern Ontario;
• supporting and enhancing the development of contemporary Canadian artists with an emphasis on (but not limited to) contemporary Indigenous artists and artists from Northwestern Ontario;
• stewarding, conserving, and animating a permanent collection of art focused on the work of contemporary Indigenous artists and innovative cultural and artistic practice of Northwestern Ontario artists;
• and, presenting public programming and outreach activities in order to build audience, increase reception, and expand understanding of the visual arts.

For nearly 50 years the Thunder Bay Art Gallery has steadily grown and is now the largest art museum in Northern Ontario. Today, we have more than 1600 works of art in our world-renowned permanent collection and welcome more than 30,000 people through our doors each year. Every day, the Gallery provides school tours, hosts free public programs, and shares our space with community groups. We are a bustling cultural hub committed to contemporary Indigenous, local, and regional art.

Finally, we are in the process of preparing for the transition to a new purpose-designed facility on Thunder Bay’s waterfront in early 2027. This new gallery will more than triple our exhibition and operating spaces. This significant addition to Ontario’s cultural infrastructure will provide $33 million in direct economic impact during construction. Once open, the Gallery’s operations will generate $2.2 million annually in direct and indirect impacts to the local and regional economy, as well as an estimated $7 million in annual visitor spending.

How to Apply

Applicants who are Deaf, have an exceptionality or disability, or who need support expressing interest or applying for this opportunity are encouraged to contact Valin Sacchetti, Administrative Coordinator at [e-mail] or call 807-577-6427 to allow for appropriate accommodation of your needs and to discuss alternate formats for submitting your application.

To apply for this position, please send via email to [e-mail], a letter of intent, a current resume and the names of two references, under the subject line “Summer Art Camp Instructor” addressed to:

Kamila Westerback, Assistant Director

Thunder Bay Art Gallery
PO Box 10193
Thunder Bay, ON, P7B 6T7

The Thunder Bay Art Gallery is committed to employment equity and diversity and encourages applications from all qualified candidates, including women, people of any sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression; Indigenous peoples; visible minorities and racialized people; and people with disabilities. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.