Visual Arts Program Manager

Alabama State Council on the Arts; Montgomery (AL); On-site; USD 43,000 - 73,000; Full time

Job summary

The Alabama State Council on the Arts (ASCA) seeks an experienced arts professional to lead the Visual Arts Program, guiding grants, programs, partnerships, and services supporting visual artists and organizations across Alabama.

The role serves as the primary staff resource for visual arts, supervising a team, coordinating statewide field engagement, and developing innovative program models that broaden access to high‑quality visual arts experiences.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Art education, Fine arts (preferred), Art history, Arts administration or management, or closely related field.
• Two years of experience developing and managing work in a visual arts discipline for an art museum, government entity, arts center, school or university, arts facility, or similar organization.
• Note: a master’s degree may substitute for one year of required experience.

Responsibilities

• Manage grants, programs, and activities within ASCA’s Visual Arts program area in alignment with Council priorities, policies, procedures, and strategic goals.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for visual artists, arts organizations, museums, galleries, and other applicants seeking information about ASCA funding opportunities and programs.
• Provide equitable, consistent, and professional technical assistance to applicants throughout the grant process while maintaining impartiality in review and evaluation.
• Help applicants understand grant guidelines, eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria, and application procedures.

Skills

Grant administration

Staff supervision

Program development

Community engagement

Partnership building

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Art education/ Fine arts/ Art history/ Arts administration or management

Job description

The Alabama State Council on the Arts (ASCA) is seeking an experienced arts professional to serve as Visual Arts Program Manager, providing leadership for the agency’s grants, programs, partnerships, and services supporting visual artists and visual arts organizations throughout Alabama.

The Visual Arts Program Manager serves as ASCA’s primary staff resource for the visual arts field and manages a diverse portfolio of responsibilities that includes grant administration, applicant and grantee support, statewide field engagement, program development, professional partnerships, and oversight of the Georgine Clarke Alabama Artists Gallery. The position works directly with individual artists, museums, galleries, arts organizations, educational institutions, community partners, and other stakeholders to strengthen opportunities for visual artists and expand access to high-quality visual arts experiences across the state.

This position requires both strong knowledge of the visual arts field and excellent program-management skills. The successful candidate will be comfortable moving between detailed administrative work, long-range program planning, one-on-one assistance to artists and organizations, public presentations, professional relationship building, and collaborative work with colleagues across the agency.

The Visual Arts Program Manager supervises the Exhibitions and Digital Production Specialist, who is responsible for many of the technical, production, art-handling, printing, and installation functions associated with ASCA exhibitions and traveling exhibition projects.

Salary: $43,351-$72,504 plus excellent healthcare and retirement benefits.

Key Responsibilities

Visual Arts Grants & Applicant Support

• Manage grants, programs, and activities within ASCA’s Visual Arts program area in alignment with Council priorities, policies, procedures, and strategic goals.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for visual artists, arts organizations, museums, galleries, and other applicants seeking information about ASCA funding opportunities and programs.
• Provide equitable, consistent, and professional technical assistance to applicants throughout the grant process while maintaining appropriate impartiality in application review and evaluation.
• Help applicants understand grant guidelines, eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria, application procedures, and expectations for funded projects.
• Manage visual arts applications through the review process, including preparing materials for panel review, coordinating with panelists, reviewing evaluations, and accurately documenting panel discussions and recommendations.
• Review grant amendments, project changes, final reports, and other post-award documentation to ensure appropriate stewardship and accountability for public funds.
• Maintain familiarity with projects and organizations receiving visual arts funding and identify opportunities for site visits, technical assistance, relationship development, and improved program outcomes.
• Contribute to the ongoing evaluation and improvement of ASCA grant programs based on applicant experiences, field needs, program outcomes, and Council priorities.

Visual Arts Program Development & Statewide Field Engagement

• Serve as a professional resource and representative of ASCA to Alabama’s visual arts community.
• Develop and maintain productive relationships with individual artists, museums, galleries, arts organizations, educational institutions, community groups, and other partners throughout the state.
• Meet with artists and organizations to better understand their work, opportunities, challenges, and emerging needs.
• Conduct site visits and attend exhibitions, programs, meetings, conferences, and other activities that strengthen ASCA’s knowledge of the visual arts field and its relationships with constituents.
• Provide guidance to organizations and communities interested in developing or strengthening visual arts programming and connecting their work with available resources.
• Identify emerging opportunities, needs, partnerships, and program models that could strengthen Alabama’s visual arts ecosystem.
• Participate in workshops, grant presentations, professional development events, conferences, and other public programs as a representative of the Council.
• Maintain active participation in appropriate statewide, regional, and national professional networks and use those relationships to bring relevant information, models, and best practices back to Alabama.
• Support special initiatives and collaborative projects that advance ASCA’s broader mission, including projects that cross artistic disciplines or involve multiple agency program areas.

Georgine Clarke Alabama Artists Gallery

• Provide programmatic and curatorial leadership for the Georgine Clarke Alabama Artists Gallery, ensuring that exhibitions and related activities advance ASCA’s mission and effectively showcase Alabama artists.
• Develop a forward-looking exhibition schedule and maintain an appropriate pipeline of future exhibitions and exhibition concepts.
• Research, develop, and organize exhibitions in collaboration with artists, guest curators, partner organizations, and Council staff as appropriate.
• Coordinate agreements, artwork loans, insurance values, exhibition documentation, interpretive materials, artist information, and other administrative requirements associated with exhibitions.
• Oversee the development of exhibition narratives, labels, wall text, didactics, printed materials, and other interpretive content.
• Work closely with the Exhibitions and Digital Production Specialist to coordinate exhibition schedules, production needs, installation and deinstallation, artwork handling, signage, lighting, and other technical requirements.
• Develop gallery programs such as artist talks, receptions, workshops, educational activities, and other opportunities that connect audiences with exhibiting artists and their work.
• Help establish and maintain strong standards for visitor experience, accessibility, professionalism, artwork care, and exhibition presentation.
• Collect and evaluate information about gallery attendance, visitor experiences, and program outcomes and use that information to inform future planning.
• Explore opportunities to extend the reach of ASCA exhibitions through traveling exhibitions, partnerships, digital resources, printed reproductions, and other innovative approaches.

Supervision & Project Management

• Directly supervise the Exhibitions and Digital Production Specialist and provide clear expectations, priorities, guidance, and support for assigned work.
• Coordinate workflows between curatorial/programmatic planning and the technical production requirements associated with exhibitions and traveling exhibition projects.
• Conduct regular supervisory meetings, support professional development, provide feedback, and complete required performance evaluations.
• Establish realistic project schedules and ensure that exhibition, grant, and program deadlines are effectively managed.
• Coordinate with other staff when projects require communications, marketing, grants administration, digital production, finance, public programming, or other agency resources.
• Help identify equipment, supplies, professional services, and other resources needed to support high-quality visual arts programming.
• Communicate clearly, professionally, and effectively with applicants, grantees, artists, panelists, Council members, agency staff, partner organizations, and members of the public.
• Collaborate with ASCA communications staff to develop accurate and engaging information about visual arts grants, exhibitions, artists, events, and other programs.
• Prepare program information, reports, recommendations, presentations, correspondence, and other materials.
• Accurately document grant-panel discussions and other program decisions requiring an official agency record.
• Work collaboratively with other ASCA Program Managers and staff on agency-wide initiatives, grant cycles, events, convenings, and special projects.
• Participate in Council meetings and other organizational activities and provide information about developments within the Visual Arts program area.
• Maintain organized program records and ensure that activities are carried out consistently with agency policies, procedures, deadlines, and applicable state requirements.

The Visual Arts Program Manager is an in-person position based at the Alabama State Council on the Arts office in Montgomery.

The role combines office-based program administration with significant interaction with artists, arts organizations, museums, galleries, community partners, and other constituents. Periodic travel throughout Alabama using a state vehicle is an important part of the position and may include site visits, exhibitions, meetings, workshops, and conferences. Occasional overnight travel may be required.

The position works closely with the Exhibitions & Digital Production Specialist in the Georgine Clarke Alabama Artists Gallery. Although the specialist performs most of the hands‑on technical installation and production work, the Visual Arts Program Manager should be comfortable working in a gallery environment and actively participating in exhibition planning, preparation, public programming, and problem solving.

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university in:
• Art education, Fine arts (in a visual medium is preferred), Art history, Arts administration or management, or closely related field.
• Two years of experience developing and managing work in a visual arts discipline for an art museum, government entity, arts center, school or university, arts facility, or similar organization.
• Note: A master’s degree from an accredited college or university in one of the fields listed above may substitute for one year of the required experience.