Posts from — August 2010

Executive Director for the Portland Arts and Cultural Alliance and the Creative Portland Corporation

The Portland Arts and Cultural Alliance (PACA) was founded in 1985 and designated as the City of Portland, Maine’s local arts agency in 1997. PACA’s core programs include First Friday Art Walk and Creative Conversations. PACA also provides support to the City of Portland’s Public Art Committee and serves as a fiscal sponsor for other organizations.

The Creative Portland Corporation (CPC), established November 2008, is a non-profit organization created to support the City of Portland’s economic development efforts to enhance and create creative economy business and arts district development and employment opportunities.

Because of the similarity of mission, values, and aspirations, PACA and CPC are moving toward integration. The first step was undertaken in June 2010 when PACA became a subsidiary of the CPC; the second step, beginning in August 2010, is the creation of a series of committees that will include members from each group to work together on a range of mutual interests and tasks. These committees will include events, advocacy, economic development, and a ‘central’ committee to be the interface between the Executive Director and the boards.

The position of Executive Director will be full-time. The Executive Director will support the organization through its committees to advance the missions of the organizations. The Executive Director will manage and direct the business operations of the Creative Portland Corporation(CPC) and the Portland Arts and Cultural Alliance (PACA), including fund raising, grant writing, financial accounting and reporting, public representation and correspondence, and web site operations. Duties include:

• Manage the implementation of Board directed goals and objectives.
• Direct the day-to-day operations of the organization including project and program support for all committees which currently include:

- Central Committee

- Economic Development

- Research

- Events

- Advocacy

• Assist the Central Committee, and through them the PACA and CPC Boards in implementing funding strategies to meet financial goals.
• Act as the informational liaison to the Central Committee, and through them to the PACA and CPC Boards.
• Facilitate communications, coordination and collaboration between the community of individual artists and businesses, government, educational institutions, civic, cultural and other community groups.
• Promote Portland as an artistic and creative enterprise community.
• Oversee and coordinate all consultants and suppliers.
• Manage and advance the websites, social media endeavors, and branding initiatives of PACA and CPC.
• Provide leadership and vision in the Portland arts and culture community.

QUALIFICATIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

You are the ideal candidate for this job if you:

• Currently live and/or work in Portland.
• Have the capacity for inspirational leadership and effective representation.
• Are highly motivated, visible and flexible, as well as creative, personable, energetic, and self directed.
• Love to attend networking and community events, including but not limited to City Council meetings, arts events, etc.
• Can cultivate and maintain relationships.
• Have excellent skills in communication (both verbal and written) and event planning and management.
• Have excellent organizational skills, the ability to multi-task, anticipate, set priorities and meet deadlines.
• Have proficiency in social media and Microsoft Office applications, including database management.
• Are passionately interested in the Portland arts community!

Please note this search has closed. Thanks for your support of the Portland arts community!

Maine Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts is excited to announce a new opportunity for artists and arts organizations seeking help with law-related questions and issues.

During August 6th’s First Friday Art Walk, we will be hosting a drop-in clinic at our office in the Constellation Gallery at 511 Congress Street from 5:30-7 PM.

Interested artists and arts organizations will be able to spend 15 minutes speaking with a Maine VLA volunteer about a law-related issue of concern to them. Depending on the issue, the Maine VLA volunteer may point the artist or arts organization in the right direction to find an answer on their own, or assist in arranging for a volunteer lawyer to get involved. Appointments will be made on a first come, first serve basis, starting at 5 PM.

Maine VLA does not provide legal advice, and is not a law firm. We help connect artists and arts organizations with information and resources, which in some cases includes assisting in arranging for the artists or arts organizations to obtain legal advice, at a later date, from a volunteer lawyer.