CULTURAL AFFAIRS COORD II - PUBLIC ART

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

CULTURAL AFFAIRS COORDINATOR II

DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS AND SPECIAL EVENTS (DCASE)

Visual Arts Division, Public Art

Number of Positions: 1

(Additional vacancies possible pending budget approval)

Starting Salary: $67,656

Applications for this position will be accepted until 11:59pm CDT on 06/17/2025

The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special E vents (DCASE) supports artists and cultural organizations, invests in the creative economy, and expands access and participation in the arts throughout Chicago's 77 neighborhoods. As a collaborative cultural presenter, arts funder, and advocate for creative workers, our programs and events serve Chicagoans and visitors of all ages and backgrounds, downtown and in diverse communities across our city - to strengthen and celebrate Chicago. DCASE produces some of the city's most iconic festivals, markets, events, and exhibitions at the Chicago Cultural Center, Millennium Park, and in communities across the city - serving a local and global audience of 25 million people. The Department offers cultural grants and resources, manages public art, supports TV and film production and other creative industries, and permits special events throughout Chicago.

The Cultural Affairs Coordinator II, Public Art position will report to the Program Director of Public Art and manage public art commissions, programs and community engagement activities, and oversee the maintenance of the city's public art collection. In this capacity, the position will perform the following duties:

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

* Coordinate and manage the implementation of public art projects and special projects in compliance with the City's Percent-For-Art/Public Art Ordinance and other capital and infrastructure projects

* Work with project stakeholders to identify and scope opportunities, develop calls for artists, and manage the artist selection process including identifying panelists and reviewing applications

* Monitor project budgets, expenditures, and grants. Negotiate contracts, purchasing, and oversight of artist contractors. Maintain fabrication and construction schedules and communication with City departments, artists, construction team, coordinate documentation of finished projects, production of public didactics, track all relevant project documentation and permanent project archives, and plan community dedication events

* Oversee or support community engagement during project scoping and design, gather community/public input and support, and solicit interested artists about projects. Build relationships with arts professionals, arts communities, private companies, community representatives, aldermen, interested parties, other cities, and governmental agencies, through meetings, public forums, panels, and other creative activities

* Manage and maintain the city's public art collection including regularly maintaining and updating electronic databases, files, image libraries, records, inventory, and storage facilities of artists, artwork, and art projects, obtaining conservation reports, and hiring conservators to support the conservation and stewardship of the City's Public Art Collection

* Research current trends and professional best practice standards, make recommendations, and revise and update the Public Art Program and Percent for Art practices, ordinances, and city-wide policies on public art

* Market, promote, and increase awareness and resources for the Public Art Program, city departments, and neighborhoods. Work with internal DCASE divisions such as Marketing, Partnerships, and Facilities to promote, market, publicize, and fundraise for programs and activities

* Establish programming partnerships with non-profit arts and education organizations to offer additional audience enrichment and community participation and exposure. Consult with other City and Sister Agencies on public art projects, including meeting with representatives of various agencies to advise on how to integrate artists and public art into their processes and projects

* Provide technical assistance and serve as a resource to individual artists, community groups, business associations, aldermen, and others about how to do public art and community art projects. Coordinate meetings, answer general questions, troubleshoot proposals, walk-through City permit processes, funding strategies, and any other issues that may arise

* Perform related duties as required

Additional duties may be required for this position.

LOCATION: Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE)

Visual Arts Division

78 E Washington St, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL 60602

HOURS: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday

Must be flexible to work early mornings, weekends, evenings, and some holidays.

Work indoors and occasionally outdoors in extreme weather conditions and noise.

THIS POSITION IS IN THE CAREER SERVICE

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree, plus two years of program development or administration experience in the area of visual arts, performing arts or creative arts programming, or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Equivalencies:

• Master's Degree or higher from an accredited college or university plus one (1) year of program development or administration experience in the area of visual arts, performing arts or creative arts programming
• Associate's Degree from an accredited college or university plus four (4) years of program development or administration experience in the area of visual arts, performing arts or creative arts programming
• Six (6) years of work experience in program development or administration experience in the area of visual arts, performing arts or creative arts programming

NOTE: You must provide your transcripts or diploma at the time of processing

Preference will be given to candidates possessing the following:

• Bachelor's degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Urban Planning, Design, Art History, Social Sciences, Planning
• Work experience in program development/program administration in public art programming
• Arts-based community engagement work experience
• Work experience in the field of public art
• Bi-lingual - Proficient to fluent in Spanish
• Able to work flexible hours to include early mornings, weekends, evenings, and holidays during installation

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS

This position requires applicants to complete an interview which will include a written exercise as part of the interview. The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position, based on the oral and written parts of the interview will be selected.

Knowledge: Public art and contemporary art history and current trends. Experience working with artists, architects, designers, and engineers. Experience managing community engagement activities. Art materials, methods and applications for public art and exhibition installation. Art administration, including artist procurement and artist contracting. Art conservation and collections management. Budget preparation and analysis. Computer software and applications, including Word, Excel, Photoshop, and PowerPoint. Grant's administration and grant writing.

Abilities: Manage multiple projects at once. Comprehend and communicate complex issues. Exercise tact and diplomacy. Work collaboratively and as part of a diverse team. Develop and lead consensus processes.

Skills: High level of proficiency in written and verbal communication. Organizational, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

Other Requirements: Must be creative and open to ideas across disciplines. Must be able to work flexible hours to include early mornings, weekends, evenings, and some holidays.

Working Conditions: Work indoors and occasionally outdoors in extreme weather conditions and noise. General office environment, using standard office equipment.

For Information on our employees benefits please visit our benefits website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fin/benefits-office.html

For Information on our salary and title structure visit our classifications website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/dhr/supp_info/JobClassification/2025_Classification_and_Pay_Plan.pdf

APPLICATION EVALUATION: Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resource staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow any and all required Employment/Hiring Plan provisions, federal, state and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY: To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces, and/or residents of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA) and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates to be referred to departments for consideration. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders, as Collective Bargaining Agreements define the hiring process for bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates. To learn more about our hiring practices click here.

ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.

The City of Chicago is an Equal Employment Opportunity, Military Friendly, and Fair Chance Employer.

City of Chicago

Brandon Johnson, Mayor