Standing Offer: Public Art Project Leads, Calgary Arts Development

Standing Offer for Public Art Project Leads

The purpose of this Standing Offer (SO) is to add qualified consultants and contractors to the list of professionals Calgary Arts Development can call upon as project leads for various public art projects.

A Standing Offer agreement is an arrangement to provide goods and services at prearranged prices with set terms and conditions, for specific periods of time on an “as requested” basis. A Standing Offer does not constitute a contract and a contract against a Standing Offer is a Call-up. Each Call-up is a separate contract between Calgary Arts Development and the prequalified professional to work on a specific public art project.

The contract for each public art project will be developed based on project needs in coordination with the contracted project lead for each request of service subsequent to this Standing Offer. Project leads may contract to work on multiple contracts simultaneously.

Hourly compensation for project leads will range from $30–$50 per hour, dependent on project and on project lead experience.

We are hoping to develop a standing list of project leads that we can access depending on the capacity of projects and programs running at that time, and the desired workload of our contracted project leads. We have multiple projects prepared to commence immediately following successful identification of project leads.

Period Covered by the Standing Offer

This Standing Offer will begin on August 1, 2023 and end on December 31, 2026, with the option to renew for two (2) additional periods of one (1) year.

We have multiple projects prepared to commence immediately following successful identification of project leads.

Who Are We?

Calgary Arts Development is our Calgary’s designated arts development authority. We provide grant investments to hundreds of arts organizations, individual artists and groups. We value relationships, generosity, reciprocity, plain language and curiosity.

The Roles

We are recruiting multiple Public Art project leads to assist the public art team in managing and delivering public art projects and programs for artists. These positions will report to the Public Art Manager.

The project lead ensures that each program and project is delivered through a lens of equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility and reconciliation, and is executed in a way that meets the needs and interests of the community. This role collaborates with various team members including our communications specialist, community engagement specialist and administrator. They will also work closely with artists and community groups and engage the general public with the arts.

Accountabilities

A project lead will manage and implement all stages of select public art projects located in the Calgary area.

They will be responsible for managing multiple small or large projects, which could include:

• Participating in the development and release of calls to artists or calls to curators
• Providing application assistance
• Leading project/program-related information sessions
• Facilitating selection processes
• Development and active management of project budgets and schedules
• Working with fabricators and installation teams
• Reviewing construction documents and artistic design development
• Preparation of outreach and education materials
• Participation in community engagement
• Participation in project/program communications
• Contract administration
• Developing relationships with community members
• Leading a team to ensure the success of each project
• Remaining in alignment with our vision for Public Art in Calgary, and ensuring compliance with relevant procurement policies and processes

Who Are You?

Project leads are passionate about engaging diverse publics in vital conversations through and around contemporary art and artists in Calgary. You are logistically minded, organized, precise, articulate and deeply curious. You are at ease under pressure and knowledgeable about the field.

You are not all things to all people, but you are probably already a few of these things:

• You have strong critical thinking skills and enjoy problem solving.
• You can bring a group of people together, help them to feel ownership in a project and bring it to fruition.
• You have experience working independently and collaboratively on multiple projects simultaneously.
• You are willing to adapt and evolve the process throughout a project and learn from failures.
• You are excited about developing new skills and joining Calgary Arts Development on our journey of reconciliation.
• You have an understanding of materials used in artmaking.
• You have administrative expertise.
• You bring a level of confidence and humility to your work.
• You are passionate about facilitating artists’ development and the production of public art in our city.
• You may have experience or an accreditation in project management.

How to Apply

Please indicate your interest by emailing publicarthiring@calgaryartsdevelopment.com with your resume and a cover letter.

Please use the subject line: Standing Offer Public Art Project Lead.

Your cover letter should address the question: What role do you believe public art plays in fostering equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility and reconciliation?

If you would like to request application assistance, please contact publicarthiring@calgaryartsdevelopment.com or call 403.264.5330 ext 221.

Details around application assistance are listed below.

For best consideration apply by: August 16, 2023

If you see yourself in this opportunity, we would love to have a conversation with you. And if you’re not sure, you can learn more about us by exploring our website at calgaryartsdevelopment.com.

We are open to having conversations with individuals in advance of the submission of an application to clarify questions about this posting. Please address those inquiries to Greg Burbidge, Interim Director of Public Art, at greg.burbidge@calgaryartsdevelopment.com, or Heather Campbell, Public Art Manager, at heather.campbell@calgaryartsdevelopment.com.

For more information, visit our website.

Mentorship Opportunities

We are interested in providing project lead development and mentorship opportunities for people who see themselves in this role but haven’t worked in exactly this way before. If you feel that you may be in this situation, please don’t hesitate to reach out through publicartleads@calgaryartsdevelopment.com for further conversations about how to develop your capacity as a project lead.

Image credits: Courtesy Calgary Arts Development