Job Description:

Position Summary:

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art has served over 150,000 students in the past 5 years positioning the organization for significant growth. We are seeking an expert arts integration specialist to join Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, who is well versed in the interdisciplinary practice of arts integration as well as best practices in the field of curriculum and instruction. This position will be a key role for a new national initiative focused on transforming K12 school education through the power of the visual arts. In this pivotal role, you will be responsible for developing innovative K12 arts-integration curricula and assessing the effectiveness of teaching and delivery methods in both the classroom and museum. The candidate will have experience in how a spectrum of arts integration initiatives can play a role in the realm of social, academic, and wellbeing objectives that all employ arts education strategies.

This role will partner with multiple stakeholders, both internal and external, to assist in efforts to assure that Crystal Bridge’s education initiatives include arts integration and the visual arts to achieve learning objectives. The manager will work collaboratively with the museum’s learning and engagement, curatorial and content strategy teams to ensure alignment with learning standards, curriculum needs, as well as exhibitions and programs. Externally, the manager will work both in-person and online with classroom partners to design and execute projects that incorporate arts integration practices.

The Manager serves as an integral member of the school programs team. Reporting to the Director of Learning Initiatives, the Manager will work collaboratively across the Learning and Engagement Division to design arts integration curricula for both onsite, online, and offsite environments. They will lead in curriculum design and provide on-going assessments to ensure our programs meet national and state academic standards. Desired experience and skillsets associated with this role include experience in English Language Arts, STEM/STEAM instruction, K12 curriculum design and instruction.

Principal Responsibilities:

• Support the capacity of the museum and schools to plan, prepare, and develop strong and sustainable arts integration lessons, assessments, and curriculum mapping across content areas aligned to state and national standards.
• Design and articulate rich, interdisciplinary activities that promote participant engagement, understanding, and application of content including both formative and summative assessment checkpoints throughout the process.
• Lead assessment and evaluation development including surveys, interviews, and focus groups in collaboration with the Data and Research strategy team.
• Represent the Learning & Engagement Division working collaboratively with curatorial and content strategy teams to align educational programming to temporary and permanent exhibitions.
• Research and stay informed of innovative trends in instructional methods and educational technology.
• Well-versed in best practices, preparation, and execution of teacher professional development.
• Lead on the creation and assessment of teacher and museum educator professional development offerings including the Crystal Bridges Summer Learning Institutes.
• Develop educational support materials related to our K-12 school tour program that enhance in-gallery teaching and align with digital engagement strategies via a new online platform; support and revise new curricular content created and shared by teachers and museum educators.
• Assist in building and managing an innovative online digital learning community by assessing content for publication and facilitating learning through community engagement.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree required (Master’s degree desired) in areas such as Arts, Education, Humanities, or related field.
• Three years of experience developing arts integrated-based programs or workshops.
• Knowledge and experience applying culturally relevant pedagogy in curriculum, teaching techniques, and materials of instruction.
• Experience facilitating and evaluating K12 student and teacher workshops is essential.
• Hands-on knowledge of how to apply state and national learning standards to arts integration curricula.
• Knowledge of STEAM education and project-based learning, design thinking strategies.
• Exhibit strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational and analytical skills.
• Ability to give guidance to and mentor classroom teachers.
• Ability to evaluate data, strategies, and materials to provide recommendations.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with strong attention to accuracy and detail.
• Ability to multi-task and think critically.
• Ability to work independently, as well as within a team.
• Valid Arkansas driver’s license with clean driving record.
• Willing and able to travel for program evaluation and Professional Development opportunities. This role will likely require travel 10% of the time.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Physical demands: To perform the duties of this job, the employee is required to travel independently regionally and nationally 10% of their time. In the work environment described below, position requires utilizing a computer and a telephone for prolonged periods of time and good eye/hand coordination, bending and stretching for filing, and physical stamina to lift and carry supplies. Vision abilities required by the job include close and distant vision. When not in the office, the person in this position will require the capability to move and be presenting most often in educational settings for extended periods of time.
• Work Environment: Work will be performed in an office environment, museum spaces, outdoors, and in the communities served. When not out of the office, the employee will be spending extensive amounts of time in the Museum buildings, grounds, galleries, and library. Travel is expected, including overnight stays. The noise level in the Museum work environment is usually low to moderate.

All offers of employment are contingent on your successful completion (where permitted by state law) of a confidentiality agreement and background check. In addition, you will need to provide proper identification verifying your eligibility to work in the United States on your first day of work.

Crystal Bridges is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a culturally diverse workplace that is free of discrimination and harassment of any kind. We encourage women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.

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