Production Manager
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
The mission of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is to welcome all to celebrate the American spirit in a setting that unites the power of art with the beauty of nature. Founded by philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton, Crystal Bridges is a public non-profit charitable organization.
Job Description:
Position Title: Production Manager
Position Type: Full-Time
FLSA Classification: Exempt
Division: Production
Department: MO865
Reports to: Director of Production
Compensation Range: $55,800 - $62,500
Date Reviewed: June 2024
Position Summary
The Production Manager will provide support to staff, clients, and artists throughout Crystal Bridges and the Momentary by facilitating the production needs required to support or produce the performing arts offerings and events that will take place.
The ideal Production Manager has experience in coordination of a wide variety of events, a background in Audio-Visual and Lighting technologies, and a self-motivated desire to expand their knowledge of production in the fields of events and contemporary performing arts. This is a hands-on management position and will require regular night and weekend availability.
Principal Responsibilities:
- Act as the Production Department’s point-of-contact for all internal and external events at Crystal Bridges and/or the Momentary
- Advance all production needs for public programs, special events, internal and external meetings, and other small- to medium-scale events that may require production support
- Maintain the Production Calendar and assist Director of Production with upkeep of other institutional calendars
- Act as day-of-show contact for artists, crews, and vendors in addition to communicating with internal teams about the details of upcoming and immediate needs
- Assist the Director of Production with the advance and execution of large-scale events and other needs including but not limited to gallery AV installations
- Work in conjunction with other Production Managers to schedule event labor from a pool of AVL Technicians that serve both Crystal Bridges and the Momentary
- Perform stage management and company management related tasks for rehearsals and performances
- Maintain detailed reports related to the Production department at Crystal Bridges and the Momentary, including production advances, finance reconciliation, and inventory
- When necessary, operate AVL equipment, including sound, projection, and lighting equipment, for events
- Assist in the creation of departmental systems and standard operating procedures
Minimum Qualifications
Education, Training, and Traits:
- High School Diploma or GED
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including conflict resolution skills
- Excellent organizational skills and a strong attention to detail
- Ability to calmy and professionally adapt to changes in plans or the environment
- Ability to meet deadlines and handle multiple tasks simultaneously
- Ability and willingness to be a team player both within the department and throughout the entire organization
- General proficiency with production gear and systems, including digital audio mixing consoles, wireless microphone management, projection control systems such as Crestron, static and intelligent lighting systems, and more
- Proficiency with standard office equipment including basic computer literacy (word processing, spread sheets, e-mail, etc.) telephone, and copy machines
- Flexibility to work adaptable schedules including long days, evenings, and weekends
Work Experience:
- A minimum of three (3) years’ experience in the AVL Technician, Production Management, and/or Stage Management field is required.
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.
- Must be in a good level of fitness and be able to perform manual labor related to the installation, operation, and maintenance of production equipment
- Must be able to safely lift up to 60 lbs regularly
- Must be comfortable working from ladders or lifts in elevated positions, both indoors and outdoors
- Must be able to safely climb ladders while carrying up to 50 lbs
- This position requires physical stamina to perform duties indoors and outdoors, often in rain, wind, heat, cold, and other conditions
About Crystal Bridges
The mission of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is to welcome all to celebrate the American spirit in a setting that unites the power of art with the beauty of nature. We explore the unfolding story of America by actively collecting, exhibiting, interpreting, and preserving outstanding American art. Crystal Bridges was founded in 2005 as a non-profit charitable organization by arts patron and chair of the museum’s board of directors, Alice Walton. Since opening to the public on 11-11-11, the museum has welcomed more than 5 million visitors and garnered 15,000 membership households. Some 280,000 school children have participated in the Willard and Pat Walker School Visit program, which provides educational experiences for school groups at no cost.
Crystal Bridges takes its name from a nearby natural spring and the bridge construction incorporated in the building, designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie. A series of pavilions nestled around two spring-fed ponds house the galleries and amenities such as a restaurant, museum store designed by architect Marlon Blackwell, and a library featuring more than 50,000 volumes of art reference material. In addition to the museum’s architecture, a Usonian house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright was preserved, acquired, and moved to the museum grounds in 2015, and a rare Buckminster Fuller’s Fly’s Eye Dome was installed in 2017, both providing access to American architectural masterworks in a natural setting.
Sculpture and walking trails link the museum's 120-acre park to downtown Bentonville, Arkansas. A new entrance, elevator tower, and pedestrian bridge was added to the north side of the building in 2017, increasing access to the museum’s north lawn and newly enhanced North Forest Trail. More than 600,000 visitors a year utilize the museum’s five miles of walking trails.
Crystal Bridges’ permanent collection spans five centuries of American artworks from early American to the present, and is always free to view. Crystal Bridges is committed to telling broad and inclusive stories by acquiring and showcasing the highest quality works by artists underrepresented in art history and conventional museum frameworks. Works such as Asher B. Durand’s Kindred Spirits, Gilbert Stuart’s George Washington, and Georgia O’Keeffe’s Jimson Weed are displayed alongside contemporary artists such as Kerry James Marshall, Maya Lin, Fritz Scholder, Jaune Quick-To-See-Smith, Felix Gonzales-Torres, and Amy Sherald represent some of the finest achievements in American art. The collection continues to grow, while the museum also offers temporary exhibitions that complement the collection and can also reveal art’s connections to equality and justice.
Crystal Bridges provides year-round programming for all ages. In 2019, more than 800 public programs and events were offered, including lectures, performances, classes, and continuing education for K-12 teachers. Crystal Bridges stays connected online with the full collection available via eMuseum, an award-winning app, a podcast called Museum Way, all available for free, and many of the museum’s lectures such as the Distinguished Speaker Series are on Crystal Bridges’ YouTube channel. An online-learning initiative provides opportunities for students and teachers with arts-based courses, as well as SmartHistory with arts history videos and essays. Crystal Bridges also offers two research fellowship programs. The Tyson Scholars in American Art program encourages and supports full-time scholarship that seeks to expand boundaries and traditional categories of investigation into American art and visual culture. The Reese Teacher Fellowship provides for research into the development of interdisciplinary connections between American art and core curriculum subjects of language arts, history, social studies, and the sciences. In addition, Crystal Bridges administers the awarding of the Don Tyson Prize, an unprecedented award recognizing significant achievements in the field of American art. Additional information about Crystal Bridges is available online at CrystalBridges.org.
About the Momentary
The Momentary is a new contemporary art space that opened to the public on February 22, 2020, in downtown Bentonville, Arkansas. A satellite to Crystal Bridges, the Momentary presents visual, performing, and culinary arts. The mission of the Momentary is to champion contemporary art’s role in everyday life and explore the unfolding story of contemporary American arts in an international context by actively commissioning and exhibiting outstanding works that explore new ideas and inspire action. The Momentary was founded by the Walton family, based on the vision of Tom, Olivia, and Steuart Walton. The Walton Family Foundation is supporting this project as a way to enhance the quality of life in Northwest Arkansas. The Momentary welcomes all with free general admission. Additional offerings include an artist-in-residence program, culinary experiences including an Onyx Coffee Lab, indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, an outdoor festival space, and a gift store. For more information, visit theMomentary.org. The Momentary is located at 507 SE E Street, Bentonville, Arkansas 72712.
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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