Indigo Arts Alliance | Portland, Maine

Build the operational systems that enable cultural transformation.

At Indigo Arts Alliance, we've grown 400% in six years, hosting 85 international artists and creating Maine's (first) Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival.

We present curated experiences independently and in partnership with world-class institutions. We need an operational leader to build the infrastructure that sustains this growth.

As Deputy Director, you'll transform strategic vision into operational reality. While our Executive Director focuses on fundraising, board development, and national expansion, you'll ensure every program, system, and team member delivers excellence.

How You Will Engage

Operational Excellence & Program Management

• Guide standards and systems for IAA's 85 and growing Artist-in-Residence alumni 
• Manage day-to-day operations, resolving issues while keeping initiatives on track.
• Provide direction to evaluate the effectiveness of all programs, including large-scale public events such as our annual symposium series and the Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival. 
• Manage facilities operations, establish documentation protocols, database infrastructure, and operational workflows to improve efficiency, utilizing the strengths of all team members

Team Leadership

• Directly supervise the Studio and Programs Manager and contractors.
• Partner to implement hiring, onboarding, and performance management
• Take a lead role in resolving personnel issues as needed

Strategic Implementation & Financial Operations

• Collaborate with the ED and Board to operationalize strategic plans, assuring alignment across programs and priorities. 
• Manage $1.5M operational budget with fiscal responsibility
• Coordinate local and national programmatic partnerships organizations that align with IAA’s mission and expand program reach.
• Support grant implementation and reporting
• Lead the implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

How You'll Partner with the Executive Director

Your ED will: Set vision, lead Board and fundraising, serve as external spokesperson, and drive national expansion.

You'll ensure her success by:  building operational systems, managing day-to-day operations and staff, ensuring program excellence, and providing operational analysis.

Who You Are

• 5+ years in nonprofit operations or program management with systems-building expertise
• Bachelor's degree in Arts Administration, Nonprofit Management, or related field (Master's preferred)
• Proven track record managing teams, budgets, and complex programs in arts/cultural organizations
• Systems thinker with project management excellence and process improvement orientation
• Strong people leader who coaches, develops staff, and fosters inclusive environments
• Mission-driven professional committed to advancing Black and Brown communities through the arts
• Experience working with artists and diverse communities in culturally responsive ways

Why Join Us

Build Expertise: Develop mastery in nonprofit operations, gain senior leadership experience, positioning you for executive director roles.

Direct Impact: Partner with Executive Director Jordia Benjamin and co-founders Marcia and Daniel Minter, watch artists create transformative work in facilities you manage, access networks spanning major museums and cultural institutions worldwide.

You're the leader who finds satisfaction in: Building seamless systems, solving operational challenges, enabling others to shine, seeing programs succeed because you built the infrastructure.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $80,000 annually, based on experience, with comprehensive benefits (health, dental, vision, retirement)
• Time off: Average total of 20+ off days including: 1 week vacation, 3 personal days, 11 federal holidays, 2-week winter break, Fridays off in August. 
• Benefits
• Health, Dental, Vision, and Retirement  
• Workers Comp
• Professional development opportunities 

Position: Full-time, Portland, Maine (not remote)

About Indigo Arts Alliance

Indigo Arts Alliance's mission is to foster global connections by amplifying and supporting the professional development of Black and Brown artists through multidisciplinary and intergenerational artist residency programs. Through a Black-led approach, this unique program embodies co-mentorship among artists of color, empowering them to utilize their thought leadership and vision to lead community transformation.

How to Apply

Submit resume, cover letter, and references through our Submittable link. Tell us about: (1) an operational system you built and its impact, (2) your team leadership approach, and (3) why you're energized by enabling others' success through operational excellence.

We strongly encourage applications from people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and others from traditionally underrepresented communities.

Indigo Arts Alliance is an equal opportunity employer.

Indigo Arts Alliance Seeks a Development Director

Indigo Arts Alliance (IAA) seeks an experienced, innovative, and driven Development Director to ensure the financial sustainability of our vibrant, rapidly growing organization. With an annual operating budget of $1.4 million—representing a 400% increase since 2019—this position offers the opportunity to shape the future of IAA’s development strategy and long-term impact. Reporting to the Executive Director, the Development Director will design, lead and implement  a comprehensive fundraising strategy, including grant writing, donor relations, and database management.

The Development Director will be expected to execute a holistic development strategy that refines existing processes while building pathways for growth. The ideal candidate will be responsible for executing and providing oversight on; planning, organizing, and implementation of a fundraising program that includes grants strategy and writing, major gifts, individual giving, corporate sponsorship, planned giving, and special events revenue. The Director will have the exciting responsibility of overseeing and expanding IAA’s sustainability fund. 

The successful candidate should be committed to social equity and justice, along with having a vision for shaping innovations in philanthropy for small arts nonprofits. This role requires a dynamic leader who can cultivate strong relationships with funders, leverage data-driven fundraising strategies and ensure long-term financial resilience in an evolving cultural philanthropy and policy landscape.

Position Summary

Reports To: Executive Director

Employment Type: Full-Time, Exempt (Not a remote position)

Salary: $70,000 annually 

• This is an exempt position that requires 40 hours per week and select weekends (as needed) to support IAA’s programming and events.

Benefits:

• Health, Dental, Vision, and Retirement  
• Workers Comp
• Professional development opportunities 

Paid Time Off:

• 1 week of vacation 
• 3 Personal days 
• Observes 11 paid federal holidays 
• 14 days for IAA Winter break
• Fridays in August off (4 days)

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Development Strategy and Operations

• Design and execute a comprehensive fundraising plan, incorporating individual giving, major gifts, corporate and foundation partnerships, planned giving, and special events.
• Oversee IAA’s sustainability fund, ensuring long-term financial stability.
• Work with database consultants to manage donor databases (Little Green Light), ensuring accurate data entry, tracking, and acknowledgments in collaboration with the Administrative Assistant and Bookkeeper.
• Develop and execute creative campaigns to cultivate individual donors, including high-net-worth individuals.
• Monitor fundraising progress, analyze data, and adjust strategies to meet annual revenue goals.

Fundraising and Grant Management

• Lead annual fundraising campaigns, including direct mail solicitations, email solicitations, social media solicitations, and stewardship events.
• Plan and execute special events to engage donors and raise revenue.
• Research and pursue grant opportunities, write persuasive proposals, and manage timelines for submissions and reports.
• Maintain strong relationships with existing institutional funders while identifying new grant opportunities.
• Collaborate with the Executive Director and Board of Directors to engage them in fundraising efforts.

Community and Donor Engagement

• Cultivate, develop, and maintain relationships with individual donors, corporate sponsors, and institutional funders at local and national levels.
• Collaborate with the Communications team to create effective donor communications and marketing materials.
• Represent Indigo Arts Alliance at events and in the community to build awareness and foster relationships.

Board and Team Collaboration

• Liaise with the Board of Directors and Development Committee to foster a culture of philanthropy and support their fundraising efforts.
• Provide training and guidance to board members and staff to ensure cohesive fundraising initiatives.
• Oversee development contractors, including CRM/LGL consultants, as necessary.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, business administration, or a related field (Master’s degree preferred).
• 7+ years of progressive fundraising experience, including donor cultivation, major gift solicitation, and grant management.
• Proven track record of raising $2+ million annually, with experience in major gifts and corporate sponsorships.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to handle complex initiatives and meet deadlines.
• Proficiency in CRM software (e.g., Little Green Light), spreadsheets, and Microsoft Office Suite/Google Suite.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong grant writing abilities.

Preferred Qualifications

Knowledge of the fundraising landscape in New England, with national and international experience as a plus.

Leadership experience in planning and executing capital campaigns or endowment initiatives.

Demonstrated commitment to antiracism, equity, and inclusion.

Personal Attributes

A creative, self-starting individual who thrives in collaborative environments.

Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.

Passion for the arts and empowering BIPOC artists and communities.

Join our Artist Network! 

Our Artist Network is an internal database that gets exclusive program information and gives the Indigo Arts Alliance team insight into your practice.
 

Indigo Arts Alliance provides an environment for the production of artwork in all media across disciplines. Through our multidisciplinary residency programs, Indigo Arts Alliance is intended for established, mid-career and emerging artists to explore and grow their work in a creative atmosphere. Open to artists all around the world, our Artist Residencies and Fellowships aims to connect Black and Brown artists from across the globe to facilitate opportunities for critical feedback, relationship building and increased awareness of creative practices and resources. With the creation of our Artist Network, we want to know who is interested in participating in our residency programs, beyond the open application process.   

NOTE: This is not an application. Joining the artist network does not guarantee inclusion in our Artist Residency or Fellowship programs.  

Programs we offer: 

The Mentorship Residency Program is a pioneering residency concept that serves as an arts incubator with generous workspace and modern facilities enabling the creative work of visual artists across disciplines. We foster mentorship by pairing two artists together during a residency period to cultivate rich conversation, collaboration, and exchange experiences, knowledge, art industry information and technical skills. The artist-pairing consists of a National or International artist who is traveling to the state of Maine from their respective homes to be in residence with a Local/Regional artist. The goal of the pairing is to build positive relationships that enhance the individual artists as human beings and thought leaders. We want to create healthy relationships for artists of color who are navigating their art practice and create avenues of success that build networks. Learn more here! 

David C. Driskell Fellowship at Black Seed Studio was created to honor the life and legacy of artist, historian, and Indigo Arts Alliance’s Elder Advisor, Dr. David C. Driskell. The purpose of this fellowship is to grant time and space to artists of color who need focus in order to have creative production. Dr. Driskell was a beacon for Black and Brown artists in his life. With this residency Indigo Arts Alliance helps nurture artists’ creative production. Open to Maine-based and/or Maine rooted communities, this exciting opportunity will enable Black and Brown artists to engage in their practice in ways that they may not otherwise have the space and/or resources to. In addition to having access to a designated 500 sq foot space in Black Seed Studio, selected applicants are awarded a $700 grant. Fellows also receive 1:1 feedback and mentorship by the Indigo Arts Alliance staff and participate in studio visits with a selection of artists, curators, cultural workers, and scholars. 

C. Daniel Dawson Curatorial + Research Fellowship is a prestigious program dedicated to celebrating the remarkable legacy of C. Daniel Dawson. C. Daniel Dawson is a luminary in the art world—an esteemed photographer, filmmaker, educator, and arts administrator whose work has significantly influenced the discourse surrounding African American and African Diaspora art. This fellowship offers a unique dual-track: one for a photo archivist focused on the preservation of Dawson's extensive photographic collection, and another for a curatorial scholar dedicated to curating and contextualizing Dawson’s vast body of work.  This six-month fellowship empowers Black and Brown artists, curators, and scholars by supporting innovative research and curatorial projects focused on African American art, African Diaspora studies, photography, and art history.

Residency & Fellowship Program Eligibility:  

 - Applicants must be a descendent from any of the African nations, African-American, Afro-Latin, Caribbean, i.e., the communities inhabiting the geographic breadth of all the places where Africans were displaced as a result of the transatlantic slave trade, Indigenous Peoples, Latinx, Southeast Asian (i.e African/Indian oceanic world), the Middle East, and the Pacific Rim. It is important to our mission to serve communities that have been impacted by colonialism and cultural erasure.   

- Applicants must be 21+ at the time of the proposed residency or fellowship.   

- Artists of all disciplines are encouraged (Painting, sculpture, illustration, writing, dance, music, theater/performance, photography, fiber/textiles, etc).   

- Applicants cannot be enrolled in a full-time academic program at the time of the residency.  

Please visit our Artist Residency FAQ page for more information. Should you have any direct questions please email ashley@indigoartsalliance.me. 

The Communication and Marketing Administration Intern provides support to Indigo Arts Alliance through the creation, implementation and support of internal and external communication efforts. The selected interns are given projects that span across the organization, and grow transferable skills such as project management, copywriting, graphic design, and more. They play a valuable role by creating new ways and assisting in maintaining methods for our audiences to remain engaged through social media efforts, newsletters, and printed materials.

Roles and Responsibilities:
  - Assist Marketing and Communications Coordinator in streamlining internal/external communications software
  - Assist in researching and setting up new communications
  - Assist communications team in maintaining active social media presence for the organization with guidance from Executive Director (utilizing guidelines and branding elements provided).
  - Assist in the design and creation of various printed materials
  - Maintain and organize internal IAA Google Drive
  - Assist in internal/external communication document creation (Information Templates, Studio Guidelines, Artist in Residence Handbook, etc)
  - Sourcing, researching, and creating content to be used for our various social media platforms
  - Maintaining the IAA content archives
  - Assist in writing social media post copy, and keeping all communication tools consistent and up to date

Qualifications:
  - Currently enrolled, or recently graduated from a college or university - Positive attitude and strong work ethic
  - Strong written and verbal communication skills
  - Strong technical skills in computer literacy
  - Aptitude in digital/social media and all its platforms
  - Good organization skills with attention to detail
  - Ability to receive feedback and critique with humility, modesty, and respect - Exceptional attention to detail
  - Desire to find creative solutions to all challenges and problems
  - Personal qualities of kindness, integrity, credibility, and commitment to the mission - Art education or experience (painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking experience preferred but not required)
  - Demonstrated attention to detail and ability to follow specific step-by-step instructions

Staffing
IAA is currently led by co-founder and Chief Officer of Strategic Growth and Innovation, Marcia Minter; co-founder and  Artist Director, Daniel Minter; Executive Director, Jordia Benjamin; Studio and Programs Manager, Ashley Page; and Veronica Perez, Administrative Assistant.

 
Compensation and Hours
Spanning 135 hours, this internship accounts for 3 credits and has also been funded a total of $1500. This internship is possible through the generous philanthropy of our community organizations to help foster and grow young brown and black artists that are emerging within their careers. While introducing young students to established, mid-career and budding POC artists in the local Portland community, and hosting space for talking about work from a different perspective, this opportunity allows for artists of all kinds to learn and grow. This internship is now available for recent graduates who graduated within a year of applying. The rate of compensation does not change with graduate status.
 

The Studio and Programming Administration Intern provides support to Indigo Arts Alliance by executing day to day tasks and representing Indigo in a positive manner to the community. Our interns play a valuable role in implementing our programming and utilizing skill sets such as program planning, event set up & breakdown, archive management, and more! They get hands-on learning in nonprofit management and are exposed to a wide range of artists, creative professionals, and project management tools that help fuel an exciting career in the arts. This position is available to currently enrolled students pursuing an undergraduate, or graduate degree as well as recent graduates who graduated within a year of the application period and offers a hybrid internship model (virtual and in-person), dependent on COVID-19 and CDC guidelines.

Roles and Responsibilities:
    - Research relevant studio facilities to better inform the IAA print/studio community workshop
    - Regularly audit and populate studio supplies inventory documents
    - Assist in researching and setting up new studio furniture/equipment
    - Maintain the general organization and cleanliness of all Indigo Arts Alliance facilities
    - Maintain and organize internal IAA Google Drive
    - Assist in internal/external communication document creation (Information Templates, Studio Guidelines, Artist in Residence Handbook, etc)

Qualifications:
    - Currently enrolled, or recently graduated from a college or university
    - Positive attitude and strong work ethic
    - Strong written and verbal communication skills
    - Strong technical skills in computer literacy
    - Aptitude in digital/social media and all its platforms
    - Good organization skills with attention to detail
    - Ability to receive feedback and critique with humility, modesty, and respect
    - Exceptional attention to detail
    - Desire to find creative solutions to all challenges and problems
    - Personal qualities of kindness, integrity, credibility, and commitment to the mission
    - Art education and/or experience (painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking experience preferred but not required)
    - Demonstrated attention to detail and ability to follow specific step-by-step instructions
    - Must be able to lift 50-75 lbs.

Staffing IAA is currently led by co-founder and Chief Officer of Strategic Growth and Innovation, Marcia Minter; co-founder and  Artist Director, Daniel Minter; Executive Director, Jordia Benjamin; Studio and Programs Manager, Ashley Page; and Veronica Perez, Administrative Assistant.

 Compensation and Hours  Spanning 135 hours, this internship accounts for 3 credits and has also been funded a total of $1500. This internship is possible through the generous philanthropy of our community organizations to help foster and grow young brown and black artists that are emerging within their careers. While introducing young students to established, mid-career and budding POC artists in the local Portland community, and hosting space for talking about work from a different perspective, this opportunity allows for artists of all kinds to learn and grow. This internship is now available for recent graduates who graduated within a year of applying. The rate of compensation does not change with graduate status.