Indigo Arts Alliance seeks a Marketing and Communications Coordinator. This position will report to the Executive Director. Indigo Arts Alliance (IAA) is located in the heart of the vibrant East Bayside community of Portland, Maine. The Marketing and Communications Coordinator is responsible for successfully overseeing our marketing, public relations, and community outreach efforts to ensure our brand and voice are well represented in public as we promote our programming, content, and organizational initiatives. The qualified candidate must be able to create, manage and execute comprehensive marketing campaigns to promote our organization, programming and special events with a view toward growing and diversifying IAA’s audience. This is a Full-time: In-Person or possibility of hybrid; Monday-Friday and weekends as needed position. Event attendance required.
Key Areas:
- Marketing (across all platforms)
- Design
- Copywriting
- Social Media
- Website Content development and oversight
- Internal and External Communications
- IAA Archive
- Press
Responsibilities:
- Establishes a comprehensive Marketing Plan that is informed by innovative ideas and best practices that are effective across all media touch points. Consistently implements plans and is able to activate ideas with proactive knowledge of how to get things done (what resources are needed, industry contacts, up front production planning and follow through etc..).
- Responsible for the IAA website(s) look and feel ensuring all content is kept updated. Serves as point of contact providing direction and feedback for all external vendors on Design and Web Dev/Tech. Is able to assist with general IAA website maintenance with solid knowledge of how to give Creative Direction.
- Lead in conceptualizing IAA social media strategy. Responsible for maintaining active social media presence for the organization with support from Executive Director and Deputy Director (utilizing guidelines and IAA style guide provided).
- Regularly create and execute enticing content for IAA’s social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, etc.) with a view toward attracting new followers and expanding IAA’s digital footprint, including increasing engagement with followers and community members. Responsible for sourcing and researching content to be used for our various social media platforms
- Strong copyediting and copywriting skills are a necessity. Responsible for writing social media post copy and website copy. Develops and schedules e-newsletters and e-blasts in a timely manner
- Is able to track Marketing analytics and accurately summarize and report them to team and for external purposes (ie. Grant writing, corp presentations etc…)
- Develop, maintain and organize IAA marketing and press materials utilizing IAA project Management systems.
- Responsible for writing and sending all IAA Press Releases. Works with PR colleagues to build relationships with key press contacts, locally and nationally. Keeps track of all IAA press mentions and updates the team on a regular basis. Keep an organized database of press-ready photos for institutional use and publicity purposes
- Maintains an up to date archive of IAA programs and events (video recordings, invitations, press mentions, etc.)
- Assist with the creation and maintenance of internal/external communication documents ie. Information Templates, Studio Guidelines, Artist in Residence Handbook, etc)
- Manage the updating and organization of the master mailing list. Maintains MailChimp database regularly. Works closely with IAA Admin to ensure all contact information databases are aligned and organized for ease of use and accessibility of information.
- Use design programs and online platforms to create marketing collateral (posters, flyers, advertisements), development (including sponsorship pitch decks) and organizational materials for both print and digital use
- Be present at IAA programs, events, and activations, representing the organization in an externally focused professional manner
- Other projects and assignments as needed
Qualifications:
- Bachelors required | Masters preferred
- At least 5 years of experience in marketing, communications, or related field with proven track record of results; non-profit or multi disciplinary arts experience a plus
- Experienced in digital/social media and all its platforms
- Experienced in Public Relations and Event planning
- Superior writing abilities with demonstrated experience with strong verbal communication skills
- Strong technical skills, fluent computer literacy
- Graphic Design skills and knowledge of graphic design programs (Adobe Suite, InDesign, Photoshop etc…). Basic photography and videography skills
- Experience in Microsoft Excel, Google Docs, Pages/Microsoft Word, Keynote/Powerpoint, etc.
- Excellent organization skills with attention to detail
- Be a self-starter who can receive collaborative direction but also work independently
- Be an efficient and detail-oriented worker producing quality work on both short and long-term projects
- Desire to find creative solutions to all challenges and problems
- Personal qualities of kindness, integrity, credibility, and commitment to the mission
- Positive attitude and strong work ethic . Be a creative problem solver with a passion for the arts
For full-time employee benefits including medical, dental, vision, generous vacation time, and paid sick leave. Salary range is from $35,000- $45,000 depending on experience and skill set.
Indigo Arts Alliance is committed to diversity and building an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and ages. We encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply.
Please send any questions regarding the position to jobs@indigoartsalliance.me. Applications for the position will remain open until filled. Ideal starting date for this position is March 2023.
Indigo Arts Alliance provides an environment for the production of artwork in all media across disciplines. It is intended for professional, mid-career and emerging artists to explore and grow their work in a creative atmosphere. Our residency aims to connect Black and Brown artists from across the globe to local artists of African descent. In this way, we facilitate working opportunities for critical feedback, relationship building and increased awareness of creative practices and resources. Selected artists offer and participate in public talks, symposiums and workshops, increasing their visibility and disseminating intellectual discourse.
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.
About Mentorship:
We situate mentoring as a dialogue between and among artists who share cultural histories and experiences. Essentially, a co-mentorship, as the dialogue is one that goes both ways and equally enriches the artist pairing. While in residence, the mentorship pairing shall also receive 1:1 feedback and support by the Indigo Arts Alliance staff and will participate in studio visits with a selection of artists, curators, cultural workers, scholars, and community organizers. To be in residence with Indigo Arts Alliance is to enter into an ecosystem of sustained community building, intellectual development and cultural production.
The Mentorship Relationship:
We encourage our two paired artists to work independently in their practice, however we ask each to dedicate a minimum of 8-10 hours a week to work together. This commitment often looks like:
- An equal exchange of creative practices while increasing awareness of the skill and thought leadership of diverse talent; and an opportunity to advance skills outside of traditional mediums.
- Joint community engagement connecting the artists to the general public
- Joint projects; artistic collaborations; conceptual exchange
Please Note:
We are currently accepting rolling applications for mentees from the New England region (Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island).
- The application window will be open year round. Submission of an application does not guarantee selection as a mentee artist in resident it does not guarantee you will be selected as a mentee resident. Your name will go directly into our mentee artist pool which we will pull from as the right Mentorship opportunity arises. There is no need to re-apply every year, unless you'd like update your application materials.
- We do not provide housing for out of town Mentee artists. IAA Staff will assist as best we can to support the search for housing. However, ultimately it is the responsibility of the candidate to finance and book their housing accommodations should they need it.
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, East, and Southeast Asian, 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.
- 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.
- Applicants must have the most up to date COVID-19 vaccination at least 3 months prior to the start of their proposed residency. You may learn more about our COVID-19 policy here.
Please visit our Artist Residency FAQ page for more information. If you have any questions about the program or your application, you may also sign up to attend our Drop In Virtual Q/A Sessions on the following dates and times:
Friday, January 20th, 10am - 11am
Wednesday, February 15th, 12pm - 1pm
Monday, February 27th, 5pm - 6pm
Should you have any direct questions please email ashley@indigoartsalliance.me.
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. They also play a valuable role in implementing our programming and utilizing their skill sets to improve the smooth administrative and facility operations at Indigo. 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
- Assist communications team in maintaining active social media presence for the organization with guidance from Deputy Director (utilizing guidelines and branding elements provided).
- 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 being led by co-founder and Executive Director, Marcia Minter; co-founder Daniel Minter, Artist Director; Deputy Director, Jordia Benjamin; Studio and Programs Coordinator, Ashley Page and Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Aminata Conteh. Indigo Arts Alliance is also supported by a robust community of partners, sponsors and funders.
Compensation and Hours
Spanning 135 hours, this internship accounts for 3 credits and has also been funded a total of $1500. For students of Maine College of Art, this stipend is administered by MECA and funded through the Crewe Foundation. For non-MECA students, funding for this internship is provided by The David Driskell Foundation, and will be administered by Indigo Arts Alliance. 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 Communication and Marketing Administration Intern provides support to Indigo Arts Alliance by executing day to day tasks and representing Indigo in a positive manner to the community. They also play a valuable role in implementing our programming and utilizing their skill sets to improve the creative experience here at Indigo. 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:
- 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 being led by co-founder and Executive Director, Marcia Minter; co-founder Daniel Minter, Artist Director; Deputy Director, Jordia Benjamin; Studio and Programs Coordinator, Ashley Page and Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Aminata Conteh. Indigo Arts Alliance is also supported by a robust community of partners, sponsors and funders.
Compensation and Hours
Spanning 135 hours, this internship accounts for 3 credits and has also been funded a total of $1500. For students of Maine College of Art, this stipend is administered by MECA and funded through the Crewe Foundation. For non-MECA students, funding for this internship is provided by The David Driskell Foundation, and will be administered by Indigo Arts Alliance. 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.