Organizer Information
The Alabama State Council on the Arts (ASCA) is the state arts agency responsible for supporting and strengthening the arts across Alabama. Its work includes grants, programs, partnerships, and services for artists, arts organizations, museums, educational institutions, and communities. For this position, ASCA is seeking an experienced arts professional to lead its visual arts portfolio and serve as a primary professional resource for Alabama’s visual arts field. The role also includes programmatic and curatorial oversight of the Georgine Clarke Alabama Artists Gallery.
Title & Description
Visual Arts Program Manager is a full-time professional position combining visual arts administration, grantmaking, statewide field engagement, curatorial work, exhibition development, and staff supervision. The successful candidate will manage ASCA’s Visual Arts program, support artists and arts organizations through grant processes, develop professional partnerships, and oversee exhibitions and public programming at the Georgine Clarke Alabama Artists Gallery.
The position is particularly suited to an arts administrator, curator, museum/gallery professional, or visual arts specialist with experience managing programs and working with multiple stakeholders.
The Role Overview
- Organization: Alabama State Council on the Arts
- Position: Visual Arts Program Manager
- Contract Type: Full-time, indefinite
- Salary: $43,351–$72,504 per year
- Expected adjusted salary from October 1, 2026: approximately $43,350–$73,950
- Education: Bachelor’s degree required
- Experience: Minimum 2 years in a relevant visual arts discipline; a relevant master’s degree may substitute for one year of experience
Position & Tasks
The position manages ASCA’s visual arts grants and provides technical assistance to applicants and grantees. Responsibilities include coordinating application reviews and panels, reviewing amendments and final reports, evaluating program outcomes, and contributing to improvements in grant programs.
The manager also represents ASCA throughout Alabama by developing relationships with artists, museums, galleries, educational institutions, community organizations, and other partners. The role includes site visits, workshops, presentations, conferences, professional networking, and identifying emerging needs and opportunities within the state’s visual arts ecosystem.
A major responsibility is providing curatorial leadership for the Georgine Clarke Alabama Artists Gallery. Tasks include developing exhibition schedules, researching and organizing exhibitions, coordinating artwork loans and documentation, preparing interpretive materials, overseeing installation and deinstallation with technical staff, developing artist talks and workshops, and evaluating visitor and exhibition outcomes.
The manager also supervises staff, coordinates project schedules, collaborates with communications, finance, grants, and programming teams, prepares reports and presentations, and maintains official program records.
Categories
- Visual Art
- Arts Administration
- Curatorial Practice
- Museum & Gallery Management
- Exhibition Development
- Grantmaking
- Public Arts Programming
Eligibility
Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in art education, fine arts, art history, arts administration/management, or a closely related field, plus at least two years of relevant professional experience. A relevant master’s degree may substitute for one year of required experience.
Desired candidates may have experience in museums, galleries, visual arts administration, grantmaking, nonprofit or public-sector arts programming, exhibition development, public programming, or artist support. Applicants should be able to travel throughout Alabama and demonstrate strong organizational, communication, relationship-building, and project-management skills.
This is a U.S.-based, Alabama-focused position rather than an international open call for artists.
Program Benefits
The position offers a full-time paid professional role with an annual salary of $43,351–$72,504, with an anticipated cost-of-living-adjusted range of approximately $43,350–$73,950 beginning October 1, 2026. The successful candidate will gain significant responsibility in state-level arts administration, grantmaking, curatorial practice, exhibition development, professional networking, and visual arts policy/program development.
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Applicants must initially email a cover letter and resume to Alice@arts.alabama.gov and await confirmation and further instructions. Applicants will subsequently be required to submit a formal application through the State of Alabama Personnel Department process.
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 9 September 2026
- Salary adjustment: October 1, 2026
- Employment: Full-time, indefinite position
Location
Montgomery, Alabama, United States
Additional Details
This opportunity should be understood as a professional employment opportunity, not an artist open call. Its strongest areas are visual arts administration, public-sector grantmaking, curatorial leadership, exhibition management, and statewide arts-sector development. Candidates with a combination of curatorial/exhibition experience and arts administration or grantmaking experience are particularly well aligned.