Art Project Manager

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Company: Burning Man
Location: San Francisco, CA 94110 (Mission area)

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JOB SUMMARY

The Art Project Manager manages successful processes towards the production of primarily large, complex art for the Burning Man event. This position serves as the expert with regard to building and managing large art installations in Black Rock City. S/he manages a group of seasonal Art Project Managers and plays a leadership role in training them on the complexities of managing large art. This role manages the process, contracts, coordination, and activities of a portfolio of playa artists who receive funding and/or a range of supporting services from Burning Man. This position is focused on quality of experience for the artists, volunteers, and participants, including the development and implementation of tools and resources to support Burning Man Arts’ activities. In addition, as Project Manager who is “first on/first off” on playa, this role oversees the on-playa build of key Art Department infrastructure including the Everywhere/ARTery Pavilion.

The ability to succeed within a complex multi-department environment along with the ability to manage multiple projects is required. Judgment, professionalism, and initiative are frequently exercised in answering and interpreting verbal and written communications and projects. A superior customer service attitude, and a documented history of technical and business management skills is a must. Work involves considerable internal and external contacts, complex non-routine tasks, access to confidential information, and project management of external artists and projects.


The deadline to apply for this role is Friday, January 10 at 10:00am Pacific.


DUTIES & ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS


Year-Round Responsibilities

  • Acts as the project manager and primary liaison for a portfolio of the largest and most complex art installations coming to Black Rock City, both honoraria and registered art; takes a leadership role in training other project managers on the specifics of managing large art
  • Interfaces with artists in a way that is successful for both the artists and Burning Man Project, sharing positive intent and creating intentionally positive outcomes
  • Serves as the Lead of the Temple Management Team and acts as project manager for the Temple, working in close collaboration with Art Support Services Managers to ensure its successful execution on playa; coordinates with Education and Communications to document the Temple build process
  • Partners with Playa Restoration before, during, and after the event to ensure that artists comply with BLM stipulations and Burning Man principle to Leave No Trace
  • Manages annual update of Art Project Manager process documentation for team of year-round and seasonal staff
  • Works with Associate Director of Art and Community Events team to recommend artworks for Decompression, Artumnal, and other year-round gatherings and experiences
  • Participates in the development of story-telling with regard to the Playa Arts program


Pre-Event: January – July

  • Manages Feasibility Committee in support of the Art Grant Committee, collecting feedback on feasibility of Temple and Honoraria grant proposals (large and/or complex projects)
  • Works with an assigned portfolio of artists to understand their needs and to provide the necessary technical guidance to build their capability and successfully develop their work for Black Rock City.
  • Manages the contracting and payment tracking processes for Honoraria artists within their portfolio; ensures that they meet contractual obligations in order to receive grant payments.
  • Guides artists through BRC processes and BLM stipulations to ensure that their art installations are feasible for BRC, that artists have appropriately anticipated needs (resources, staffing), and addressed necessary issues in their plans (lighting, other safety precautions, LNT, engineering, transportation, etc.)
  • Coordinates with artists regarding, as appropriate: tickets, early arrival passes, vehicle passes, Art Support Services (ASS) resources, on-playa support, art support camp registration, etc.
  • Meets with ASS Managers and Burning Man-contracted engineering team to review projects for structural and safety concerns and appropriate materials for assembly, construction and burning
  • Discusses build plans with artists, working closely with ASS Managers (and Heavy Equipment and Transportation managers as needed) to identify build challenges and suggest ways of addressing them in advance of the event
  • Identifies, assesses, and captures key resource requests (heavy equipment, water, fuel, firewood, etc.), and communicates those needs to ASS
  • Manages any necessary special arrangements for Temple and other complex art projects
  • Documents monthly progress reports from portfolio of assigned honoraria artists; shares relevant updates with Associate Director
  • Works with artists and the Tech team to get project listings posted to Burning Man website
  • Coordinates with the Art Support Services team to integrate advance processes to ensure that there is a smooth hand-off to ASS Squad Leaders on playa
  • Coordinates logistics and schedules for all Art Department infrastructure builds in Black Rock City, including ARTery/Everywhere Pavilion, ARTery Camp, and ARTery Ops Camp
  • Works with Project Managers and ASS team members to insure smooth transition for artists to the playa
  • Participates in regular meetings of internal stakeholders leading up to the event


During Event: August – September

  • Oversees on-playa build of Everywhere/ARTery Pavilion (build timeline, container access, etc.) partnering with DPW Special Projects
  • Manages ARTery Operations team, a group of approximately a dozen staff/volunteers who are responsible for the facilities, maintenance, and daily operations of the Everywhere/ARTery Pavilion
  • Serves as ARTery Camp Lead; manages on-playa builds of ARTery camp, ARTery Ops camp
  • Manages on-playa physical assets related to the Pavilion; assesses and communicates needs; handles on-playa logistics
  • Interfaces with Burning Man IT team for implementation of hardware and internet for Everywhere/ARTery Pavilion and ARTery Camp
  • Collaborates with ASS Managers and ASS Temple Liaison to ensure a successful Temple build
  • Meets with artists to introduce them to the site, goes over rules and regulations, makes sure they have what they need. Serves as main ARTery liaison for all artists in assigned portfolio.
  • Acts as a resource for handling artist-related questions; fielding artist requests and ARTery/ artist-resource related inquiries in conjunction with the Associate Director and ASS Manager
  • Identifies and alerts ASS Manager to art project structural and safety concerns, including deviations from engineering and build plans reviewed pre-playa
  • Deals with problems as they arise regarding the performance of individual artists and their teams
  • Supervises the driving pass process, working with the Art Management team and Project Managers to monitor and manage their distribution and reporting
  • Attends Art Department and Art Project Manager team meetings on playa
  • To the extent possible, ensures all artists’ work is complete by dawn on Sunday of Gate day
  • Is available on site through strike week to ensure removal of all artwork and MOOP from artists’ build sites
  • Oversees the breakdown, clean up, and repacking of the Art Department office container, the inventory of supplies, and de-MOOPing of the area


Post-Event: September – December

  • Manages the post-event Artist Feedback Form process; updates form content with stakeholder input, partners with Tech team to ensure successful delivery to all 400+ BRC artists per art category (Honoraria, registered, and Man Pavilion); ensures feedback and final images are correctly populated and saved to Salesforce and the website listings
  • Reviews and assesses information from final reports from artists in assigned portfolio, identifying themes and making recommendations to Art Management team for potential process improvements
  • Continues to liaise with portfolio of assigned artists on any post-event issues, including final payment performance deposit issues, debrief with artists or crew, etc.
  • Submits feedback internally to share what worked well, what didn’t, suggest improvements, etc.
  • After Playa Restoration is complete, works in concert with the Playa Restoration Art Liaison to track LNT issues with any artworks on the open playa, properly communicates with and educates artists, and partners with Art Management team towards tracking good standing with the Art Department
  • Engages in volunteer participant feedback and process of appreciation


Other Functions and Responsibilities

  • Performs other duties as assigned


LEARNING AND TEACHING


  • Documentation     – Assists in the creation, publishing, and maintenance of process documentation related to their assigned duties.

  • Knowledge sharing     – Helps acculturate and educate junior staff and volunteers in Burning Man culture and business processes.

  • Teaching     – Takes a leadership role in the acculturation and training of staff and volunteers. Teaches live or e-learning classes, as requested. Promotes a culture of teaching and learning throughout the community.

  • Training development     – Collaborates with the education team to develop training materials in their area of expertise, as requested.

  • Learning     – Pursues ongoing learning in their area of expertise, working to stay current on emergent knowledge, skills, and processes. Participates in conferences, forums, and networking events, where appropriate.

  • Speaking     – Develops skills to represent Burning Man as a subject matter expert and culture-bearer, as requested.


QUALIFICATIONS


Required:

  • 3+ years of direct experience with building or managing art installations in Black Rock City
  • Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience
  • 4+ years of combined program and project management experience and high-level administrative planning including logistical or practical experience
  • Ability to adjust work schedule seasonally and work away from home (on playa) for up to a month during August and September
  • 2+ years personnel management experience
  • Ability to foster relationships across an expanding geographical network
  • Ability to think critically on his or her feet, problem solve, and remain calm under stress
  • Excellent time management skills
  • Friendly, personable demeanor conducive to effectively presenting information and responding to questions from executives, managers, staff, vendors, artists, local community members, participants, BMP board members, and the general public
  • The ability to respond professionally to all individuals and work well as a team player
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills
  • Strong computer skills (advanced knowledge of Google docs, Word/Excel, Internet browsers, email clients)
  • Ability to maintain personal integrity and uphold high standards of confidentiality
  • Detail oriented with strong organizational skills
  • Proven ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines autonomously
  • Ability to take direction from more than one person, manage time appropriately, and re-prioritize workload as necessary
  • Motivated self-starter
  • Ability to foster a cooperative work environment
  • Dedicated to principles of behavior and ethics of the Burning Man organization


Preferred:

  • 2+ years experience with public art installation, heavy equipment, and/or community design build projects
  • Urban planning, public art, and/or multi-sector collaborative design practice experience
  • Experience working with volunteers
  • Experience in diverse, innovative, and experimental environments


REQUIRED LICENSES/CERTIFICATIONS

  • Valid driver’s license and good driving record


PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORK ENVIRONMENT


  • Off-playa:     Work is primarily sedentary in nature, no special demands are required.

  • On-playa:     Work is primarily sedentary but will also include the need to find and meet with department representatives who may not be in the vicinity therefore this could include walking or using some form of transportation. Some of the work will be in outside weather conditions and will be exposed to fumes or airborne particles as well as possible extremes in temperature.


ABOUT THIS ROLE

  • This is a regular, full-time position, eligible for benefits, working out of Burning Man headquarters in San Francisco, CA and in Black Rock City, NV.
  • Burning Man is an equal-opportunity employer.

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