Print and New Media Studio Manager (Seasonal, Full-Time)

Ox-Bow School of Art & Artists’ Residency (Ox-Bow) is an artist-built community dedicated to preserving time and space for arts education, research, practice, and connection for artists at every stage of their journey.

The Print and New Media Studio Manager oversees the technical and operational aspects of Ox-Bow’s Print Studio, which inhabits a large, heated, two-story building with a well-equipped analog print studio on the first floor and a computer/digital printing lab on the second floor. The Print Studio hosts an average of eight intensive classes each summer season, serving a total of approximately 100 for-credit and non-credit students; as well as supporting the practices of resident artists, rental guests, and workshop students. The classes that take place in the studio are wide-ranging and sometimes engage processes outside of printmaking. The Manager is responsible for day-to-day studio operations and materials management for all classes taking place in the studio; as well as repairs and upgrades to presses, printers, and other print equipment as well as computer/digital print lab maintenance. The Studio Manager will ensure a quality, supportive learning environment for a range of skill levels and processes, and cultivate a community of learners. The Studio Manager is expected to build and maintain effective relationships with students, studio users, and faculty to gain their respect and trust; engage strong professionalism and communication skills; and be an enthusiastic ambassador of Ox-Bow’s mission and programming. The Studio Manager will work directly with the Campus Manager, Deputy Director, and Education Director to ensure an organized, cohesive working environment.

This is a residential position during the scheduled working season; rustic housing and meals will be provided. This seasonal position runs from late-April through fall, specific schedule to be determined by the Deputy Director. Schedule may include evening and weekend hours.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Physical Studio and Supply Management

• General oversight of print and new media studio
• Open and close studio at the beginning and end of the academic season
• Set up and clean equipment and studio prior to each class
• Repair and maintain tools and equipment as needed
• Implement and observe proper studio safety and sanitation protocols
• Maintain a system for inventory and checkout of digital equipment
• Oversight of all print studio operations, including etching, lithography, letterpress, monotype, relief, risograph, screen printing, and more
• Maintain appropriate studio supplies for each course
• Oversight of computer lab / digital workspace
• Ensure printers and computers in usable, working order at all times
• Perform repairs or coordinate with in-house maintenance team and/or third party contractors as appropriate
• Maintain zine library in studio and support broader library initiatives at Ox-Bow
• Create and update safety and informational signage and install in studio
• Make short-term studio facilities improvements and develop a vision for long-term studio facilities goals

Faculty / Student Assistance

• Prior to each class, communicate with instructors about individual class needs
• Order supplies for studio and classes as necessary
• Orient faculty, teaching assistants, rental guests, and students on use of equipment, studio policies and procedures
• Be available to instructors for class support
• Post and maintain set Studio Manager hours
• Teach private classes for rental guests
• Coordinate and support private studio rentals
• Provide demos on print studio processes as appropriate

Administrative / Support

• Manage studio budget
• Maintain written physical inventory of all supplies and equipment
• Maintain written documentation of studio processes and procedures
• Act as a member of the campus studio management team, attending weekly group meetings and working collaboratively with other studio managers as necessary
• Write end-of-season report assessing functionality of studio, studio budget, procedures, class success, and any recommendations for next season
• Produce art items for promotional and fundraising purposes as assigned
• Maintain and troubleshoot printers across campus
• Assist with small-scale printing of documents and publications for Ox-Bow purposes as assigned
• Other project and event-based support as determined by the Campus Manager and Deputy Director; including but not limited to office, housekeeping, maintenance, and hospitality support

EDUCATION/JOB EXPERIENCE/CERTIFICATIONS

• BFA in Printmaking or the equivalent with at least two years technician experience in a print studio; MFA preferred
• Technical qualifications include proficiency in a range of print processes such as etching, lithography, letterpress, monotype, relief, risograph, and screen printing
• Experience working with and maintaining new media equipment and tools such as computers, digital printers, scanners, projectors, Adobe Suite, digital cameras, and sound recorders
• Print studio management and/or teaching experience preferred

SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Strong communication, hospitality, and organizational skills
• Express enthusiasm for Ox-Bow’s mission
• A solid fluency in foundational print skills across a variety of methods
• Ability to repair and maintain print studio and computer lab equipment
• Keen sense of professionalism
• Highly organized and reliable
• A savvy multi-tasker
• Finds inspiration in the distinctive or idiosyncratic
• Comfortable taking creative risks
• Thrives in dynamic environments
• An eye for detail
• Must be a team player, able to work independently as well as in a group
• Must be innovative, reliable, patient, tenacious
• Must have a valid driver’s license and be able to drive themselves to and from Ox-Bow Saugatuck campus and/or various vendor locations in the West Michigan region
• A passion for the arts and familiarity with artists’ communities preferred

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

Physical Demands:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee must be able to stand and walk for extended periods of time and be able to move about in indoor and outdoor environments.
• Operate computer, tools, and vehicles and must have the ability to use hands to move, set up, adjust, assemble, control, operate, or feel objects, tools or controls and reach with hands and arms.
• Must be able to traverse uneven terrain and stairs
• Constantly communicate and exchange information with team members and must be able to effectively communicate correct information
• Read/comprehend, write, communicate orally, reasoning, and analytical abilities, and mental flexibility
• Frequently move objects up to 50 pounds
• The employee will routinely climb, bend, squat, kneel, crouch, and reach above shoulder
• Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus to compare and distinguish administrative data.
• Hearing ability to perceive the nature of sounds at normal speaking level with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication and to make discriminations in sound.

Work Environment:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly working in an indoor and outdoor work environment, at times in high heat and humidity.
• Working environments will sometimes involve hazardous materials and loud noise
• Requires wearing common protective and safety equipment
• Position may involve extended work hours, weekends and holidays

Working At Ox-Bow

Ox-Bow School of Art and Artists’ Residency, founded in 1910, offers a wide range of opportunities for artists at all stages of their careers. Our campus is nestled on a peninsular interdunal wetland in Saugatuck, MI. With programs that target degree-seeking students, professional artists and those new to the field, Ox-Bow builds a supportive frame in which artists can push their practices in new directions. Ox-Bow’s community is expansive and ever-evolving. Working at Ox-Bow is a unique experience. Our staff consists of both year-round and seasonal positions. Some staff live on campus during their working months, while others commute or work remotely both within the state of Michigan and beyond.

Working at Ox-Bow is working at the intersection of education, hospitality and culture. Together we seek to create a welcoming environment that nurtures the creative process while building community across generations, career stages, disciplines and identities. With over 100 years of arts education behind us, we have a vast community of alumni, including staff, students, resident artists, faculty, and community supporters, who love and care for Ox-Bow. Working at Ox-Bow is to become part of that community, and help sustain a historic non-profit arts organization for current and future generations of artists and art lovers.

At Ox-Bow we have a vision to be a place where a diverse mix of talented people want to come, lend their creativity, and work in support of an evolving, yet historic, art school. We pride ourselves on thinking and acting creatively, and recognize that part of what makes us a unique place for both our staff and students, is the talent and dedication of our employees.

Ox-Bow is committed to diversity and inclusion, we believe deeply in diversity of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity and national origin and work to reflect that in our classrooms, programming, faculty, staff and board.

Equal Opportunity Employment

Ox-Bow School of Art and Artists' Residency is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for its students, visitors, faculty, and staff, and to ensuring that educational and employment decisions are based on an individual’s abilities and qualifications. Ox-Bow does not tolerate unlawful discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or former military status, or any other status protected by federal, state or local law, in its programs and activities, public accommodations or employment practices.