Programs Manager: Artistic Programs, Galleries & Festivals
Location: Tucson, Arizona
Organization: Art State Arizona
Reports To: Director of Programs
Travel: Approximately 30% throughout Arizona
Employment Type: Full-Time, $27-$30 hourly DOE
About Art State Arizona
Art State Arizona is one of Arizona's leading nonprofit arts organizations, producing more than 100 arts, cultural, culinary, music, and community experiences annually while supporting more than 2,000 artists and creative businesses across the state.
Our mission is to make the arts essential to everyday life by fostering creativity, strengthening communities, advancing economic opportunity, and demonstrating the role the arts play in education, healthcare, business, tourism, and civic life.
From statewide arts festivals and public exhibitions to artist professional development, galleries, concerts, culinary experiences, and community partnerships, Art State Arizona believes the arts should be accessible, inclusive, and integrated into every community.
Our headquarters, the Catalyst Creative Collective, is a 14,000-square-foot creative hub located within Tucson Mall, serving as home to artists, exhibitions, educational programming, community events, and collaborative innovation.
We are looking for professionals who combine creativity with exceptional organization, strategic thinking, technical expertise, and a passion for helping artists thrive.
Art State Arizona Work Culture
We move quickly, wear many hats, and value people who enjoy solving problems, improving systems, collaborating across teams, and turning ambitious ideas into reality. Our busiest season runs from September through April and includes additional evening and weekend commitments. During off-season periods, we strive to offer flexibility and work-life balance while continuing to support our statewide programs.
Position Summary
The Programs Manager serves as the operational leader for Art State Arizona's year-round artistic programming, including visual arts festivals, gallery exhibitions, artist marketplaces, public art initiatives, community exhibitions, and artist engagement programs throughout Arizona.
This is a highly collaborative leadership position responsible for managing the complete lifecycle of artistic programs, from concept development and artist recruitment through event execution, gallery installation, post-event evaluation, and continuous program improvement.
The Programs Manager is the primary liaison for hundreds of artists annually and is responsible for ensuring every artist experiences professional communication, thoughtful planning, exceptional organization, and meaningful opportunities for success.
Success in this position requires someone who is equally comfortable building complex Airtable databases, coordinating gallery installations, managing festival logistics, communicating with artists, developing creative programming, and leading cross-functional teams.
This role is ideal for an individual who is passionate about Arizona's creative community and wants to become a recognized statewide leader supporting artists and expanding opportunities for arts and culture.
Primary Responsibilities
Program Leadership
· Lead the planning, coordination, execution, and evaluation of Art State Arizona's artistic programs throughout the year.
· Manage multiple festivals, exhibitions, gallery programs, and artist initiatives simultaneously while maintaining exceptional attention to detail.
· Provide complete end-to-end project management from initial planning through final reporting.
· Develop annual work plans, implementation schedules, milestone calendars, and operational timelines for every assigned program.
· Maintain all program documentation to ensure continuity, organizational knowledge, and future improvements.
· Support development of new artistic initiatives that further Art State Arizona's mission.
Artist Relations & Community Engagement
· Serve as the primary point of contact for participating visual artists throughout the year.
· Develop meaningful relationships with artists across Arizona while cultivating an environment built on respect, collaboration, transparency, and professionalism.
· Recruit artists through active outreach and statewide relationship building.
· Coordinate artist orientation communications, information sessions, and professional communications.
· Provide exceptional customer service while advocating for artist success.
· Develop resources that help artists better understand participation requirements and opportunities.
· Represent Art State Arizona professionally within Arizona's arts community.
· Maintain ongoing communication before, during, and after each program.
Festival & Exhibition Management
Lead operational planning for juried festivals, gallery exhibitions, and artist marketplaces.
Responsibilities include:
· Artist application management
· Jury process coordination
· Exhibition scheduling
· Booth assignments
· Festival layouts and Site Visit Lead
· Vendor placement
· Gallery installation planning
· Gallery deinstallation
· Exhibition logistics
· Load-in and load-out coordination
· Artist check-in procedures
· Festival operations
· Artist hospitality
· Exhibition opening events
· Event closeout
· Develop comprehensive production schedules for every artistic program.
· Coordinate with contractors, installation teams, volunteers, vendors, and internal staff.
· Support contract staffing needs for festivals and exhibitions.
· Develop contingency plans for operational challenges.
· Assist with onsite leadership during events.
Technical Systems & Database Management
This position requires exceptional technical proficiency.
The Programs Manager will own and maintain the organizational systems that support artistic programming.
Responsibilities include:
· Airtable database development and maintenance
· Artist database management
· Application management
· Workflow automation
· Survey development
· Reporting dashboards
· Jury scoring systems
· Artist communications
· Registration systems
· Digital filing systems
· SharePoint document organization
· Data integrity
· Quality control
· Create efficient systems that improve organizational effectiveness and artist experience.
· Continuously improve workflows through technology and automation.
· Maintain accurate records for artists, exhibitions, festivals, communications, budgets, inventories, and program outcomes.
Artist Applications & Jury Management
Develop and manage all artist application processes.
Responsibilities include:
· Writing artist call to artists
· Developing application forms
· Managing online submissions
· Organizing jury materials
· Preparing jury presentations
· Coordinating jury meetings
· Recording jury results
· Artist notifications
· Waitlists
· Contracts
· Participation agreements
· Artist acceptance packets
· Ensure fair, transparent, and organized jury processes.
Operational Planning
Develop comprehensive operational plans for every assigned event and exhibition.
Responsibilities include:
- Detailed timelines
- Production schedules
- Equipment inventories
- Supply lists
- Volunteer needs
- Staffing plans
- Vendor coordination
- Site logistics
- Load-in schedules
- Parking plans
- Artist packets
- Festival maps
- Emergency planning
- Checklists
- Event documentation
Develop systems that allow events to operate efficiently with minimal surprises.
Creative Vision & Program Development
· Collaborate with organizational leadership and community partners to shape the creative direction of annual festivals and exhibitions.
· Research emerging trends in visual arts programming.
· Develop new ideas that strengthen artist participation and audience engagement.
· Help create unique, mission-driven experiences that elevate Arizona artists.
· Participate in exhibition planning meetings and curatorial discussions.
· Contribute innovative ideas that expand Art State Arizona's statewide impact.
Budget & Financial Administration
· Assist in developing and maintaining program budgets.
· Track expenses throughout the project lifecycle.
· Monitor artist-related expenditures.
· Support purchasing and procurement.
· Coordinate invoices and payment documentation.
· Identify opportunities for cost savings without sacrificing program quality.
· Maintain accurate financial documentation.
Cross-Department Collaboration
Work collaboratively with:
- Marketing & Communications
- Sponsorship
- Development
- Operations
- Volunteer Management
- Executive Leadership
- Community Partners
- Municipal Agencies
- Venue Partners
Provide timely information necessary for marketing campaigns, sponsorship fulfillment, grant reporting, and organizational communications.
Evaluation & Continuous Improvement
· Lead post-event evaluations.
· Collect artist feedback.
· Analyze participation data.
· Prepare program reports.
· Recommend improvements for future festivals and exhibitions.
· Maintain historical records and best practices.
· Continuously refine systems that improve organizational effectiveness.
Required Qualifications
· Bachelor's degree in Arts Administration, Fine Arts, Museum Studies, Nonprofit Management, Event Management, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
· Minimum 3–5 years of progressively responsible experience managing arts programming, festivals, exhibitions, galleries, museums, nonprofit cultural organizations, or similar initiatives.
· Demonstrated experience working directly with professional artists.
· Exceptional organizational and project management abilities.
· Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
· Strong editing and proofreading skills.
· Ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously.
· Experience working within nonprofit organizations and mission-driven environments.
· Experience coordinating volunteers, contractors, vendors, and community partners.
· Valid driver's license and ability to travel throughout Arizona.
· Ability to lift approximately 35 pounds and participate in event setup and gallery installations as needed.
Preferred Qualifications
· Experience managing juried art festivals or large to medium vending festivals.
· Gallery or museum exhibition experience.
· Public art experience.
· Knowledge of Arizona's visual arts community.
· Experience with grants or nonprofit reporting.
· Experience supervising staff, interns, or volunteers.
· Experience developing operational systems and workflows.
· Photography, graphic design, or visual presentation experience is a plus.
Technical Proficiency
Candidates should possess advanced or demonstrated proficiency in:
- Airtable
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Microsoft Office 365
- Excel
- Word
- Outlook
- PowerPoint
- SurveyMonkey
- Intellistack (Formstack)
- Adobe Acrobat
- Canva
- Project management platforms
- Cloud-based file management systems
The successful candidate enjoys building systems, improving workflows, maintaining organized databases, and leveraging technology to improve efficiency and communication.
Core Competencies
Successful candidates will demonstrate:
- Exceptional organization
- Strategic planning
- Technical aptitude
- Attention to detail
- Creative thinking
- Initiative
- Professional judgment
- Relationship building
- Collaboration
- Adaptability
- Accountability
- Curiosity
- Emotional intelligence
- Problem solving
- Time management
- Leadership
- Operational excellence
- Commitment to continuous improvement
Why Join Art State Arizona?
Joining Art State Arizona means becoming part of one of Arizona's most innovative and mission-driven cultural organizations.
You will have the opportunity to:
- Help shape Arizona's artistic future.
- Work alongside hundreds of artists each year.
- Lead some of Arizona's premier arts festivals and exhibitions.
- Build meaningful relationships throughout the statewide creative community.
- Develop innovative programs that increase opportunities for artists.
- Grow professionally within a collaborative and entrepreneurial environment.
- Play a direct role in making the arts more accessible, visible, and impactful across Arizona.
- Become a recognized leader within Arizona's nonprofit arts and cultural sector.
If you are energized by creating exceptional experiences, thrive in highly organized environments, enjoy solving complex logistical challenges, and are passionate about empowering artists, we encourage you to apply.
Benefits
Art State Arizona offers a competitive benefits package designed to support our team and encourage long-term professional growth, including:
- Competitive hourly wage based on experience.
- Health insurance contribution.
- Paid vacation and holidays.
- Paid sick leave.
- Professional development and continuing education opportunities.
- Mileage reimbursement for approved business travel.
- Flexible and collaborative work environment.
- Opportunities to attend festivals, exhibitions, performances, and statewide cultural events.
- Meaningful work that creates measurable impact for Arizona artists and communities.
- A creative, mission-driven workplace at the Catalyst Creative Collective in Tucson.
Pay: $28.00 - $30.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Flexible schedule
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Professional development assistance
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
