Teaching Artist

The New Children’s Museum’s (NCM) mission is to spark creativity, exploration, and a sense of belonging through interactive art experiences. Located in downtown San Diego, the New Children’s Museum collaborates with contemporary artists to design and create art installations and educational programs for children. The Museum brings families together in a rich educational environment that fosters creativity and expression. 2.4 million guests have visited the downtown location since doors opened in 2008, including 232,386 visitors in 2022.

Our vision is to be the most innovative, most loved, most inspiring, and most sustainable children’s museum in the world. Our interactive art installations and hands-on art programming provide creative and educational experiences for children and families. We work with artists to reimagine our spaces so that there is always something “new” to discover when you visit. As a nonprofit institution, we rely on daily admissions, memberships, and community support to fund our daily operations. 

Our commitment is to provide a welcoming space for all families. We believe that diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are integral to fulfilling our mission and empowering children’s innate creativity through hands-on exposure to art and the creative process. Last year, 69,455 visitors attended the Museum through access programs. Please visit: https://thinkplaycreate.org/ to learn more.

POSITION SUMMARY

Teaching Artists are key members of the Arts Education, Community Programs, and Studio Programs team who work directly with the Museum's diverse audience of children and families. Skilled in both the arts and teaching, they execute programs by engaging participants in hands-on activities. They perform in a dynamic group environment and work collaboratively to deliver high levels of creative engagement. This position is supervised daily by Arts Education, Community Programs, and Studio Programs administration and reports to and is evaluated by the Studio's Manager.

Specific responsibilities include:

• Facilitates and teaches early childhood and caregiver programs, school-age programs, camps and other classes, onsite studio spaces and workshops, outreach and school and community partnership programs, and other special programs, as assigned.


• Works with the department administrative team and Senior Teaching Artist staff to support the prototyping of the curriculum.


• Support annual education programs along with annual Mass Creativity and other events as needed.


• Supports Creative Community Advocacy Manager and other A&E administration with annual Mass Creativity program workshops, pARTners in Creativity, and other outreach efforts.


• Helps to organize, clean, and maintain all classroom, studio, and workshop spaces.


• Practices behind-the-scenes program prep and kit-making assembly.


• Ensures the safety and comfort of program participants and provides customer service.


• Staff evaluation stations as needed and support evaluation collection with visitors and program participants as required


• Maintains communication with supervisors and team members in person and via email.


• Attends meetings and monthly trainings, as scheduled.


• Participates in program reflective practices, observations, and assessments as assigned.


• Additional reasonable duties as require

SCHEDULE REQUIREMENTS

Must be available a minimum of 5 days/week. Available during the hours of 8:00 am - 6:00 pm with some early morning and evening hours. Available to work peak holiday periods: November to January. Mandatory availability during summer months: May to September.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Education and/or Experience: 
  
  
  
  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent preferred
  
  
  • Education requirements can be substituted for additional experience.
  
  
  • Demonstrated experience with teaching and/or artmaking to children
  
  
  • Preferred experience working with children and/or families in a private and/or professional setting, preferably in a museum, school, daycare center, or as a nanny or tutor
  
  
  • Knowledge of early childhood development, hands-on artmaking, and group management is a plus.
  
  
  
  

• The ideal candidate must be: 
  
  
  
  • Strong customer service and teamwork experience.
  
  
  • Understands the needs of children and families of all backgrounds, ages, and abilities.
  
  
  • Able to communicate effectively and perform work in a public, high-energy environment.
  
  
  • Outgoing, friendly manner and ability to promote the Museum's mission and sales with ease.
  
  
  • Positive attitude and excellent team player.
  
  
  • Extremely reliable and dependable.
  
  
  • Highly adaptable, collaborative, flexible, and able to problem-solve creatively.
  
  
  • Willingness to be certified in First Aid and CPR.
  
  
  
  

• Language Skills:
  
  
  
  • Fluency in English is required. Bilingual is a plus.
    
  
  
  
  

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk, see, and hear. The employee is required to stand, walk, and lift or move up to 30-50 pounds. The employee must be able to verbally communicate in a concise manner.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The majority of work is performed in a museum environment with attendant noise levels and requires observance of safe work practices, fire regulations, and avoidance of falls, trips, and similar office work hazards.