Job Summary:

Smack Mellon seeks a Programs & Events Manager who will be responsible for the Artists Studio Program, Art Ready Mentorship Program for high school students, and will assist with the organization’s events and general office management.

The position requires excellent organizational, time management and communication skills and the ability to articulate clearly to a variety of people, both verbally and in writing. The candidate must be extremely organized, creative, self-motivated and capable of working with minimal supervision. The position reports to the Executive Director for the Mentorship Programs and the Curator & Director of Exhibitions for the Artist Studio Program and gallery related work.

Key Duties include but are not limited to:

Artist Studio Program

• Manage the annual application process and review of applicants for the Artist Studio Program.
• Communicate with studio artists to maintain structure within the program.
• With Curator & Director of Exhibitions, organize Open Studio events and reception.
• Organize get-togethers for studio program artists and staff (4-5 a year)
• Coordinate studio visits from curators, critics, dealers and collectors (~25-30 each residency year).
• Maintain an up-to-date list of current and past studio artists’ achievements.
• Provide all Artist Studio Program support materials for Grant applications and marketing initiatives.
• Maintain the studio program space including the shared workspaces, kitchen and bathrooms.

Art Ready Mentorship Program

Art Ready is a Mentorship Program designed to give public high school students the opportunity to experience first-hand what it is like to be a professional working in a visual arts discipline. Participating students go on a series of studio visits and each completes a mentorship with a professional working artist in New York City. This is a school year long program that occurs weekly on Wednesdays from 4-6:30PM. Responsibilities include:

• Visit schools to meet with art teachers, counselors, and principals, and give presentations to recruit students.
• Oversee and supervise the annual application process and review of applicants for the Mentorship Program.
• Coordinate and lead student visits to Artist Mentor studios, museums and galleries.
• Communicate with students, parents, artist mentors, and school leaders to maintain structure within the program.
• With Curator & Director of Exhibitions, organize a final exhibition and opening 
• reception.
• Administer evaluations to mentors and students.

Gallery Management and General Administration

• Prepare support materials for grants and marketing
• Provide administrative support to the Executive Director and Director of Exhibitions.
• Maintain the office equipment, office, and gallery supplies. Order supplies as necessary
• Maintain up-to-date information about Smack Mellon’s exhibition, studio artists, and program alumni. 
• Manage Smack Mellon’s Submittable profile
• Field general inquiries and answer questions about the organization, including giving tours to potential venue rental clients
• General maintenance of gallery, office, and studio spaces
• Recruit, onboard, and manage interns 

Events

• Must be available to work events, including: First Thursdays, gallery openings (occasional Saturday evenings), exhibition public programs, studio program events, and all rental events (weddings, corporate dinners, birthdays, brand pop ups, etc).
• Assist with all aspects of the Annual Benefit and any additional fundraising events including vendor communication, volunteer recruitment, and setup/breakdown.

Desired Qualifications:

The ideal candidate must be extremely organized and a self-starter. Should be able to work collaboratively within a small office environment and be comfortable with handling many tasks at once. Should be energetic, enthusiastic and not averse to picking up a snow shovel, broom, mop or screw gun, and taking out trash. Must be able to lift at least 40 lbs. Should be interested in learning how a nonprofit art organization runs and be willing to participate on every level.

• Prior administrative experience in a non-profit arts organization
• Prior experience working with an education program; work with high school students a plus
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills in oral and written form
• Self-motivated, organized and ability to multitask
• Strong interest in contemporary art in the greater New York City area 
• Familiarity with contemporary art, artists, galleries, and museums
• Experience using online application platforms, Submittable preferred
• Mac proficient, competency in: Zoom, Microsoft Suite, Google Suite, Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign and Photoshop), Google Analytics and knowledge of WordPress and Constant Contact
• Cultural knowledge of public schools and the diverse populations of New York City

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by people assigned to this job; they do not purport to describe all functions of the position. Employees may be assigned other duties, and the essential responsibilities of this position may change or be changed from time to time.

Schedule:
32 hours per week, Wednesday-Friday as well as Sunday, 10am to 6pm, with extended hours during events and programming, which will be offset by comp time. This position is fully in-person.

Salary Range:
40K to 45K. Benefits include: Smack Mellon contribution to the cost of your individual insurance plan, paid vacation and sick days, Smack Mellon matching contribution to Simple IRA.

Smack Mellon is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to equity and diversity, rooted in our history of expanding access to art, art production, and arts education, and our commitment to amplifying under-represented voices.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume to the following link:

Programs & Events Manager Application

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Image: Dead Parrot Radio performance by Armando Guadalupe Cortés, November 2025