Visual Arts Specialist
Plymouth Church School is seeking an experienced artist who is interested in working with young children to join our warm and inclusive community as our full-time Visual Arts Specialist. Taking inspiration from the role of the Atelierista in the preschools of Reggio Emilia, the Visual Arts Specialist holds a key position in the school, creating the link between the school community’s ideas and their concrete representation. Plymouth offers a highly competitive salary and a very supportive work environment.
Plymouth is a non-sectarian private preschool with 170 children housed on the historic Plymouth Church campus in Brooklyn Heights. Our young learners, ages 2 to 6, benefit from a child-centered approach to education that allows each child to be challenged in a nurturing environment that emphasizes hands-on learning and an emergent project-based curriculum. At Plymouth, we integrate the arts throughout our programming through collaboration with our arts specialists. Our school enjoys a beautiful setting with multiple private outdoor spaces for children to explore the natural world.
Responsibilities:
Direct Art Instruction: Responsible for creating, planning, and implementing a rich, age-appropriate visual arts curriculum for three, four, and five-year old children. Teach drawing, sculpture, assemblage, clay, printmaking and photography in weekly dedicated art classes.
Collaboration with Teachers: Collaborates with classroom teachers to integrate the visual arts into the ongoing classroom curriculum through regular meetings with the teaching teams. Support the teachers to actualize their project work in a concrete visual form and be actively involved in all stages of this work from planning to execution.
Documentation and Displays: Oversees the documentation and display of children’s work both inside and outside the classroom. This documentation makes learning visible to the viewer and represents the philosophy and aesthetics of the school.
The Materials Center: Organizes and maintains the Materials Center. Our Materials Center houses a large collection of natural and found materials donated by our community. The items in our collection are common everyday objects that are often overlooked and discarded, but with creative intention, can be re-purposed and transformed into valuable tools for children to express their understanding and learning.
Parent Education: Communicates with families on a regular basis about the art curriculum and the children’s work.
The Visual Arts Specialist is a full-time, ten-month position.
Compensation and Benefits:
Salary Range: $69,245.00 to $88,512.00
Salary is determined by education and years of experience. We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental and vision insurance, a retirement plan, flexible spending, and tuition reimbursement. We also offer extensive professional development opportunities.
Qualifications:
The ideal candidate should have the following:
Master’s degree in fine art.
Three or more years of teaching experience, preferably in early childhood.
A comprehensive understanding of art materials, practices, techniques, art history and the work of contemporary artists.
A facility with a range of mediums including drawing, painting, sculpture, print making, clay, photography and video.
Plymouth Church School is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, gender, age, marital status, disability, national or ethnic origin, or sexual orientation.
How To Apply: Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume and a digital portfolio demonstrating proficiency in various media.
Please visit our website to learn more about our wonderful school: http://www.plymouthchurchschool.org