Costa Mesa, California
Posted: 18-May-26
Location: Lake Placid, New York
Type: Full Time
Salary: 50,000-80,000
Pay Frequency:
Salary Details:
Preferred Education:
Arts Center Lake Placid seeks an innovative and collaborative Director of Learning & Engagement to lead one of the organization’s four primary programmatic pillars and guide the continued growth of its multidisciplinary arts education initiatives.
This senior leadership position oversees the Arts Center’s educational and creative learning programs serving children, teens, and adults across performing and visual arts disciplines. The Director will help shape the future of arts learning through in-person, hybrid, and online educational opportunities that expand access and deepen impact throughout the Adirondack region and beyond.
The ideal candidate is both a skilled administrator and imaginative arts leader — someone excited to steward beloved legacy programs while helping envision and build the next chapter of arts learning at the Arts Center.
About Arts Center Lake Placid
The Arts Center’s mission is to present and foster arts programs that inspire, enrich, educate, and entertain people of all ages. Through performances, gallery exhibits, arts education, and special programs, the Arts Center serves more than 65,000 people annually throughout the Adirondack region and beyond.
Educational offerings include year-round classes in dance, music, theater, ceramics, weaving, and visual arts; afterschool workshops; summer arts camps; school partnerships; online learning initiatives; and special projects for children and adults.
The Arts Center Lake Placid is currently engaged in a transformational capital campaign that will create a new revitalized arts campus, including purpose-built education and creative learning spaces designed to support expanded arts access, interdisciplinary collaboration, digital learning opportunities, and long-term programmatic growth. This is an exciting opportunity for a visionary leader to help shape how arts learning evolves within a dramatically enhanced creative environment.
Position Summary
The Director of Learning & Engagement provides leadership, vision, and operational oversight for the Arts Center’s education initiatives. This position supervises teaching artists, program managers, and seasonal personnel; oversees budgets and operations; and develops programs responsive to community needs and institutional priorities.
The Director will maintain and strengthen existing programs including Young & Fun, Tumbling, School Day Matinees, afterschool workshops, summer camps, ceramics, and weaving programs, while helping identify opportunities for sustainable growth and new initiatives.
The position supervises the Ceramics Manager and collaborates closely with the Director of the Lake Placid School of Dance and the Arts Center’s Performing Arts department to expand educational opportunities connected to visiting artists, productions, workshops, residencies, and audience engagement activities.
Arts Center Lake Placid is open to expanding its vision for arts learning and seeks a collaborative partner eager to help shape that future. The Director of Learning & Engagement will play an important role in helping envision how educational programming can grow and evolve within the organization’s new facilities and long-term institutional vision.
While the role is primarily administrative and strategic in nature, teaching opportunities may exist for the right candidate.
Responsibilities
- Lead strategic planning and long-range growth for Arts Center’s learning and engagement initiatives
- Oversee educational programming for children, adults, schools, and families
- Supervise staff and evaluate teaching artists, seasonal personnel, and program managers
- Coordinate summer camps, workshops, online learning initiatives, and special projects
- Support and strengthen legacy programs while developing new initiatives
- Collaborate with Performing Arts staff to expand educational activities connected to visiting artists and productions
- Maintain and build relationships with partner organizations, schools, community collaborators, and teaching artists
- Evaluate program success through enrollment, feedback, and community responsiveness
- Manage departmental budgets, scheduling, registration systems, and operations
- Collaborate with Marketing and Development staff on promotion, grants, and funding opportunities
- Serve as an advocate for arts learning within the Arts Center and the broader community
Compensation & Schedule
- Full-time position
- Benefits package available
- Some evenings and weekends required
- Bachelor’s degree in Arts Administration, Arts Education, Fine Arts, Education, or related field preferred; equivalent professional experience may be considered in lieu of a degree
- 3–5 years of leadership experience in arts education, nonprofit arts administration, or related field
- Experience developing educational programming and supervising staff or teaching artists
- Experience with digital learning or online education initiatives preferred
- Strong organizational, leadership, communication, and project management skills
- Collaborative and creative mindset with a passion for arts access and lifelong learning
To Apply
Please submit:
- Cover letter addressing interest in the position and salary expectations
- Resume or CV
- Three professional references
Applications may be sent to: James Lemons, Executive Director, at james@lakeplacidarts.org
