7 pm is the correct start time for tonight's talent show

Monday, August 27, 2007



"Hotel & Guest Night" - A Cape May Tradition

Admission Free

Old Fashioned Talent Show

Cape May's Convention Hall

Beach Avenue near Stockton Place.

Center for Community Arts
Cape May, New Jersey

Job Posting

Position: Director of Arts Programs

Reports to: Executive Director

The Center for Community Arts (CCA) produces arts and cultural programs that embrace diversity and foster creativity and community. It is a young and growing multicultural organization whose programs promote interaction across generations and social and economic groups. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors with an active committee structure and a strong core of volunteers. CCA’s Youth and Adult Arts Programs & Exhibits, Artist Residencies, Annual Youth Arts Fair, Community Building Events and other programs focus on the cultural needs of the area’s year-round residents and under-served segments of our community. CCA is currently rehabilitating the Franklin Street School, a New Jersey African American Historic Site, transforming it into a community cultural center, and recently launched an FCC-licensed community radio station.

The Director of Arts Programs is responsible for the overall operation, improvement, expansion and assessment of all arts programs. The Director will staff the Arts Program Committee and work with it and the Executive Director to develop artist residencies, program expansions and new programs consistent with CCA’s mission and strategic plan. The Director will ensure that existing programs are maintained and improved, including the Youth Arts Programs in Cape May, Wildwood and Lower Township, Intergenerational Art Classes, and community radio programming. The Director will help plan CCA’s Community Building Events and its participation in other organizations’ community events. The Director will also work with the Executive Director to develop partnerships with other organizations.

Responsibilities

Management and Administration

Supervision, Assessment & Reporting. Oversee all arts programs and ensure a high level of quality and professionalism. Supervise all arts program staff—currently 35 part-time artist-teachers and assistant teachers summers, 25 year-round. Supervise and coordinate arts program and radio station volunteers. Develop arts program assessment tools. Write monthly program reports and compile program statistics. Ensure compliance with grant and other contracts, and regulatory requirements. Coordinate arts program spaces, supplies and materials among the various programs. Supervise Program Assistant in procurement of arts program supplies.

Planning. Work with the Executive Director and Arts Program Committee to develop and implement a formal Arts Education philosophy statement, and annual goals & objectives for each arts program consistent with CCA’s overall Strategic Plan. Work with Executive Director to create and track arts program budgets. Develop arts program curricula with staff and Arts Program Committee. Work with lead teachers on development and refinement of lesson plans. Advise the Facility Committee in the development of arts studio and classroom spaces for the Franklin Street School Community Cultural Center. Work with the Executive Director and Personnel Committee to improve arts personnel policies and procedures. Participate in organizational Strategic Planning process.

Program Development. Develop creative, new community-based arts programs. Initiate and respond to program opportunities with schools, districts, and other organizations. Develop arts components for CCA’s Community History Programs.

Fundraising. Assist the Executive Director and Development Director in writing grant proposals and reports. Participate in fundraising events.
Other duties, as assigned.

Human Resources

Work with Executive Director to recruit, employ, train, evaluate and release all arts personnel, both paid and volunteer.

Maintain a work environment that attracts and retains a diverse and highly qualified staff.

Develop and maintain an active volunteer base for arts programs.

Community Relations/Marketing

Support collaborative and amicable working relationships with other community groups and cultural organizations.

Work with Executive Director to publicize and market the activities, mission and goals of the organization’s arts programs. Improve and implement outreach strategies.

Represent CCA at arts program-related meetings, conferences, and public relations activities as needed.

Participate in the creation of newsletter articles, website content, program brochures and program-related press releases.

Qualifications and Skills

Commitment to CCA’s mission, values and goals.

Proven record of developing and implementing creative community-based arts programs.

Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts, Art Education, Art Administration or related liberal arts major required; Masters Degree preferred.

Three or more years experience with arts staff supervision and program assessment.

Expertise in one or more arts discipline. Teaching experience a plus. Knowledge of and interest in a wide range of visual, performing and language arts, including multi-media, radio and electronic/computer-based art forms.

Innovative, self-motivated, detail-oriented, flexible.

Able to work independently and as an effective team member.

Excellent organizational, and oral and written communication skills.

Comfortable working with basic functions of Microsoft Word and Excel. Powerpoint and/or art-related software a plus.

Willingness to work outside of traditional office hours.


Compensation: $49,200 annual salary plus health and other benefits.

To apply, please send letter and resume by September 17, 2007 to

Search Committee
Center for Community Arts
712 Lafayette Street Cape May, NJ 08204

or email letter and resume to info@centerforcommunityarts.org
Subject Line: Director of Arts Programs Search Committee

ART CAMPS AND CLASSES FOR GROWNUPS

IN CAPE MAY SUMMER AND FALL


Click the following link for summer art classes through August:

Adult%20Art%20Summer%2007%20small.pdf

Click the following link for fall art class openings through the Center for Community Arts:

artclassfall.pdf

Above: CCA Chairperson Shirley "Becki" Wilson, Vice Chair Hilary Pritchard and Artist-in-Residence Susan Ross at the first of five Community Open Houses at Franklin Street School

FRANKLIN STREET SCHOOL OPEN HOUSES

The public will finally get that much desired "sneak peek" into the inner workings of the Franklin Street School renovations. Beginning Thursday, August 2 and every Thursday in August, the Center for Community Arts will open the doors to the Franklin Street School from noon to 1 p.m. for a free Community Open House. Light refreshments will be served while hosts Judy Austermiller, the Center’s Development Director, and Hilary Pritchard, Whale’s Tale Owner and Board Trustee, give visitors a taste of the rich history of the school as well as that much desired “peek” into the future of Cape May’s cultural community center. These open houses are supported by a special grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s William Short Preservation Fund for New Jersey.

The Franklin Street School is located on Franklin Street between Lafayette and Washington Streets in Cape May City. Reservations are not necessary and the events are free. For more information call Judy at 884-7525.

To learn more about the history of Cape May’s African American community, take the Center for Community Arts African American Heritage Walking Tour of Cape May, offered Thursdays and Saturdays at 11:00 a.m., departing from 712 Lafayette Street for only $10.

Phase II of the restoration was made possible by a capital grant from the New Jersey Historic Trust and the Garden State Historic Preservation Trust Fund, the State of New Jersey, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Sturdy Savings Bank, Cape May County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Swain's Ace Hardware, the Whale's Tale Jewelry and Gifts, the Delaware River and Bay Authority and many other local businesses, individuals and families. The Walking Tour is supported by an operating grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State.

Cape May Youth Art Program (YAP) Campers made their own abstract paintings this summer in the style of Jackson Pollock. (Photo by Chris Ferrante):

YOUTH ART EXHIBIT AT CAPE MAY CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

WILDWOODS, LOWER TWP., CAPE MAY

Art work by children ages 6 – 14, both visitors and locals, will be showcased this Saturday, August 11 from 10 a.m. to noon in the first annual Center for Community Arts Summer Arts Camp Exhibit at Cape May City Elementary School, 921 Lafayette Street. One piece per participant was selected each week at the Center for Community Arts Summer YAP (Youth Arts Program) Camps in Wildwood, Lower Township and Cape May and the Kids Art Camp in Cape May since June 25.

In previous years, this exhibit was presented at the Noyes Museum of Art each fall, but this year the Center for Community Arts chose to make the exhibit during the summer in Cape May while visitors are still here, and to make it more accessible to participating families.

Summer YAP and Kids Camps are half-day visual arts camps, five days a week for up to eight weeks in the three towns. Each week a different medium or theme is explored under the guidance of professional artist-teachers. YAP (ages 10-14) art works include sculpture, photography, prints, collages, impressionistic and abstract paintings, pastels and jewelry. Kids Camp (ages 6-10) themes include Animals in Art, China in Art, Drawing & Printing from Nature, Central America in Art, Invention Convention, Eastern Africa in Art.

The camps each have one more week after the exhibit, August 13-17, and space remains for additional campers at this writing. For further information call 884-7525 or see www.CenterforCommunityArts.org.

The programs are supported by grants from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the Byrne Fund for Wildwood, the Wildwood Board of Education, the Township of Lower, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and many generous businesses and individuals.

Cape May’s Hotel and Guest Night Talent Show Aug 27

Showcases all types of talent for a good cause

Reviving a Cape May tradition of the 1940s and ‘50s when hotel staff and summer residents would put on performances for each other, this year’s Cape May summer employees, residents and visitors present a one-of-kind talent show on Monday, Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. in Cape May Convention Hall, Beach Drive at Stockton Place.

Several Cape May arts organizations are now in their seventh year of coming together to revive this community event, which last year filled Convention Hall. Past performances have included song, dance, instrumental music, storytelling, poetry reading, theater and comedy by professional performers, serious amateurs, and the blatantly amateur! Local Cape May Stage actor John Alvarez will emcee the show that raises funds for a good cause.

There is no charge for admission, but free-will donations to benefit the restoration of the Franklin Street School will be collected and are much appreciated.

Built in 1927, the Franklin Street School was a segregated elementary school for Cape May’s African American children. Efforts by the Center for Community Arts (CCA) led the state to designate it an African American Historic Site, and in 2002, CCA signed a 25-year lease. Since then, CCA has been grooming the historic building for its comeback in late 2008 as the Franklin Street School Community Cultural Center.

Based at 712 Lafayette St., the Center for Community Arts is a multicultural education organization whose arts and humanities programs foster creativity, diversity and community building. Center for Community Arts receives operating support from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State, and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. CCA received a Capital Grant from the New Jersey Historic Trust in support of its work on Franklin Street School. For more information call 609-884-7525 or visit http://www.centerforcommunityarts.org/.

If you would like to become one of the performers, register by Aug. 24 by calling Yvonne at Center for Community Arts at (609) 884-7525 or e-mail info@centerforcommunityarts.org. Performances should be appropriate for an evening of family entertainment, and under five minutes each.

This year’s talent show is co-sponsored by the Center for Community Arts, the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts (MAC), and Cape May Stage, all of which receive support from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and many generous foundations, businesses, and individuals.
The Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts (MAC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of Cape May’s heritage. MAC also fosters the performing arts. MAC membership is open to all. For more information about MAC’s year-round tours, festivals, special events and many volunteer opportunities, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278, or visit MAC’s website at www.capemaymac.org. For information about restaurants, accommodations and shopping, call the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May at 609-884-5508.