Photography Teaching Artist

Job Title:                   Photography Teaching Artist

Position Level:           Instructor

Reports To:                Director of Arts + Tech

Status:                      Contractor

Salary Range:            $23-26/Hour

Prepared Date:          July 2024

About WMCAT

The West Michigan Center for Arts + Technology (WMCAT) provides a culture of opportunity for people to make social and economic progress in their lives and community. We fulfill our mission through visual arts and tech engagement, workforce development, and social enterprise.

Arts + Tech at WMCAT makes space for teens to elevate their voices and build creative confidence through visual arts and technology engagement.Programsinclude our nationally recognized afterschool Teen Arts + Tech Program, which engages high school students from Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS) in creative, tuition-free studio experiences from September through May; Daytime Studios for middle and high school classrooms throughout West Michigan; and week-long summer camps for middle and high school students.

Position Summary

The Photography Teaching Artist provides photography instruction to middle school and high school students in WMCAT's Daytime Studios and Teen Arts + Tech Program.

The Photography Teaching Artist works directly with the Director of Arts + Tech to implement the vision of the organization through innovative educational programming and instruction in photography.  

The ideal candidate will model behaviors that educate and inspire students through mentorship and training in arts and technology. They should be experienced in photography and possess a passion for youth development.

The Photography Teaching Artist will manage and maintain the photography studio. The Photography Teaching Artist will implement their knowledge of digital photography, dark room processing, photo editing software (e.g. Adobe Photoshop), and contemporary trends into their studio instruction.

Essential Duties + Responsibilities

Curriculum and Instruction

• Develop project-based curriculum that allows students to build creative confidence, elevate student voices, and incorporate a variety of instructional methods.
• Create opportunities for students to share their work with one another, across studios, and outside of WMCAT.
• Submit written, sequenced lesson plans and other documentation of curriculum with project details, including skills to be learned by students.
• Participate and assist in the planning and facilitation of student events and field trips proactively and thoughtfully.
• Commit to on-going professional development as an arts practitioner and educator and integrate new learning into studio curriculum and instruction.

Student Support

• Maintain caring and trusting relationships with students, and provide supportive, fair, and non-discriminate treatment of all students.
• Promote the value of consistent school attendance, high school graduation, and postsecondary planning for all students.
• Demonstrate good judgment when dealing with students and make referrals to support staff when appropriate.

Student Records

• Enter daily attendance to maintain accurate and consistent student records.
• Follow-up with students regularly to ensure retention and a positive learning experience.
• Complete required student evaluations and submit reports as requested in a timely manner.

Organizational Expectations

• Maintain clean, respectful, and inspirational studios.
• Maintain technology and equipment, including computers and other resources within studios.
• Be fiscally responsible with materials and supply requests.
• Attend and actively participate in scheduled team meetings.
• Support student outreach and recruitment efforts with participation at designated events throughout the year, which may occur outside of standard scheduled hours.
• Work independently and in a team-oriented environment, be flexible, and manage multiple priorities.

Requirements

Preferred Experiences + Skills

• Demonstrated experience could include:
• Bachelor’s degree in an area related to photography, arts education, education, or other postsecondary education.
• Working knowledge of photography, arts education and/or have a comparable combination of education and practical experience.

• Proficiency with the technical aspects of digital photography.
• Knowledge of and demonstrated experience with analog film photography, including darkroom processing, management, procedures and safety.
• Knowledge of the history of photography and contemporary trends.
• Experience and demonstrated competency with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom.
• Prior related experiences working with teens from diverse cultural backgrounds strongly preferred.
• Prior teaching experience in a classroom setting with at least 10 students.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• Cultural competency to work with individuals from varied backgrounds and foster open communication among groups.
• Willingness to engage with a diverse set of community-based organizations, residents, and stakeholders.
• Proficient computer skills and ability to use the Microsoft Suite of applications.
• Bilingual Spanish skills highly desirable.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here 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 the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to handle, or feel, and is frequently required to talk or hear. The employee regularly is required to sit, walk, stand, and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, climb, or crouch.  The employee must frequently lift and/or move from 15-45 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and ability to adjust focus.

Additional Details:Recognizing there is leadership in every community, WMCAT seeks candidates with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences. We are dedicated to hiring employees that reflect the communities we serve across race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and socioeconomic status. No person shall be excluded from WMCAT services, employment or volunteer participation because of ethnicity, race, national origin, age, height, weight, genetic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, economic circumstance, veteran status, physical and/or mental abilities/characteristics, philosophy/religion, or any other status that is protected by State of Michigan or federal law or by local ordinance for those jurisdictions where WMCAT operates.

WMCAT’s Values

• Design for Equity

Creating a world that works for all of us.

Rooted in an understanding that systemic oppression is perpetuated by design, we center marginalized voices, consciously co-create solutions, and challenge unjust systems to provide equitable access to opportunity.

• Pursue Learning

Engaging the experiences and expertise around us.

Acknowledging that we never “arrive” in our understanding, we engage each other, ourselves, and our community with curiosity and appreciation for diverse lived experiences, seeking out new ideas, more robust context, and opportunities for growth.

• Build Community

Curating belonging for collective good.

Grounded in the belief that our humanity, prosperity, and futures are interconnected, we intentionally create space for belonging, build authentic relationships, seek partnership in our collective work, and respect our shared context.

• Center People

Leading with empathy.

Guided by the mindsets of equitable human-centered design, we seek the perspectives of and create solutions with those most affected, embracing the inherent value of each individual and prioritizing whole-person thriving.

Location: In-person at WMCAT in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The candidate should be comfortable working in person. Hours for this role include 2-4 afternoons per week in the fall of 2024 with opportunity for additional daytime hours.

Resumes will be reviewed beginning Monday, July 22, 2024; the application will remain open until filled.

Benefits

This is a contract position, compensating $23-$26/hour.