Ideal Start Date: June 2026
Arts New Orleans seeks a full-time staff member with experience in and passion for public art project management. The Public Art Project Manager is responsible for managing all aspects of the public art process, from the conceptualization and planning phase through the fabrication and installation of work, to overseeing calls to artists for new purchases. The Public Art Project Manager works closely with the Arts New Orleans Director of Public Art & Commissions, Strategic Partnerships Director, and the Senior Public Art Project Manager along with city agencies, community organizations, residents and other entities. Community engagement in the planning, design and implementation of projects is a central focus of the role. The Public Art Project Manager will manage public art projects funded through the City of New Orleans Percent for Art program and private commissions.
Ideal Qualifications
- Must embrace the mission of Arts New Orleans
- A minimum of 3 years of public art or design-related project management experience
- Knowledge and experience in artwork/collections management in galleries, museums, community centers or other settings
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively (both written and verbal) for internal purposes and with partners
- Ability to build external relationships with city agencies, community organizations and residents
- Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage timelines and deliverables for multiple projects simultaneously
- A self-starter and goal-driven
- Possess a collaborative spirit, a flexible attitude, and a sense of humor
- Extremely thorough, organized and detail-oriented
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office is required; experience working with project management software is a plus
Job Responsibilities
Collaborative Planning and Community Engagement:
- Work with representatives of various City departments, project designers and architects, residents, community organizations and other entities to select sites in consideration of both community needs and aesthetics
- Build and manage partnerships between artists, government agencies, community organizations, residents and other parties
- Facilitate traditional and creative community engagement approaches, including but not limited to events and workshops, public art unveilings, surveys, virtual or in-person public meetings or forums
- Assist with additional fund development for projects
Project Management:
- Manage approximately 15-20 permanent public art projects in various stages of development per year
- Manage artist selection process including writing and releasing Request for Qualifications / Request for Proposals, conducting outreach to potential artists, and recruiting and managing an artist selection committee for each project
- Conduct ongoing check-ins and meetings with artists, designers, fabricators and project partners to ensure timely progress and problem-solving
- Write, negotiate and monitor artist contracts
- Prepare and monitor project budgets and submit internal payment requests
- Plan project close out celebration/unveilings
- Oversee engineering reviews and submit permits as required by the City of New Orleans, Design Advisory Committee and other entities necessary for each site
- Ensure that City of New Orleans and Percent for Art Ordinance requirements are met
- Monitor and handle artwork maintenance and repair needs
- Assist in managing the City of New Orleans interior collection of artwork installed in City facilities
Reporting and Documentation:
- Ensure photo, video and written documentation of artwork and Artwork Archive (an online art inventory software)
- Draft and distribute meeting agendas, presentations, and minutes
- Complete project and financial reports needed for grantors, clients, and City of New Orleans
Salary & Benefits
- This is a full-time employee position (40 hours/week)
- Starting salary range is $55,000 – $58,000/year commensurate with experience and qualifications
- Arts New Orleans pays 100% of team members’ health insurance
- 403(b) retirement plan with Arts New Orleans matching 2% of your total salary
- Flexible vacation, sick leave, and life insurance
How We Work
Arts New Orleans’ team currently works remotely but may transition to working a couple day a week in person. The Public Art Project Manager is required to attend bi-weekly in-person staff meetings at our office located at 1474 N. Broad St. This position requires travel within the New Orleans region for in person meetings and site visits. Applicants must reside in the New Orleans area or be willing to relocate. This full-time employee position requires 40 hours per week, including attendance at some evening and weekend events.
How to Apply
Please email a cover letter (no more than two pages), resume, three references, and a writing sample to jobs@artsneworleans.org as one PDF file. Please include your name and Public Art Project Manager in the subject line. Resumes submitted without a cover letter will not be reviewed. You will be notified if your references are contacted.
Applications can be submitted until May 11, 2026. Interviews will be scheduled as resumes are received.
About Arts New Orleans
Now in its fifth decade, the Arts Council of New Orleans (dba Arts New Orleans) is a private, nonprofit organization that supports arts and culture in the city. Our mission is to improve the quality of life in New Orleans by supporting, activating, and investing in our city’s greatest natural resource: our artists, cultural producers, and creative community.
Building on the abundant cultural wealth and creativity of our community, Arts New Orleans envisions a New Orleans in which arts and culture play a pivotal role in all areas of policy, planning, and placemaking. We believe art and artists should be central to all community and economic development efforts – from public health to public safety, education to infrastructure.
We do this through special initiatives along with a variety of ongoing programs, including:
- Public Art & Placemaking – From managing the City of New Orleans’ public art collection to private client commissions, we offer support for a wide range of creative and placemaking projects
- Young Artist Movement (YAM) – An arts education and workforce development program that connects youth to civic issues
- LUNA Fête – New Orleans’ free annual festival of light, art, and technology
- Arts Market – A bi-monthly series of fine arts and craft markets in City Park and Marsalis Harmony Park
- Grantmaking – Administering state and city support for arts & cultural initiatives
- Salon – A unique artist residency program in Canal Place
- Unframed – Large-scale mural program in downtown New Orleans
For more information, visit www.artsneworleans.org.
- To learn about the City of New Orleans Percent for Art program, visit https://www.artsneworleans.org/collection/percent-for-art/.
- To learn about our Private Commissions, visit https://www.artsneworleans.org/collection/private-commissions/.
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