Executive Director

The Board of Directors of the Brooklyn Arts Exchange (BAX) seeks an Executive Director. The ED will provide the leadership and vision necessary to shepherd the organization through a major transition, sustain the organization’s existing programs, enhance its artistic profile, and significantly expand revenue in order to increase services while enhancing financial stability.

In addition to overseeing programs, the ED will continue and deepen BAX’s racial equity work, with a vigilant eye on programmatic priorities and capacity. In partnership with the management team, the ED will provide direction and leadership for all strategic, programmatic and development initiatives, and maintain and develop relationships with all stakeholders from families, to artists, to funders and Board members. 

ABOUT BAX/BROOKLYN ARTS EXCHANGE

BAX’s mission is to provide a nurturing, year-round performance, rehearsal and educational venue in Brooklyn that encourages artistic risk-taking and stimulated dialogue among diverse constituencies.

Founded in 1991, BAX is a proud cultural home to thousands of artists, students, families and audience members. Over 25 years later, and currently at a 1.4 million dollar budget, BAX remains committed to its original vision, supporting dance, theater and performance artists of all ages, and throughout all stages of development, and providing shared space in which children study and professional artists create.

BAX is located in a 3,000 square foot home in Park Slope, which was awarded a 1998 Bessie Award for “building a house and home for the arts in Brooklyn.” BAX’s dedicated 12 member Board of Directors, 4 full-time employees, 8-10 part-time staff members, and over 20 teaching artists, have purposefully constructed an environment where professional artists mentor students; artists in residence advance their craft through peer support and coaching; and the citywide performing arts community engages diverse Brooklyn audiences at year-round performances in the Theater at BAX. For over a quarter of a century and counting, BAX’s multi-faceted, inclusive, and intentional slate of programs, curations, and performances have been designed to support the full trajectory of artistic development from young student artist to emerging to mid-career to master.

BAX’s Artist Services Department provides: 

• subsidized rehearsal space
• artist residencies
• space grants including the Parent/Artist and Disability grants
• the Upstart Festival for emerging dance, theater and performance artists
• Needing It and other programs which center LGBTQ developing artists
• subsidized theater rentals for self-productions
• a season of cutting-edge performance
• AIR Open Studios
• Additional resources, including the annual Artist Services Weekend and Creating Space workshops and classes. 

BAX’s Youth Education Programs encompass five core values — skill-building, creative choice, collaboration, performance, and community – and provide:

• expert instruction in building technical skills in dance, theater, and tumbling with an emphasis on cultivating creative expression. 
• over 45 weekly classes serving more than 1000 students, ages 1-18, in the BAX Building as well as school-break programs including a 7 week summer program.
• a broad range of youth classes, performances and festivals, including the YouthWorks Festival and Teen Arts Conference, free annual programs that are structured to treat young artists with the respect given to professionals. 
• BAX Teaching Residencies, currently in six Brooklyn public schools.

BAX welcomes students, families, faculty and artists to an organization with a core commitment to social justice.  We intentionally and purposefully support the voices of under-represented individuals and groups of all origins, ages, abilities, races, sexual orientations, and genders and varied immigration statuses. 

CURRENT STRATEGIC CHALLENGES:

• The departure of BAX’s founding Executive Director represents a major transition, and offers a unique opportunity for the right candidate to lead an established and highly regarded organization into its next phase.
• To thrive, BAX must strengthen its financial position, organizational structure and infrastructure. A key priority for the incoming Executive Director is to lead the organization in crafting a compelling strategic vision that will allow it to galvanize its multiple constituencies and significantly expand its base of financial support from individual and institutional donors. A firm financial footing will in turn allow BAX to build a more effective organizational structure and improve its development and communications capacity.
• This is a pivotal moment not only for BAX, but also for our city and country.  BAX is proud of the role it has played in the artistic community, as well as the community at large. It is imperative that BAX continue its artistic, racial and social justice work in the face of cultural and financial challenges.

A successful candidate must have:

• No less than 8 years managerial, financial and supervisory experience within arts/culture sector
• No less than 8 years proven fundraising experience
• Strong understanding of and commitment to BAX’s mission, vision, and guiding principles.
• Excellent interpersonal, writing and communication skills. 

A preferred candidate will have

• Experience and familiarity with the NYC arts, culture and funding environments
• Proven ability working with multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-gendered & LGBTQ communities and organizations, and a commitment to cultivating leadership and collaborative decision-making.
• Experience at a senior level in at least one of BAX’s program areas, program development, implementation, and evaluation
• Comfort and experience with public speaking and communicating with community members, community leaders, funders and the media.

BAX is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, and LGBTQ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Qualified candidates should email cover letter and resume to executivesearch@bax.org (PDF’s preferred).   

This position is open until filled.  Interviews will be scheduled at the discretion of the Search Committee and applicants will be contacted directly. To learn more about BAX, please visit www.bax.org