Manager, Studio Programs

Job description

The mission of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is to welcome all to celebrate the American spirit in a setting that unites the power of art with the beauty of nature. Founded by philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton, Crystal Bridges is a public non-profit charitable organization. Job Description: Position Title: Manager, Studio Programs FLSA Classification: Exempt Division: Learning & Engagement Department: Public Programs Reports to: Director of Public Programs Date Reviewed: 06/05/2026 About Crystal Bridges & The Momentary: Crystal Bridges is a museum of American art located in Bentonville, Arkansas. We explore the unfolding story of America by actively collecting, exhibiting, interpreting, and preserving outstanding works that illuminate the American heritage and artistic possibilities. Founded by Alice Walton in 2005, the museum opened in 2011 and is a public, non-profit charitable organization with free admission. The Momentary is a new contemporary art space that opened to the public on February 22, 2020, in downtown Bentonville, Arkansas. A satellite to Crystal Bridges, the Momentary presents visual, performing, and culinary arts. The mission of the Momentary is to champion contemporary art’s role in everyday life and explore the unfolding story of contemporary American arts in an international context by actively commissioning and exhibiting outstanding works that explore new ideas and inspire action. Position Summary The Manager of Studio Programs leads the strategic vision, planning, and execution of studio-based artmaking experiences across Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Momentary (CBMO), including the Learning & Engagement Hub Studios. This role oversees a growing portfolio of programs including class series, workshops, drop-in artmaking, and a Teaching Artist in Residence program, ensuring all offerings are high-quality, inclusive, and accessible to diverse audiences. As a key leader within Public Programs, this position manages and mentors a team of educators and teaching artists, fostering a collaborative, creative, and accountable work environment. The Manager is responsible for advancing a multi-disciplinary studio ecosystem spanning ceramics, drawing, painting, printmaking, fibers, sculpture, and craft-based media. This role requires a balance of visionary leadership and operational excellence, guiding program innovation while maintaining strong systems, schedules, and budgets. The Manager brings deep knowledge of studio practice and museum education, along with a commitment to developing meaningful, engaging art experiences for participants of all ages and skill levels. Principal Responsibilities Provide strong leadership and supervision to studio educators and teaching artists, including hiring, training, mentoring, and performance management. Lead the planning, development, and execution of a suite of studio programs, including classes, workshops, drop-in artmaking, and new studio programming. Oversee the Teaching Artist in Residence program and support artists in developing high-quality, engaging programs and experiences. Develop and implement long-range strategies for studio program growth, aligned with institutional priorities and the expansion of the L&E Hub Studios. Manage program operations, including scheduling, staffing, budgets, materials, and timelines, ensuring efficient and high-quality delivery. Design and lead select studio programs and workshops, modeling best practices in teaching and facilitation. Ensure excellence and consistency across all studio experiences, maintaining high standards for teaching, facilitation, and participant engagement. Evaluate program effectiveness using data and feedback, and implement improvements to increase impact, attendance, and revenue. Contribute to marketing and communications strategies, including development of program descriptions and interpretive content. Develop clear, engaging written materials for studio activities, including instructions, curriculum, and public-facing content. Additional Responsibilities Support L&E Programs and Partnerships that include hands-on artmaking, including the Mobil Art Lab, Arkansas Children’s Hospital partnership, and AWE ecosystem wide programs. Collaborate cross-departmentally to integrate artmaking into exhibitions, programs, and museum-wide initiatives. Build and maintain relationships with local and regional artists, organizations, and partners to expand program reach and relevance. Stay current with trends in studio art practice, museum education, and audience engagement, incorporating new approaches into programming. Support the development of accessible and inclusive teaching practices across L&E offerings. Participate in cross-functional teams and institutional initiatives as needed. Work evenings, weekends, and holidays in alignment with program schedules. Qualifications and Skills: Practicing artist with formal training in studio art, art education, or a related field. Minimum of 3–5 years of experience developing and leading studio programs, preferably in a museum or cultural institution. Demonstrated leadership and management experience, including supervising teams and managing teaching artists or educators. Strong teaching background, with the ability to lead studio-based classes for a range of ages and skill levels. Deep knowledge of visual arts and hands-on experience across multiple media, with particular strength in ceramics and familiarity with a wide range of materials and processes. Excellent organizational and project management skills, with experience managing complex schedules and budgets. Strong written and verbal communication skills, including content development for public audiences. Collaborative mindset with the ability to work effectively across departments and with external partners. Knowledge of museum pedagogy, audience engagement strategies, and inclusive teaching practices. Ability to remain flexible, solution-oriented, and composed in a fast-paced environment. Proficiency in Microsoft Office and willingness to learn systems such as Asana, Momentous, and Tessitura. Physical Demands and Work Environment: The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Physical demands: Regularly, while performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to travel independently regionally and in communities served. In the work environment described below, position requires working at a desk and utilizing a computer and a telephone, good eye/hand coordination, bending and stretching, standing and sitting in the ability to move around galleries, the classrooms, and throughout the museum, including travel on the outdoor trails. Visual acuity to review written materials is required for this job. Work environment: Work will be performed in an office environment, museum galleries, art studios, outdoors on the trails, and in communities served. Some evening and weekend hours are required. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time. The noise level in the Museum work environment is usually low to moderate All offers of employment are contingent on your successful completion (where permitted by state law) of a confidentiality agreement and background check. In addition, you will need to provide proper identification verifying your eligibility to work in the United States. Crystal Bridges is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a workplace that is free of discrimination and harassment of any kind. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.