Big Car Collaborative is hiring for SPARK on the Circle! Are you creative and friendly or know someone who is? Would you like to work with people in a fun and artful public space in the heart of Indianapolis? We’re taking applications for both part-time Field Artists to activate the space and a Circle Artist in Residence. The project starts July 8, will be open daily, and runs through November. Apply today and share with people who may be interested! Get all the details on both jobs below.
Field Artist and Public Space Activator
The SPARK on the Circle Field Artist and Public Space Activator is a creative, friendly, observant, and detail-oriented person who will work as a seasonal contract artist to create, maintain, and activate an engaging, comfortable, artful, and welcoming public space on Monument Circle.
Big Car Collaborative is currently hiring multiple people for this position. Pay is $20 per on a W9 seasonal contract for up to 30 hours/week (flexible). The work will be happening from July 8-Nov. 2, 2023.
We’ll be working on the southwest quadrant of the Circle that will be closed to motorized traffic as a partnership between the City of Indianapolis, Downtown Indy, Big Car Collaborative, and others. Open from 11 am until dusk daily from July 8 until Nov. 2, 2023, the SPARK on the Circle pop-up park is designed to be a restorative public place where people of all walks of life can relax, play, socialize, and engage with art and artists in the heart of our city.
The SPARK Field Artist, who will also have support from cleaning and security staff employed by Downtown Indy, will be stationed outdoors during open hours — based out of our welcome trailer.
Field Artists will:
• As applicable, set up, take down, and keep the space clean, organized and inviting. This includes walking the space, setting up games, light cleanup, and noticing and taking care of or reporting any issues that require additional support.
• Greet and interact positively with visitors, answering questions as a sort of a city concierge. From the welcome trailer, check out games, suggest creative activities like our postcard project.
• Help facilitate creative, social and cultural activities — including their own ideas and projects.
• Support — as time is available on site — our ongoing data tracking and surveying of visitors and partners, documentation, and promotion of the project and events on the Circle.
• Help keep track of stock of supplies in the welcome trailer and track
• Communicate on Slack at the start, middle and end of each shift.
• Attend a paid training (about 3 hours).
Preferred experience/interests
- Customer service of any kind
- Creativity and interest in community and participatory art
- Familiarity with nonprofit and/or arts programming
- Social media and photography skills a plus
Required Skills and Abilities:
- Friendly attitude; comfort interacting with the general public
- Observation, listening and learning skills
- Flexibility and adaptability in a dynamic work environment
- Ability to anticipate tasks
- Must be comfortable working outdoors in various weather conditions
→ TO APPLY, SEND RESUME AND COVER LETTER to [email protected]
The full contract position description is found here.
Circle Artist in Residence
We’re excited to back with an even bigger and more transformational SPARK on the Circle at Monument Circle in the summer and fall of 2023. We’ll be there with free daily activities and opportunities for everyone to relax and socialize in this amazing public space. Working again in partnership with Downtown Indy and the City of Indianapolis, Big Car Collaborative will again approach working at the Circle as site- and community-specific socially engaged art. And we’re seeking an artist or artists to work with us at the Circle.
This contract position, at a flexible 15-20 hours per week, runs through Nov. 3 and starts in July (this round of SPARK kicks off July 8). Pay is an $8,000 contract stipend. Big Car provides supplies, materials, facilities, etc. So all of the stipend will go to the artist or artists. Teams or partners/collaborators are welcome to apply. We’re seeking applications before midnight on July 12. Artists of any genre (performing arts, theater, visual art, music, literary, etc.) who are interested in working with the public are encouraged to apply.
Position Summary
Big Car’s Monument Circle Artist in Residence works as part of a team of Indianapolis-based artists in the creation and implementation of art-focused projects and programs during the 2023 summer/fall return of Spark at our city’s most important public plaza, Monument Circle. The Circle Artist in Residence will create, design, and implement their own ideas for working in socially engaged ways with guests/community members. The Circle Artist in Residence will have input into overall approaches and be encouraged to suggest ideas for programming and projects as part of these duties. They’ll also help with the overall program by facilitating activities at our pop-up public place and welcome center — and elsewhere on Monument Circle.
The Circle Artist in Residence will engage with the public during regular on-site hours at times they set, and assist the SPARK team with data tracking, documentation, and promotion — including via our social media efforts. Additional duties include helping maintain a clean space and unpacking, monitoring, and packing up Spark equipment and supplies. This position helps make SPARK on the Circle a great visitor experience.
We appreciate a self starter and also encourage independently-driven projects tailored to the artist’s particular curiosities, skills and interests. Detail orientation, conscientiousness, innovative thinking, empathy and a dedicated interest in the art world is a must. Curiosity and the ability to ask questions is highly valued, as this is first and foremost an opportunity for the applicant to learn.
To apply, e-mail a cover letter and resume/cv to [email protected] by July 12, 2023.
Responsibilities
- Create and implement your own and others’ programs, projects, and small events.
- Welcome visitors to Monument Circle
- Supply guests with information about Monument Circle, Indianapolis, and featured daily presenters and activities
- Facilitate the visitor experience of current exhibits, programs, and events at Monument Circle, including things like games for loan, art activities, the postcard project etc.
- Sign up guests who are interested in receiving updates about Spark and other programs
- Support SPARK social media, documentation, and data tracking while working.
Experience
- Familiarity with nonprofit and/or arts programming preferred, but not required
- Customer service or stage/artistic interaction (like performing) experience preferred
- Social media and photography skills a plus
Required Skills and Abilities:
- Friendly attitude; comfort interacting with the public
- Listening skills
- Willingness to learn about new projects on an ongoing basis
- Flexibility and adaptability in a dynamic work environment
- Ability to anticipate tasks
- Able to work outdoors with the public in a non-traditional workplace
About Big Car
As a nonprofit art and design organization, Big Car Collaborative utilizes tools of culture and creativity to build community and social cohesion — helping connect people as a way to boost quality of life. Formed in 2004 and based in Indianapolis, we also work in other communities and collaborate with artists from around the world.
As an adaptive and flexible cultural organization, we draw together people of all backgrounds to promote and perpetuate creativity, invigorate public places, and support neighborhoods. Big Car is a creative community builder working to boost livability from an engagement-based arts perspective. Our mission statement: We bring art to people and people to art, sparking creativity in lives to support communities.
About SPARK on the Circle 2023
A partnership with Downtown Indy and supported by the City of Indianapolis, SPARK builds on Big Car’s previous SPARK Monument Circle in 2015. Spark energizes shared public spaces with fun and interactive human-scale experiences. Spark enlivens and energizes public places with games, music, art, and more. Spark activates and celebrates our most culturally rich shared spaces. Spark creates opportunities for connections among fellow citizens.
