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Communications arts job opens at Winthrop University

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Monday, August 23, 2021

The College of Visual and Performing Arts at Winthrop University is accepting applications for the Director of Communications position.

Winthrop University logo and wordmarkJob Purpose

Reporting to the Dean, the Director of Communications serves as the coordinator of communications and marketing for various co-curricular and educational programs, special events and community engagement for the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) at Winthrop University. The Director works with a variety of internal and external constituents to execute and promote projects, events, programs, data collection and reports and encourages interest in the College from prospective students and various public constituencies.

Job Summary

The Director of Communications creates and produces recruiting, marketing and branding communications and materials (digital and print-based) for CVPA programs. Handles media relations and promotions. Provides accurate and timely information to a variety of media outlets and through social media; writes press releases; generates and responds to social media posts. Coordinates and promotes specific college and community events and activities. Supports student recruitment through social media, advertising, and outreach to high schools and community colleges; coordinates open houses with the division of Enrollment Management and Marketing; and supports pre-university and ST-ARTS programs.

Qualifications

Required
  • Bachelor’s degree in design, media, technology or arts-related discipline
  • At least two years of experience in marketing and branding, communications/design, social media, and web development
Preferred
  • Experience in public relations, event promotion, content development/editing (web, video and print), and managing a creative team.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Summary

Candidates for this position will need to possess the following:
  • Knowledge of Microsoft Office suite and Adobe Creative Suite
  • Demonstrated ability to quickly master software programs, including web management systems and data collection and reporting software
  • Knowledge of marketing techniques and best practices
  • Proven ability to communicate effectively and develop and maintain appropriate interpersonal relationships
  • Excellent time and project management skills
  • Exceptional writing and editing skills and the ability to communicate effectively to diverse internal and external audiences
  • Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with various groups, including faculty, staff, students, department chairs, other university units, media outlets and the general public
Use this link to learn more and apply: https://winthrop.peopleadmin.com/postings/8821

Submitted material

CoroArt contest encourages experimentation

The COROART contest in the U.S. is underway

Coroplast Tape Corporation has delivered a variety of technical adhesive tapes to Winthrop University where visual art students of Shaun Cassidy, professor of fine arts, were invited to reinvent the materials in innovative ways. While there is no specific thematic content or subject direction given, the concept of COROART is focused on experimenting with modern and technical materials. The completed works of art will be displayed first at Coroplast Tape Corporation’s U.S. headquarters in Rock Hill. Select pieces will then be moved to the Arts Council of York County’s Center for the Arts where they will be on display from Nov. 20-24, 2019. A public reception and the COROART Awards presentation will be held at the Center for the Arts on Friday, Nov. 22, 2019 from 5-7:30 p.m. The students are contending for the COROART Award presented by the Coroplast Tape Corporation. These awards are accompanied by cash prizes funded by Coroplast, and include 1st Prize ($1,000), 2nd Prize ($500), and 3rd Prize ($250). The 2019 COROART Awards jury includes a panel of three judges: Ashley Beard (Arts Council of York County Board member, art teacher), Harriet Goode (artist, owner: Gallery 5), and Tom Stanley (artist, Winthrop University [retired]). For more information about Coroplast’s commitment to the arts and COROART, visit https://www.coroplast-tapes.com/en/company/coroart-usa/.

Submitted material

ABC Project seeks project fields services specialist

Application deadline: June 15 The Arts in Basic Curriculum Project is seeking a project field services specialist. This is a grant-funded position. Reports to: ABC Project director, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, executive director of the South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC) The ABC Project field services specialist is responsible for providing educational expertise to schools and districts to help them develop and sustain quality, comprehensive, standards-based arts education, and for working extensively with Arts in Basic Curriculum Project director to coordinate all activities of the ABC Project, including ABC task forces, ABC Steering Committee meetings, workshops, presentations and other educational events provided by the ABC Project. Duties include, but are not limited to:

  • Working extensively with ABC director to administer the ABC Project throughout the state.
  • Working with the SCAC, the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Winthrop University, and the S.C State Department of Education (SCDE), to administer the ABC Project throughout the state.
  • Facilitating arts education strategic planning for schools and districts.
  • Coordinating and documenting ABC meetings, conferences, workshops and the Summer Arts Institutes.
  • Preparing reports and collecting statistics.
  • Providing assistance to schools and districts, including arts and arts integration curriculum development, grant writing/information, etc.
  • Serving as liaison to SCAC and SCDE and notifying them of ABC Project participation in conferences, workshops, Summer Arts Institutes, school/district meetings and other ABC activities.
  • Monitoring and identifying new research, policies and initiatives in the arts or that impact the arts.
  • Assisting with Arts Education Leadership Institute (and other ABC Project activities, as needed.)
  • Attending designated conferences to develop professional knowledge and skills.
  • Administrative duties as designated.
Requirements
  • Bachelor’s Degree and teaching or administrative experience with K-12 arts education
  • Understanding of arts integration, classroom instruction, lesson planning
  • Familiarity with National and/or SC Visual and Performing Arts Standards
  • Grant writing experience
  • Excellent time management, research and organization skills
  • Proven ability to communicate effectively with teachers, parents, district staff, community, and all other groups involved in the activities of the job
  • Excellent written, oral communication and interpersonal skills
  • Ability to document meetings and events and complete, process, and maintain required records.
  • Working knowledge of computers and websites
  • Ability to identify effective arts education strategies
  • An ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends, as needed
Employment conditions: This is a full-time, 12-month, grant-funded, salaried position. Salary: approx. $40K commensurate with skills and experience, plus benefits. Position availability: August 1, 2017 Application deadline: June 15, 2017 How to apply: A letter of interest; current curriculum vitae; and the names, addresses, e-mail addresses and telephone numbers of five professional references should be sent to: Ms. Christine Fisher 105 McLaurin Hall Winthrop University Rock Hill, SC 29733; E-mail: fisherc@winthrop.edu Winthrop University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and does not discriminate against any individual or group of individuals on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status. Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Winthrop students get $30,000 grant to create art for Rock Hill traffic circle

From the Rock Hill Herald Article by Bristow Marchant

Next spring, Winthrop University students will have a chance to create a permanent art display for one of Rock Hill’s main traffic arteries. The Rock Hill City Council on Monday approved the use of a $30,000 grant to have students at Winthrop’s College of Visual and Performing Arts design the artwork that will be placed in the new traffic circle under construction on Constitution Boulevard and Columbia Avenue. Fine arts professor Shaun Cassidy will lead the design project, with plans to submit a proposal for consideration by the end of the 2016 spring semester. Work began earlier this month to clear the roadside around the intersection after the council approved a contract for the $4.1 million project in September. The circle also will connect traffic with West White Street, which currently ends on Columbia. The traffic circle design is a public art project of the Rock Hill Designs for Rock Hill Places initiative, a collaboration between the city and the Rock Hill Economic Development Corp. “The goal of Rock Hill Designs is to incorporate locally created, locally inspired art into areas of public investment,” said Allan Miller with the RHEDC’s quality of life committee. Miller presented the proposal to the council on Monday, arguing the new roundabout offers the perfect location for a Rock Hill Designs art project, since it will feed into the Winthrop University campus and the planned Knowledge Park residential/commercial development along West White Street. “As the gateway to Knowledge Park and also Winthrop, this is an ideal place to use art to bring together education and economic development,” Miller said. The city will pay for the artwork using $30,000 out of a grant the city received in July from the National Endowment for the Arts. Another portion of the grant, totaling $50,000, will go toward the Woolworth Walkway planned for East Main Street, which will honor Rock Hill’s civil rights history. The walkway was the first public arts project approved through the Rock Hill Designs initiative, and is slated for completion early next year. Rock Hill economic development director Stephen Turner said the goal of Rock Hill Designs is to create a more visually pleasing environment using money the city would have to spend anyway on routine construction and landscaping costs for a project such as the traffic circle. “We’re already going to spend the money, but this will get us a very different project,” Turner said. The quality of life committee also plans to raise about $7,500 through the Barre Mitchell Community Initiative Fund. The City Council voted to approve a project agreement with Winthrop University and the RHEDC setting out the terms of the project. The agreement requires Winthrop to “lead a public design process” in line with the goals of Rock Hill Designs, in which students and faculty will work alongside “professional artists, urban design professionals and the city of Rock Hill.” Miller said that process will involve a “community engagement” component, likely including public meetings to review design proposals next spring.

Milly

Arts In Basic Curriculum (ABC) Project seeks field services specialist

The Arts In Basic Curriculum (ABC) Project is currently accepting applications for a field services specialist to work closely with the director to coordinate all ABC Project activities, including task forces, steering committee meetings, workshops, presentations and other educational events. The field services specialist will provide educational expertise to schools and districts to help them develop and sustain quality, comprehensive, standards-based arts education. The list of duties and requirements and the application instructions are available on the ABC Project website. Applications are due by Nov. 4. The ABC Project is a statewide collaborative initiative begun in 1987, with the goal of ensuring that every child in South Carolina, from pre-school through college levels, has access to a quality, comprehensive education in the arts, including dance, drama, music, visual arts and creative writing. The Arts In Basic Curriculum (ABC) Project is cooperatively directed by the South Carolina Arts Commission, the South Carolina Department of Education and the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Winthrop University. Via: ABC Project

Telling the story of arts education: “Happiness is the arts”

In this ARTSblog post, Stephanie Milling, assistant dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Winthrop University, shares her belief that arts educators should collect and share feel good stories that demonstrate how students are transformed by involvement in the arts. We agree, and we invite S.C. arts educators to submit stories, anecdotes or even ideas for stories about your students and how they have benefited from arts education. Use the "Submit a Story" link above, and we'll follow up.

The last couple of weeks, two interesting news stories that shared conflicting perspectives of the arts were reported on the NBC Nightly News. The first report told the story of a failing school in Boston that was turned around when the principal chose to eliminate the funding that customarily subsidized the security force and invest it in the arts. This move that some considered controversial at Orchard Gardens , a school in Roxbury, MA, resulted in one of the fastest student improvement rates statewide. The other anecdotal evidence that students, teachers, and the principal shared during the report reinforced evidence that arts advocates have always had statistics to support: students who study the arts in school perform better in the classroom and demonstrate more prosocial behavior. As an arts advocate, this feel good story tugged at my heart strings. I was satisfied that this principal’s quest to prove the value of the arts in education proved fruitful. As a former teacher in schools like Orchard Gardens, I was delighted to see a failing school turned around. The second report featured the retailer, The Children’s Place, and the demands to stop selling a girls t-shirt after complaints that it portrayed a sexist stereotype. The shirt said “my best subjects,” and featured checkboxes next to shopping, music, dance, and math. The boxes next to shopping, music, and dance contained checks while the box next to math was empty. While the controversy surrounding the shirt was motivated by individuals who viewed the shirt as sexist—and I am not denying that it was sexist–I was also bothered by the fact that it trivialized dance and music as core subject areas. By selling such a product, The Children’s Place and the t-shirt designer communicated that young women are intellectually inferior to their male peers and that studying the arts is equivalent to shopping. While the first news report portrayed the type of story that supports the work arts advocates do in this country, the second illustrates the need for continued dialogue with those who fail to understand the value of the arts in education—even if the faux pas was unintentional. While there are many ways to approach the dialogue of why students benefit from studying the arts with statistics and research to support this perspective, lately I have been thinking of a more straightforward point of entry into the conversation that might resonate with multiple audiences: engagement in the arts can lead to happiness. While approaching a conversation about the value of the arts in education with the idea that it makes us happy might sound facetious, I think it might help develop some common ground between those advocating on behalf of the arts and those who need to be more receptive to the idea that engagement in the arts leads to success in other academic subjects and life. The research of Mihaly Cszikzentmihalyi supports such a claim. Csikszentmihalyi argues that flow is the secret to happiness. Human beings achieve a state of flow when they are engaged in a focused task to the point where they lose themselves the task due to intense focus. Having involvement in such creative activities like the arts help individuals attain happiness in other areas of their lives. While this summary of Csikszentmihalyi’s research does not do it justice, watching his TED talk and reading his book, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience will make up for my brevity here. The point that I am trying to make is that we need to catalog and share our feel good stories since not all of them will be on the NBC Nightly News. Arts educators regularly see such transformations in their students that are motivated by involvement in the arts. We need to collect these stories and know that they capture the essence of what we aim to accomplish. While the t-shirt being sold at the Children’s Place indicated that dance and music are fun, it sent the wrong message. The arts are not frivolous activities. Instead, it is the challenges that are encountered and surmounted during the creative process that contribute to the happiness felt during artistic activity.
Via: ARTSblog (Americans for the Arts)
The last couple of weeks, two interesting news stories that shared conflicting perspectives of the arts were reported on the NBC Nightly News. The first report told the story of a failing school in Boston that was turned around when the principal chose to eliminate the funding that customarily subsidized the security force and invest it in the arts. This move that some considered controversial at Orchard Gardens , a school in Roxbury, MA, resulted in one of the fastest student improvement rates statewide. The other anecdotal evidence that students, teachers, and the principal shared during the report reinforced evidence that arts advocates have always had statistics to support: students who study the arts in school perform better in the classroom and demonstrate more prosocial behavior. As an arts advocate, this feel good story tugged at my heart strings. I was satisfied that this principal’s quest to prove the value of the arts in education proved fruitful. As a former teacher in schools like Orchard Gardens, I was delighted to see a failing school turned around. The second report featured the retailer, The Children’s Place, and the demands to stop selling a girls t-shirt after complaints that it portrayed a sexist stereotype. The shirt said “my best subjects,” and featured checkboxes next to shopping, music, dance, and math. The boxes next to shopping, music, and dance contained checks while the box next to math was empty. While the controversy surrounding the shirt was motivated by individuals who viewed the shirt as sexist—and I am not denying that it was sexist–I was also bothered by the fact that it trivialized dance and music as core subject areas. By selling such a product, The Children’s Place and the t-shirt designer communicated that young women are intellectually inferior to their male peers and that studying the arts is equivalent to shopping. While the first news report portrayed the type of story that supports the work arts advocates do in this country, the second illustrates the need for continued dialogue with those who fail to understand the value of the arts in education—even if the faux pas was unintentional. While there are many ways to approach the dialogue of why students benefit from studying the arts with statistics and research to support this perspective, lately I have been thinking of a more straightforward point of entry into the conversation that might resonate with multiple audiences: engagement in the arts can lead to happiness. While approaching a conversation about the value of the arts in education with the idea that it makes us happy might sound facetious, I think it might help develop some common ground between those advocating on behalf of the arts and those who need to be more receptive to the idea that engagement in the arts leads to success in other academic subjects and life. The research of Mihaly Cszikzentmihalyi supports such a claim. Csikszentmihalyi argues that flow is the secret to happiness. Human beings achieve a state of flow when they are engaged in a focused task to the point where they lose themselves the task due to intense focus. Having involvement in such creative activities like the arts help individuals attain happiness in other areas of their lives. While this summary of Csikszentmihalyi’s research does not do it justice, watching his TED talk and reading his book, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience will make up for my brevity here. The point that I am trying to make is that we need to catalog and share our feel good stories since not all of them will be on the NBC Nightly News. Arts educators regularly see such transformations in their students that are motivated by involvement in the arts. We need to collect these stories and know that they capture the essence of what we aim to accomplish. While the t-shirt being sold at the Children’s Place indicated that dance and music are fun, it sent the wrong message. The arts are not frivolous activities. Instead, it is the challenges that are encountered and surmounted during the creative process that contribute to the happiness felt during artistic activity. - See more at: http://blog.artsusa.org/2013/08/14/happiness-is-the-arts/#sthash.gzOzjXPo.dpuf
The last couple of weeks, two interesting news stories that shared conflicting perspectives of the arts were reported on the NBC Nightly News. The first report told the story of a failing school in Boston that was turned around when the principal chose to eliminate the funding that customarily subsidized the security force and invest it in the arts. This move that some considered controversial at Orchard Gardens , a school in Roxbury, MA, resulted in one of the fastest student improvement rates statewide. The other anecdotal evidence that students, teachers, and the principal shared during the report reinforced evidence that arts advocates have always had statistics to support: students who study the arts in school perform better in the classroom and demonstrate more prosocial behavior. As an arts advocate, this feel good story tugged at my heart strings. I was satisfied that this principal’s quest to prove the value of the arts in education proved fruitful. As a former teacher in schools like Orchard Gardens, I was delighted to see a failing school turned around. The second report featured the retailer, The Children’s Place, and the demands to stop selling a girls t-shirt after complaints that it portrayed a sexist stereotype. The shirt said “my best subjects,” and featured checkboxes next to shopping, music, dance, and math. The boxes next to shopping, music, and dance contained checks while the box next to math was empty. While the controversy surrounding the shirt was motivated by individuals who viewed the shirt as sexist—and I am not denying that it was sexist–I was also bothered by the fact that it trivialized dance and music as core subject areas. By selling such a product, The Children’s Place and the t-shirt designer communicated that young women are intellectually inferior to their male peers and that studying the arts is equivalent to shopping. While the first news report portrayed the type of story that supports the work arts advocates do in this country, the second illustrates the need for continued dialogue with those who fail to understand the value of the arts in education—even if the faux pas was unintentional. While there are many ways to approach the dialogue of why students benefit from studying the arts with statistics and research to support this perspective, lately I have been thinking of a more straightforward point of entry into the conversation that might resonate with multiple audiences: engagement in the arts can lead to happiness. While approaching a conversation about the value of the arts in education with the idea that it makes us happy might sound facetious, I think it might help develop some common ground between those advocating on behalf of the arts and those who need to be more receptive to the idea that engagement in the arts leads to success in other academic subjects and life. The research of Mihaly Cszikzentmihalyi supports such a claim. Csikszentmihalyi argues that flow is the secret to happiness. Human beings achieve a state of flow when they are engaged in a focused task to the point where they lose themselves the task due to intense focus. Having involvement in such creative activities like the arts help individuals attain happiness in other areas of their lives. While this summary of Csikszentmihalyi’s research does not do it justice, watching his TED talk and reading his book, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience will make up for my brevity here. The point that I am trying to make is that we need to catalog and share our feel good stories since not all of them will be on the NBC Nightly News. Arts educators regularly see such transformations in their students that are motivated by involvement in the arts. We need to collect these stories and know that they capture the essence of what we aim to accomplish. While the t-shirt being sold at the Children’s Place indicated that dance and music are fun, it sent the wrong message. The arts are not frivolous activities. Instead, it is the challenges that are encountered and surmounted during the creative process that contribute to the happiness felt during artistic activity. - See more at: http://blog.artsusa.org/2013/08/14/happiness-is-the-arts/#sthash.gzOzjXPo.dpuf
   

Dancing, drumming, design: middle school students create at Winthrop University

For the 25th consecutive year, Winthrop University has welcomed gifted and talented students in grades six through eight for an artistic summer filled with music, dance, design, drama and photography. The approximately 300 students, chosen during tryouts from the Clover, Fort Mill, Lancaster, Rock Hill and York school districts, are currently spending the three weeks in the ST-ARTS program working with more than 50 talented artists and musicians from Winthrop, public schools and the S.C. Arts Commission Artists Roster. As part of the ST-ARTS curriculum, students study their “major” arts area and spend time exploring a “minor” art interest as well. They also have the chance to attend arts performances. Examples of classes include hip-hop dancing, puppetry, improvisation acting, African drumming and 3D design. Since its inception in 1989, the program has served more than 8,500 middle school students. According to an article in the Rock Hill Herald, one aspect of ST-ARTS that sets it apart from arts education in schools is the specialized material. Theater students are able to delve into directing and puppetry, while music students explore African drumming and music technology.

At this time of year, Winthrop University’s classrooms are filled with creative middle-schoolers hard at work. This summer marks the 25th anniversary of the university’s ST-ARTS program, where students in sixth through eighth grades spend three weeks exploring the arts. Over the years, more than 8,500 students have participated in the program. ST-ARTS participants audition for and participate in one of the four major arts areas: drama, dance, visual arts and music. “The program is amazing,” said Mary Shockley, a drama teacher. “Arts programs like this one are important because they keep the kids in schools and out of trouble. It helps them express themselves.” She said that many students find a home in the community that the arts offer.
Read the complete article to find out what students and teachers think about the program. Via: Winthrop University, Rock Hill Herald

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