Oakton, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Oakton, Virginia
Posted: 08-Nov-24
Location: Charlottesville, Virginia
Type: Full Time
Categories:
About the School
The Covenant School is an independent Christian Liberal Arts & Sciences school in Charlottesville, Virginia, serving over 760 students from Pre-K through 12th grade. We are a community of faith and learning, rooted in the Western Liberal Arts tradition, focused on the formation of the whole person—mind, body, and soul. Our faculty lead with an incarnational approach that seeks to equip and inspire students to live well through service to God and others.
The Arts play a vital role in our mission because they are a vital aspect of our human personhood: the Creator’s creations are intrinsically creative. And just as God created a world marked not only by goodness and truth but also beauty, so students find their highest fulfillment by recognizing goodness, truth, and beauty in the world, and by learning to embody it in artful word and deed. For this reason, Covenant requires students to participate in visual art, theater, and music (instrumental and vocal) classes throughout Lower, Middle, and Upper School, thus cultivating attentiveness, wonder, self-discipline, collaboration, and culminating in worship of God and love of neighbor. Because we see the arts as inherently connected to every other academic discipline, we aspire to integrate instruction across the curriculum and across departments. We also encourage broad participation in the arts beyond the classroom, recognizing the essential role of the arts in shaping the communal life and culture of our school. Ultimately, all facets of what we envision in our Portrait of a Covenant Graduate coalesce in and through the arts: a thriving human being, in body, mind, and spirit, at home in this world with God, others, self, and the rest of creation.
Position Overview
The Arts Director will oversee, promote, and develop the arts programs across all grade levels (Pre- K through 12th) in alignment with the school’s Christian mission and liberal arts philosophy. The ideal candidate will be a visionary leader who inspires students and teachers, and who fosters an environment where the Arts are integrated throughout the curriculum to reflect the goodness, truth, and beauty of God’s creation.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree (Master’s degree preferred)
- 5+ years of experience in arts education (both teaching and administrative experience preferred)
- Strong understanding of Christian education, the liberal arts tradition, and the integration of faith and the arts.
- Demonstrated ability to lead and inspire faculty and
- Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal
- Strong collaboration skills and a desire to build community through the
- Ability to articulate the importance of the arts within a Christian liberal arts
- Experience in budgeting, program development, and event planning
Key Responsibilities
Program Development
- Provide strategic vision for the arts programs—visual, musical, and theatrical—across all grade levels, ensuring their coherence and alignment with the school’s mission.
- Develop initiatives that foster interdisciplinary connections between courses, departments, grade levels, and extracurriculars.
- Design performances, exhibits, and events–in both expected and unexpected spaces and times–to engage the school community.
- Develop curricular standards across all grade
Faculty Development
- Recruit, hire, mentor, and evaluate arts faculty, fostering a collaborative and innovative arts
- Build relationships with teachers and administrators across both campuses, ensuring collaboration between arts faculty and other departments and promoting a one school
- Encourage adult (faculty, staff, parent) participation in the arts to cultivate a thriving, multigenerational arts culture within the school.
Student Engagement
- Maintain a part-time course load in accordance with the needs of the Arts
- Inspire all students to explore and develop their artistic gifts, encouraging both wide participation and a commitment to excellence.
- Work with school chaplains to integrate the arts into the spiritual life of the school through chapel services, Advent events, and other occasions.
- Coordinate off-campus opportunities for students to experience performances, exhibitions, and other cultural events, locally, regionally, and internationally.
Administration
- Manage the arts department budget responsibly and
- Oversee event logistics, including scheduling, venue preparation, and communication with families and other community members.
Community Engagement
- Network with parents, local artists, other area teachers, and organizations to promote collaboration and mutual support in the wider artistic community.
- As able, encourage other arts programs and their leaders and share the school’s arts resources with the broader community.
Application Process & Timeline
The new Arts Director will begin work in July 2025. For consideration, candidates should submit a resume and cover letter to careers@covenantschool.org.