Marketing Strategist / Assistant Gallery Manager

***This internship is reserved for students eligible for the summer internship stipend. Students eligible will have been notified via email from Student Engagement & Career Development.***

The Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild (SAWG) is a 300-member nonprofit corporation with a 54 year history in Tucson and is run solely by member volunteers. The Guild runs a professional gallery which hosts juried and non-juried shows throughout the year, each lasting 4 – 10 weeks.  Some shows are open to multimedia community artists in addition to SAWG members. The Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild Art Gallery is located in the prestigious Williams Centre at 5420 E. Broadway,

We are seeking motivated, creative and dedicated students who want an opportunity to learn valuable business skills. How does a volunteer nonprofit corporation manage to run a Guild as well as an Art Gallery in a mid-sized city without the assistance of government grants? SAWG is the only watercolor society of the ten member “Western Federation of Watercolor Societies” that operates a gallery with no government funding. The right candidates will work with SAWG members and learn: the nuts and bolts of management of the gallery, about the Guild’s web platform (used by thousands of small art galleries around the country), as well as the operation of SAWG’s webcam and recording equipment, how to produce an art show as well as work on the development of a digital social media campaign to increase traffic and sales in the Art Gallery.

SAWG’s summer interns will:

·       work with a seasoned gallery docent while the gallery is open: greet potential customers and learn to enter sales in SAWG’s POS system.  

·       act as Assistant Show Chair for a SAWG art show: upload jpgs of paintings to the website, assist at intake and hanging of the artwork, prepare and attend the show’s Thursday evening opening reception (if possible).

·       attend the June 13, 2022 2:00pm board meeting for an inside view on how a volunteer organization governs

·       learn to operate the organization’s audio-visual equipment with a view to creating short videos/promos for digital marketing of the Guild and upcoming shows

·       work with our publicity and audio/visual teams to develop a marketing strategy to increase SAWG’s visibility, improve SEO results to generate traffic in the gallery.

A Sophomore or Junior (preferred) with a major in Marketing or related major with an interest in digital media/SEO results. A knowledge of Adobe Acrobat, Excel and Photoshop is helpful, but training is available. Strong organizational skills are required. Some familiarity with Audio/Visual equipment a plus but not required. The applicant should have a desire to learn real life business practices, be a team player and a creative thinker. An interest in nonprofits is a plus but not required. A year’s membership in the Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild and free access to all recorded water media events that may be shown during the internship period are included with the internship. Member benefits are listed on our website.

Karyn Vampotic, SAWG’s immediate past president and Workshop Committee Chair, will be the primary contact for the intern. However, members with expertise in a variety of areas of gallery management, our audio-visual equipment and marketing will assist.

A minimum investment of 10 - 15 hours a week for the 12-week period is required, with a minimum requirement of 150 hours total. Most of the internship will take place on location in the Art Gallery. Schedules can be adapted to meet the needs of the students and the mentors, however, it is preferred that the student not have other outside employment during the internship. The intern must have reliable transportation to the gallery.  

The internship can be any 10 weeks between May 16, 2022 – August 16, 2022 as long as the target of 150 hours is met.

Ability to sit for several hours, easily use computers/see monitor, move about the gallery, and cheerfully interact with potential customers. Business casual dress required when working in the gallery. Reliable transportation a must.

1.    How a successful volunteer nonprofit organization is structured and functions. 

2.    How to use SAWG’s audio-visual equipment to create short videos for publicity and marketing

3.    How to organize and present an art show in a professional gallery

1.     Upload a resume that includes academic and nonacademic skills and experience. Please include marketing courses or experience with two educational or work-related references and contact information.

2.    A cover letter that states your interest in learning how a nonprofit volunteer corporation runs, your general career goals at this time and what you would bring to the organization. 

***This internship is reserved for students eligible for the summer internship stipend. Students eligible will have been notified via email from Student Engagement & Career Development.***