Art Director

We’re contracting an Art Director to shape the creative vision on site for each year’s festival, reporting to and working closely with the Co-Founder & Music Director. You’ll curate the art installations and murals, guide our stage teams, and lead the decor team and direct lighting, setting the look of every space from the gates to the on-site businesses to the stages. You’ll manage the art installation, mural and decor budgets and work closely with the Production Manager and Site Director, who handle the technical side, contracts and the build. Success means a site that feels like one festival, and an art program delivered on time and within budget.

• Develop the annual creative vision for the site with the Co-Founder & Music Director, for their final approval, and write the site aesthetic brief the Site Director builds from, covering stages, installations, murals, decor, signage and wayfinding, gates, bars, stores and the look of every on-site business, camping and all customer-facing spaces, and consult with the Site Director on site layout.
• Lead site and stage lighting, working with the Lighting Director and Production Manager on technical delivery.
• Write the calls and criteria for art installations and murals, then select the 50+ projects that make up each year's art program in January and February, and manage the installation and mural budgets with the Art Install Manager and Mural Manager.
• Work with each existing stage team to guide how their stage evolves from year to year in step with its music programming, and lead the selection of new stage teams with the Co-Founder & Music Director, who writes the stage RFPs and makes the final call.
• Manage the site decor team, including contractor selection and supply orders, and set the look of every on-site business while working creatively within a tight budget.
• Coordinate artist fees, scope and contracts with the Art Install Manager, Mural Manager and Production Manager, who issues all contracts.
• Confirm feasibility, technical needs and budget for larger installations with the Site Director and Production Manager before any design is contracted.
• Consult on the festival theme and artisan vending standards.
• Hold biweekly check-ins with contracted artists, stage teams, the Decor Manager, Production and the Co-Founder & Music Director, and attend production meetings.
• Be on site full-time through install and the festival as the day-to-day creative decision-maker, supervising art installation and decor execution alongside the Site Director.
• Lead post-festival debriefs for all art program areas, write the annual creative report, and archive the program for grant reporting and external arts funding applications.
• Build the art program budget, and present the vision and proposed budget for the following year to festival leadership each September.

Qualifications

• Has a strong curatorial eye, loves championing other artists' work, and enjoys solving creative problems with the budget, materials and crews on hand.
• 7+ years of experience in creative or art direction for festivals, events, installations or comparable large-scale environments.
• A track record of commissioning or working closely with visual artists, and an established network of artists, collectives and curators across BC, the West Coast and Canada.
• Experience setting the look of stage or outdoor lighting with a technical team.
• Experience writing creative briefs and artist calls.
• Experience building and presenting an art budget, agreeing fees and scope with artists, and keeping projects on budget through delivery.
• A practical understanding of how design meets build, including rigging, power, materials and feasibility.
• Experience giving creative direction to other departments, such as site, production and lighting, and comfort handing your vision to someone else to build.
• Strong organization and communication skills, with comfort managing many artist relationships at once.
• Proficiency in Google Workspace and project management software.
• Professional and productive in all interactions. Maintains composure and earns trust across all levels.
• Capable of working in a constantly evolving environment and on site in variable weather.
• A connection to underground electronic music culture and Bass Coast's values, including consent culture and harm reduction.
• Asset: based in BC, proficiency in SketchUp (or equivalent), experience with arts grant applications or reporting, and experience in graphic design, photo or video art direction to support the Marketing Director on the festival's look.

Term: Independent contract from January 6 to September 30, 2027. A multi-year agreement on a 12-month term will be considered after a successful first season.

Hours: Estimated hours may vary. All are remote with the exception of the on site days as marked.

• January and February: approximately 20 hours per week 
• March to June: 12 to 15 hours per week, plus 2 days on site in May
• June 29 to July 14: full-time on site for install, the festival (July 9 to 12) and teardown
• August and September: 20 to 30 hours per month for debriefs, the creative report and next year’s budget

Compensation: $25,000 CAD flat fee for the first term. On-site meals and camping accommodation provided as part of the standard production contract.

Location and work environment: Bass Coast offers a flexible and creative work environment. All Bass Coast team members work remotely during pre-show and post-show and are required to have their own computer and workspace (whether at home or elsewhere). The successful candidate will be able to work both independently and work remotely via video conference with team members. In-person meetings may be required. The successful candidate must be eligible to work in Canada.