That Job

They. are. insane. I was fine. But they are completely crazy novices who want everything, and for free, and including me who would be fund raising to pay her salary along with every other conceivable thing a managing director might do in a job they think will take 25 hours a week.

Their term was self-funded. They want everything self-funded.

Seriously.

Dear That Job:
Really, you want to be a Big Serious Arts Org, but you want to make No Investment other than in securing space, Not Even in the person who's going to get you there? Really. And you'd like free hotel stays for your artists, and free printing services from local printers, free advertising, .... and you suggest nothing of consequence to barter for it?

Now, visitors can stay in your houses, and printing can be got at cost, and advertising can be partly free if you know where to look but most of it will cost you... and to barter you have to have some thing equal value to trade.

And you don't even want to pay me so that I can concentrate on trying to find the magic spell that will make that happen?

You imagine I'll be in the gallery organizing things, making phone calls, lining up volunteers and interns, and cetera for 25 hours, and the rest of my time will be spent hustling to make rent and cozying up to people who wear their money?

Puhleeeeeze. You're the board, your job is finding money and services, and my job is to make those things work for you.

You hadn't even worked out a tentative job description. You wanted to negotiate that, someone to lead you on that. Oh. That. Should. Be. Fun. Because you couldn't even get on Web and research how that position works at other .orgs. Uh-huh.

Cowgirl up, and we'll talk. Because I have two scholarly books to finish and some poetry to publish, my dears.

Thanks anyway,
PRSC

I am not kidding.

I'm actually mad about it. What a colossal mess. I'm not touching that gig with a match to help it burn itself out.

Unless they are willing to take a crash course in non-profit management and Reality. Which, I am in no mood to supply. I've worked for people who didn't know what they were doing, or how to do it well, who wasted my time, talent, energy, soul before. And I was doing it for real money, health insurance, and the minds of the next generation. Do you Seriously Think that I will kill myself like that for a precious hobby of theirs?