Teaching Artist – Advanced Photography

Overview

Venice Arts is seeking a creative educator to teach our Advanced Photography Workshop for high school aged youth. The ideal candidate can lead in-person photography workshops with a project-based approach that centers on experiential learning. Along with teaching, this position would be instrumental in building a creative community environment and mentoring for young photographers.

Ideal candidates should have an interest and a passion for working with under-resourced and underserved youth. They should have knowledge or interest in developing their ability to engage with students from a trauma-informed and culturally competent lens. Finally, candidates will also have a deep appreciation for diverse perspectives and experiences, and will use these qualities to create a welcoming environment for all students.

Venice Arts provides templates, examples and 1:1 support to help each teacher craft a fun and exciting workshop. Venice Arts requires all teaching artists to attend paid training and allow for classroom observations, and feedback. We look for educators who are eager to continue learning and excited to collaborate with their peers.

Prior experience working with youth ages 10-18 is required; at least one year of teaching experience is preferred. Familiarity with project-based learning and interactive teaching is a strong plus. We strongly prefer applicants who view teaching as an extension of their own artistic practice and are interested in building a sustained working relationship with Venice Arts. In addition, the ideal candidate offers the following:

• Must have a foundational understanding of photography including technical lighting and editing
• Must have a foundational understanding of visual storytelling
• Must have experience with digital DSLR cameras and basic lighting equipment
• Must have a foundational understanding of art history of contemporary practices
• Must have experience with Apple computers and Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom
• Familiarity with personal storytelling or documentary arts is a plus
• Experience in layout, printing, and framing, art is a plus

Salary: Entry level teaching artists begin with a teaching rate of $30 per hour. Class prep, syllabus writing (up to 8 hours), and mandatory training are paid at an administrative rate of $25/hour. For every 2 hours of classroom teaching you are paid for 3 hours of teaching and 1 hour of prep for a total of 4 hours per class at a starting rate of $115 per class session.

Final date to receive applications: July 10, 2026

Documents required to apply: Resume, cover letter

How to apply: Fill out an application here and attach a resume and one-page cover letter outlining your relevant experience, and a brief workshop idea; a couple sentences about a theme/topic that inspires you and the final project students would be working to complete. Do not send a completed lesson plan or portfolio! This is simply an opportunity for you to share what inspires you, and the type of work you wish to facilitate.