Seasonal Art Camp Director

Who We Are:

Founded in 1891 by a group of visionary volunteers, The Trustees of Reservations (The Trustees) is the nation’s premier conservation and preservation organization. The Trustees’ preserves, for public use and enjoyment, properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts. Our properties are open to all, and we thrive by involving as many people as possible in all that we do. We aim to protect special places for future generations to enjoy in perpetuity, and have helped protect more than 50,000 acres, including 27,000+ acres on more than 120 reservations that are open to the public. As a non-profit conservation organization, we are funded and supported entirely by our visitors, supporters, volunteers, and our 100,000 Member households. We encourage you to learn more about The Trustees on our website, www.thetrustees.org.

Posting Information:

Hourly Rate: $23.00-25.00/hour 

Rates are determined based on relevant experience. 

Hours per week: 40 hours/week, Mondays-Fridays, 8:30AM-4:30PM, Fridays until 5PM, occasional weekend days/weeknights for training and camp administration 

Job Classification: Nonexempt, Seasonal 

Job Type: Onsite, deCordova 

Duration: May 11, 2026–August 24, 2026 

Location: deCordova, Lincoln, MA 

What You’ll Do:

Are you someone who values collaborative, interdisciplinary, place-based education and the intersections of art, nature, and science? Are you creative, open-minded, curious, and flexible, and have strong organizational, computer, and management skills? As the director of DeCordova's camps, you will implement and execute each summer’s unique themes that spark the imagination and creativity of staff, campers, and families alike.   

THE HIVE, July 6-August 7, is designed for fifty-six campers ages 5-12 who are curious about the world around them and interested in exploring nature and contemporary artistic ideas through energizing and emergent collaborations culminating each week in large-scale installations in the Sculpture Park.  

 TEEN SUMMER STUDIO, June 29-July 3 and August 10-14, offers opportunities for small cohort of 13–16-year-olds to refine and expand artistic techniques, create meaningful connections, and develop confidence in their unique artistic voice.  

For more information about this summer’s exciting weekly themes and projects, please visit: deCordova Camps. 

The Role:

As the deCordova Art Camp Director, you will report to the deCordova Interpretation Manager and oversee the operations and management of The Hive and Teen Summer Studio. You will be responsible for onboarding, training, mentoring, and leading deCordova’s cohort of innovative Art & Nature Instructors (artists, educators, makers, naturalists) who work in consort with campers to create magnificent, immersive sculptures in the park each summer week. As the deCordova Camps Director, you will spend extensive time in the studios, actively engaging with campers, supporting instructors, building community, and developing strong relationships with each camper and their family. 

Specifically, you’ll be responsible for: 

• Implement and oversee the camps’ emergent art and nature-based curriculum that responds to deCordova’s exhibitions plus instructors’ and campers’ interests and skills.  

• Effectively train, mentor, and manage a team of seasonal camp staff: Assistant Camp Director, Art & Nature Instructors, Camp Behavior Specialist, and Junior Instructors. 

• Manage camp registration, parent communications, town licensing, and other camp administrative work, using dedicated CampBrain software and other platforms as required. 

• Lead comprehensive training for Instructors and Junior Instructors, ensuring they are fully grounded in program content and pedagogy and prepared to create a safe, engaging, and consistent camp experience. 

• Provide robust support to the Assistant Camp Director in training, mentoring, and managing Junior Instructors ages 15–18, ensuring they are equipped to contribute meaningfully to the studio environment. 

• Support individual camper needs, challenges, and wellness, sometimes requiring one-on-one supervision. 

• Proactively communicate with camper parents, fostering trust through clear, timely, and thoughtful outreach that supports each camper’s experience. 

• Collaborate closely with Instructors on the weekly installation and de-installation of camper-created projects, ensuring thoughtful presentation, safe handling, and an environment that celebrates each artist’s work. 

• Participate in statewide Trustees Camp Director meetings and trainings.  

• Collaborate with Lincoln Nursery School and Trustees staff to prepare and breakdown studios for the transitions from Lincoln Nursery School classrooms to deCordova’s summer camps.  

• Along with the Assistant Camp Director, serve as the camp Health Care Supervisor by coordinating and overseeing first aid and camper medications as necessary.  

This is a seasonal, nonexempt position working 40 hours/week reporting to the deCordova Camps Director.