Spring 2025 | Artists in Residence

Who We Are

MOVE (Mobilize, Organize, Vote, Empower) Texas innovates democracy for our generation. We work daily to build a more just and representative future that empowers inspiring new leaders to keep making Texas better. Our vision is to build the political power of young people to transform democracy in Texas and beyond. While we are known as MOVE Texas, we are comprised of two organizations.

• MOVE Texas Action Fund (501(c)(4) is the political arm of MOVE Texas, an organization dedicated to building the political power of young people in underrepresented communities through civic engagement, leadership development, and issue advocacy.

• MOVE Texas Civic Fund (501(c)(3) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, grassroots organization building power in underrepresented youth communities through civic education, leadership development, and issue advocacy.

MOVE Texas operates throughout Texas and primarily in San Antonio, Laredo, Seguin, San Marcos, Austin, Houston, College Station, Fort Worth, Denton, and Dallas. We plan to continue growing and serving other cities and counties beyond these areas.

Our Values & Commitments

We are an organization that leads from our values of People First, Equity, Imagination & Action, Sustainability, & Community Focus. We are dedicated to hiring a diverse workforce that fosters personal and professional development opportunities. We provide a collaborative and supportive environment built upon our fundamental core principles, where each employee is valued.

Job Summary

The MOVE Texas Artists in Residence Program is a semester-long initiative for early-stage (junior artists) and emerging artists (senior artists) to create impactful works connecting communities across Texas. This program fosters a supportive community of artists who contribute to communications, campaigns, and projects that advocate for Democracy Reform, Climate Justice, and Gender Justice. Through this network, artists infuse culture, creativity, and joy into youth civic engagement while building portfolios that amplify the voices of young Texans.

The program offers two creative paths for junior and senior artists: video content creation and graphic artistry. Content Creators produce video content for social media, using visual storytelling to elevate key messages, while Graphic Artists develop artwork inspired by our advocacy campaigns that resonate with diverse audiences. Both roles support our mission of crafting impactful art that drives awareness and engagement.

Junior artists follow a structured path with mentorship to build foundational skills in creating civic-focused works. Senior artists operate with greater creative freedom in a newsroom-style setting, responding to current events and creating timely, resonant art. All artists receive guidance from the Communications, Leadership Development, and Organizing teams and report to the Communications Manager.

Junior Artists in Residence

In the Junior Artist track, designed for new and emerging artists, you’ll follow a comprehensive learning path that builds not only your artistic and professional skills but also your confidence as a community organizer and advocate. With a thoughtfully structured syllabus, hands-on projects, and the guidance of dedicated mentors, you’ll grow your artistic voice while learning how to channel your creativity into meaningful civic engagement. This track offers a foundation in essential skills—from crafting impactful messaging to understanding civic processes—empowering you to use your art to inspire and mobilize others. You'll emerge as a stronger artist and organizer ready to make a real impact on the issues that matter to Texas communities.

Senior Artists in Residence

The Senior Artist track is designed for artists with a previous foundation in organizing or artistic leadership, providing the opportunity to lead high-impact projects within a newsroom-inspired editorial framework. Responding to real-time events, you’ll be entrusted with the autonomy to create bold, urgent work that drives action and aligns with our organizational brand. With editorial oversight and critical feedback, you’ll refine your ability to craft art that resonates and demands attention and action on Texas’s most pressing civic and social issues. This track is designed to sharpen your skills in both artistic practice and strategic communications, empowering you to create work that drives conversations, influences policy, and advances the fight for justice across the state.

See the full job description here [LINK].

Who You Are (the must-haves)

• Ready to build civic engagement in the community. You understand the power of community organizing and the importance of exercising our right to vote and have our communities’ voices heard. You are eager to form relationships across the community, uniting people to invest in building the political power of young people to transform democracy in Texas and beyond. You embrace the idea that communities across Texas are connected by shared struggles and challenges. You possess a basic understanding or are interested in learning more about local political landscapes, including progressive movement issues and the unique barriers to democracy in Texas.
  
  

• Well organized and prepared to participate in the Artist in Residence program. You are prepared to participate in all aspects of the program and have the dedicated time to fulfill the responsibilities. You have established time management skills that guide your priorities and help you manage your academic commitments, extracurricular activities, passion projects, and self-care. You know how to take the initiative to find solutions to immediate challenges and also know how to ask for support proactively. You are well organized and complete tasks on time, understanding how your actions and behaviors help advance our organization toward its mission. You are ready to guide others in leading nonpartisan initiatives despite a very unbalanced and politically challenging environment. 

• Strong communication and collaboration skills. Artists must be prepared to work in a fast-paced environment and occasionally take on rapid-response assignments based on the news cycle. You have a demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively with people of different backgrounds in a team environment to achieve shared goals. You know how to work with integrity through differences, respecting the opinions of others, and treating all with equality and dignity. You can leverage social and print media to build a following and increase awareness of important issues. You share information and demonstrate an ability to listen openly and empathetically to others.
  
  

• Justice & Inclusion Oriented. You are passionate about engaging and educating young voters and advocating for progressive policies like voting rights, climate justice, and gender justice. You are deeply committed to MOVE’s mission of engaging more young people to build power in our democracy. You can passionately engage and inspire others toward a larger vision while exhibiting a demonstrable passion for advancing the organization's mission. You model and ensure an inclusive, welcoming, and inspiring organizational culture aligned with our values.
  

• Nonpartisan Commitment. Artists in Residence are prohibited from holding a paid or unpaid position for any office of an elected official or active partisan political campaign during the program due to conflict of interests. Your participation in any campaign involvement must be done outside of your MOVE Texas work.

Our Wishlist (the pluses)

• Experience participating in leadership programs or student organizing efforts.

• Experience participating in extracurricular activities or community service.

• Experience working in the areas of democracy reform, climate justice, and/or gender justice.

• Spanish language skills or American Sign Language skills.

• Ability to thoughtfully navigate issues related to race, identity, and equity and be deeply committed to advancing the values of equity and inclusion.

Position Details

This is a part-time, temporary, stipend, non-exempt position in a semester-long program offered from January to May with a regular commitment of five to six hours per week. You must be at least 18 years old and legally eligible to work in the United States to participate in this program. This position requires the employee to reside in Texas. The Artist in Residence role is a hybrid position (80% virtual, 20% in-person) that requires reliable access to transportation, wifi, and a dedicated working space. Statewide travel, while limited, will vary based on organizational needs. The employee is responsible for maintaining valid travel documentation. The stipend for this position is $250.00 bi-weekly. This is a non-supervisory position that reports directly to the Communications Manager.  This is not a union-eligible position. 

Physical & Mental Requirements

• Occasional periods of sitting at a desk and constantly operating on a computer

• Occasional walks, stands, and moves equipment weighing up to 30 pounds for in-person events

• Occasional works in outdoor weather conditions for in-person events 

• Occasional moves throughout the community and inside and across buildings to access meetings or to conduct site visits for in-person work.

• Learn new tasks, remember processes, maintain focus, complete tasks independently, make timely decisions in the context of a workflow, ability to communicate with coworkers and partners, ability to complete tasks in situations that have time constraints.

Position Competencies 

• Organizational Awareness

• Planning & Results Orientation

• Teamwork & Collaboration 

• Communication

• Emotional Intelligence
  
  

What else you should know

EEO. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO) and encourage women, people of color, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQIA community to express interest by application. 

Timeline

• Friday, November 15 | Launch Application

• Friday, November 29 | Application Deadline

• Monday, December 2 - Wednesday, December 4 | Interviews

• Thursday, January 9 | Start Date

• May 2025 | End Date