Idyllwild Arts Reviews

2.6

41% would recommend to a friend

(35 total reviews)

17% positive business outlook

Idyllwild Arts has an employee rating of 2.6 out of 5 stars, based on 35 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The Idyllwild Arts employee rating is 30% below average for employers within the Construction, repair and maintenance industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

35 reviews
1.0
21 Aug 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The students themselves are the brightest part of the experience. The natural setting is beautiful and inspiring. Some departments are filled with passionate and capable educators doing their best under difficult conditions.

Cons

Since it is not a good place to work, people quit all the time and that high staff turnover is met not with replacement, but with redistribution of duties to remaining staff, often without training or added compensation. Housing is "sold" as a benefit to the teachers, however it comes with a whole another job called Dorm Parenting. You are not paid for the time you dorm parent; since it is a demanding job, there are no consistent days off, and personal time is regularly interrupted by additional duties. Leadership is disengaged and largely remote, with little understanding of or any concern for the day-to-day realities of staff and faculty working on campus. Poor infrastructure maintenance, including persistent rodent and insect infestations, especially in student dorms. Small mountain town, no HR, no oversight of any school operational integrity. Quite sad. The organization suffers from nepotism and systemic disorganization, leading to inconsistent experiences across departments and frequent burnout. My direct supervisor lacked basic managerial competence, which resulted in miscommunication, frequent blame-shifting, and unsafe conditions for students.

1.0
17 Aug 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Some dedicated teachers and students genuinely care about the arts. - Facilities are adequate when programs/facilities crews are properly staffed. - The students make the job rewarding.

Cons

- Sudden, unexplained changes: Critical teaching positions (including mine) were never posted or transitioned properly. - Faculty learned about replacements after decisions were made, part-time faculty staff was not properly interviewed with oversight. - Kids with poor and detrimental behavior are kept on campus while others are expelled for “lesser reasons”. There is no transparency with student punitive actions creating further chaos in the dorms when you also have to dorm parent in order to live there and work. - Yes, you work in exchange for housing however you can’t call out. You are expected to take new shifts if needed due to short staffing. Oh also, you still pay for your housing but it’s labeled as “utilities by square footage”. - Threats to programs: Classes and departments are being erased from their programming left and right due to leadership changes. These classes and departments are often viewed as integral to arts programming but are now ignored OR overlooked. - Zero faculty input: No communication about who will teach what in core arts courses, leaving students in limbo. Faculty is not asked to provide input into larger choices, department or school-wide. Surveys are sent but, clearly, never read. - Chaotic leadership: Important decisions are made haphazardly, with no regard for curriculum continuity or student experience. The most closed door policy place I’ve ever worked at.

5.0
25 July 2025

Loved it

Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I worked here for the summer and would absolutely come back. I know a lot of the staff is different summer vs year-round, but everyone was amazing, 3 meals a day was great, dorm was fine, and the campus is beautiful. The pay was decent in my opinion. The dress code is not as strict as it sounds in the handbook also which is nice. Love the chill energy and atmosphere from everyone here. I also like how much safety they have around campus with the nurses, security, emergency response team, and the app with alerts.

Cons

- The vegan food would be absolutely amazing some days, very limited other days, and occasionally labeled with incorrect allergens. Be cautious and friendly and you will be fine, and really get treated with great meals every few days. - The dorm I stayed in shared thin doors with others and could hear every word, also ants all over mine which got annoying. - It is a twisty long road to get off the mountain, but there is plenty to do in the actual town of idyllwild, so its only bad if you want to go anywhere else and make the drive. - Like zero outdoor water fountains? Everything was indoors which can be locked up at times.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 35 Reviews

Glassdoor has 40 Idyllwild Arts reviews submitted anonymously by Idyllwild Arts employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Idyllwild Arts is right for you.