The Assistant Curator supports and assists the Director in fulfilling the mission of the Museum of Art and Bates College through short and long-term planning. Responsibilities include managing the planning, preparation, implementation, installation and promotion of temporary and permanent collection exhibitions. Serves as the liaison between Facilities Services staff, external trades, and freelance museum technicians, installers, and preparators. Partners with Art & Visual Culture (AVC) faculty on planning the annual Senior Thesis Exhibition and functions as lead museum staff on all aspects of its implementation.
The Assistant Curator also assists with, develops, oversees, or contributes to exhibition publications, including working with education staff, artists, writers, designers, and printers. Supports the museum internship program, mentoring and training curatorial museum interns. Contributes to interpretive materials and programming. This position assists with collections development, as well as the cultivation of art patrons, donors, and external agencies. In collaboration with the Collections Manager/Registrar (CMR), manages and supports physical operations and capital projects.
Key Accountabilities
Curatorial
- Assists Director with developing and implementing exhibitions schedule.
- Assists with and plans and develops permanent collection exhibitions and related scholarship, publications, and interpretive materials.
- Assists with and plans and develops temporary exhibitions and related scholarship and publications.
- Works closely with Art & Visual Culture faculty on planning and leads all aspects of implementation of the annual Senior Thesis Exhibition.
- Assists Director with collection development including acquisitions and deaccessions.
- Works closely with Education staff on development of interpretive materials and programming.
- Schedules and oversees exhibition installations, including gallery construction, exhibition furniture and mount making, matting, framing, preparatory work, lighting, signage and labels.
- Assists Director or visiting curators with implementation of curatorial projects and initiatives.
- Assists and develops curatorial projects and initiatives in consultation with Director.
- Works closely with CMR on coordination of shipping, crating, incoming and outgoing loans.
Exhibitions/Preparation and Installations
- Leads, coordinates, and manages and a team including Facilities Services staff, external trades, and freelance museum technicians, installers, and preparators.
Collections
- Conducts research on collections, assists others with collections research, from external scholars to interns.
- Participates in curatorial side of collections stewardship; works closely with and supports Collections Manager/Registrar on collections care and management, including registration, database management, coordination of incoming and outgoing loans, care and handling of works of art, off-site storage and the transfer of work to/from there, packing and crating, shipping.
Administrative/Other
- Manages some curatorial and collection projects including grants, budgets, and project teams; participates in and provides assistance on others.
- Assists director with museum strategic and long-range planning, including exhibitions, acquisitions, collections management.
- Facilities management: coordinates/co-coordinates with CMR on managing HVAC, facilities maintenance, lighting, fire safety, and custodial, with Facilities Services, Security and Campus Safety, among others.
- Works with Director, Collections Manager/Registrar, Education Curator, Assistant Education Curator, Academic Administrative Assistant, as needed on the work of the museum.
- Assists Director with museum advancement initiatives and donor relations.
Qualifications necessary to meet the requirements of the position
Education
- M.A. in art history, museum studies, or other relevant degree
Experience
- Minimum of two years of experience working in art museums and/or art galleries is required
Skills and Knowledge
- The position requires a professional with knowledge of art, particularly contemporary art, and broad interests in art across disciplines, media, periods, cultures and ethnicities.
- Ability to work collaboratively as part of a small professional team who staff a dynamic and distinguished academic museum with a significant cultural presence on campus, in the community, and in the academic museum field
- Work with a diverse group of faculty, staff, students and museum visitors on a daily basis
- Be self-motivated and able to manage multiple projects simultaneously, manage subcontractors, work collaboratively and diplomatically, and be accountable for the success of their areas of responsibilities.
- Commitment to equity and inclusion, and serving the needs of a culturally and educationally diverse community.
For more information and to apply, please copy and paste this link into your browser: https://www.bates.edu/employment/opportunities/?job=492594
Bates College is committed to the principle of equal opportunity and providing an educational and work environment free from discrimination. The college prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status and other legally protected statuses in the recruitment and admission of its students, in the administration of its education policies and programs, or in the recruitment of its faculty and staff. Bates College adheres to all applicable state and federal equal opportunity laws and regulations. All college faculty, staff, students, contractors, visitors, and volunteers are responsible for understanding and complying with the Non-Discrimination Policy.
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