Museum Preparator – Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive

About BAMPFA:

One of the nation’s leading university museums, the University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) is a forum for cultural experiences that transform individuals and advance the local, national, and global discourse on art and film. As the premier visual arts venue at America’s top public research university, BAMPFA is uniquely dedicated to art and film in equal measure, presenting more than four hundred film screenings, dozens of public programs, and several exhibitions annually.

Job Summary:

The BAMPFA Museum Preparator reports to the Chief Preparator and is a unionized position within the framework of UC Berkeley’s employment model. The individual in this position performs technical and skilled, preparatory work, including the installation and maintenance of exhibitions and individual works of art, from all periods and a wide variety of media. The scope of projects can include installations in various locations on campus as well as within the environs of the museum. The Museum Preparator must be able to sometimes work independently with a minimum of ongoing supervision, and be capable of directing the activities of other on-call preparators. The primary function in this position is the safe handling of all works of art in the museum, as it relates to exhibitions and collections planning.

Job Scope:

The Museum Preparator’s role is vital to BAMPFA’s mission: to inspire the imagination, ignite critical dialog, and activate community engagement through art, film, and other forms of creative expression. Patience, care and commitment are attributes that make BAMPFA’s preparators key contributors to the museum’s successful collections and exhibitions program.

Responsibilities:

Fabricates and assembles temporary exhibitions and maintains and refurbishes permanent exhibitions.

Includes: construction and finishing of temporary walls and panels, cases, pedestals, frames; installation of art objects; mounting and installation of graphics; and other related activities.
Prepares works of art for exhibition, shipping and storage.

Includes: mounting, wrapping, packing and transporting. Some occasional archival matting, framing if applicable.
Installs and maintains technical equipment.

Includes: lighting instruments, video and audio equipment, electrified displays, kinetic sculpture, and monitoring devices.
Maintain tools, equipment, and inventory of supplies.
Assists designers, curators, registrar, and other museum staff as required.

Other duties as assigned.


Required Qualifications:
Experience handling a variety of artwork media according to best practices.
Experience using archival packing materials to properly secure and protect artworks.
Attention to detail.
Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
Work well as part of a team.
Ability to safely lift 50 lbs. and to climb ladders.
Familiarity with a broad variety of hand and power tools.
Basic carpentry skills.

Preferred Qualifications:
Experience in art exhibition installation.

Salary & Benefits

This is a 100% full-time (40 hrs a week) non-exempt career position, which is paid bi-weekly and eligible for full UC Benefits. Hourly pay for this role is commensurate with experience within the range of $23.58 to $29.76 hourly.

How to Apply
Visit the job posting on the Berkeley Jobs Portal  https://jobs.berkeley.edu/  (Job # 42609). Please submit your cover letter and resume as a single attachment when applying.

Categories: Job Postings