Position Summary
The museum’s collections of Applied Arts of Europe comprise 9,500 works of art ranging in date from about 1100 to 1945. The department is committed to developing an inclusive account of design history, exploring creative communities and global networks and their relevance for contemporary audiences.
ABOUT THE POSITION
Under the direction of the chair, curators and director of curatorial administration the research associate assists with research, writing, and content production for the departmental collection(s), exhibitions, gallery rotations, and reinstallations; conducts art historical and art market research; investigates ownership, publication, and exhibition histories for objects; maintains and updates object database records, object files, and departmental research files; supports the departmental goals in publishing research about the collection online; and responds to research-related inquiries from scholars, peers, and the public.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Research: Provides curatorial research support for the departmental collection, exhibitions, loans, acquisitions, and gifts; investigates ownership, publication, and exhibition histories for objects; produces acquisition justifications, interpretive content, and exhibition-related materials; conducts art historical and art market research about and related to objects in the permanent collection, loans, and potential acquisitions; produces and ensures accuracy of information presented in the galleries, online, and in the departmental object files and records; and fields requests and inquiries from scholars, peers, and the public.*
Curatorial support: Updates museum database with research findings; as needed, assists with metadata tagging in museum database; participates in the departmental efforts to publish all objects online with comprehensive information. Assists the director of curatorial administration with tasks related to departmental file organization and maintenance. Supports the research for and the preparation of materials for advisory committee meetings. Under the direction of the chair, may support various aspects of developing and implementing exhibitions, rotations, reinstallations, and projects as assigned.*
Audience outreach: As needed, gives gallery tours and lectures on the departmental collection(s) and exhibitions; and participates in scholarly symposia and conferences related to collection and exhibition research.
Qualifications
- Master’s degree or equivalent experience in art history or related subject required
- For associates, minimum of two years of relevant experience required; for assistants, some relevant experience required
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google suites required; ability to learn museum-specific collection database systems
- Knowledge of foreign languages as appropriate to areas of specialty preferred
- Familiarity with or specialization in departmental field(s) preferred
- The successful candidate should:
- be highly detail-oriented and organized;
- demonstrate initiative;
- embrace the museum’s commitment to creating an inclusive and equitable institution;
- have an open-minded and collaborative approach to working and communicating with all colleagues across the museum;
- and have strong research, writing, communication, multitasking, project management, and organizational skills.
