Assistant Cataloguer at the Jewish Museum

Job Title: Assistant Cataloguer 

Job Status: Part-time

The Jewish Museum:

The Jewish Museum serves people of all religious, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds through world-class art exhibitions ranging from ancient to contemporary. Founded in 1904 and located on New York City’s Museum Mile, the Jewish Museum aspires to be the global leader at the center of Jewish culture.

The Museum maintains a unique collection of nearly 30,000 works of art, ceremonial objects, and media reflecting the global Jewish experience over more than 4,000 years. The Museum’s thought-provoking, innovative, and intellectually stimulating exhibitions and education programs serve a wide range of audiences, including families, teens, students, educators, and visitors with disabilities. As an identity-based institution, the Museum plays an important role among cultural institutions, challenging all forms of bigotry and discrimination and promoting understanding among wide audiences. The Jewish Museum invites applicants of all backgrounds to consider joining the Museum in its work.

The Jewish Museum is committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all and to promoting a positive work culture that celebrates difference, challenges prejudice, and ensures fairness. Integrity, collegiality, and excellence are central to the Museum’s values. These values, along with an institution-wide commitment to Diversity, Equity, Access & Inclusion (DEAI), are embedded in the Museum’s strategic plan and will be the focus of a comprehensive DEAI action plan.

The Position:

The Jewish Museum is seeking a part-time Assistant Cataloguer for a 3-month project to cover for parental leave. Under the supervision of the Assistant Director, Collections, the Assistant Cataloguer will help examine and research objects in the museum’s collection including works of fine and decorative arts, ceremonial Judaica, archaeological artifacts, and new media. The position requires working on-site at least 1 day per week. Seeking a candidate with demonstrated ability to catalogue objects and conduct independent art-historical research, resolute concentration, careful handling of art objects, attention to detail, and accuracy in data entry and proof-reading.

Responsibilities Include:

  • Will catalogue objects in the museum’s collection— examine objects by precisely measuring, identifying parts and accessories, recognizing materials, write accurate condition reports, and locate and note signature, inscriptions, markings, and historic labels.
  • Help research museum records and other primary and secondary sources to establish accurate acquisition information, artist/maker’s biography, object date and titles, ex-collections/provenance, published references, and exhibition history.
  • Correspond with artists/makers, donors, dealers, vendors, auction houses, and galleries to ascertain or verify information about the object when necessary.
  • Create and update files and documentation for objects in the collection including archival object files, conservation reports, and historic records.
  • Help maintain digital records for all objects in TMS by adding cataloguing information and new research, tracking locations, updating exhibition history, etc.
  • Work to identify problematic object records and help resolve numbering discrepancies.
  • As part of the Collections Management team, work on other projects as necessary such caring for objects in storage, facilitating scholar visits, helping during collection photo shoots, etc.

Requirements:

  • MA or currently enrolled in MA or PhD program in Art History, Museum Studies, or equivalent
  • Demonstrated ability to catalogue objects and conduct art-historical research
  • Strong research skills and familiarity with metadata and cataloguing standards
  • Strong computer skills including working knowledge of TMS preferable
  • Art handling experience a plus
  • Knowledge of foreign language(s) helpful
  • Fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with a Center for Disease Control (CDC) or World Health Organization (WHO) authorized vaccine (or approved for an exemption as a reasonable accommodation due to qualified disability or sincerely held religious belief or other legal basis)

Send Resume with Cover Letter To:

Director, Human Resources

The Jewish Museum

1109 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10128

Email: jobs@thejm.org

The Jewish Museum is committed to diversifying its staff and encourages individuals of all abilities and ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds to apply for this position. The Museum is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected characteristic prohibited by applicable law.