Art Archivist Fellow (2024-2026, Wells College)
Job Title: Art Archivist Fellow
Job Status: Full-time
Location: Aurora, NY
Salary: $50,000 to $58,000
2024-2026 Wells College Art Archivist Fellow
Book Arts Center and Louis Jefferson Long Library
Wells College, Aurora NY
Fixed Duration Position: 24 months from date of hire
Expected Start Date: July 2024
Fellowship Award: 50-58k annually plus benefits
Application Deadline: March 31, 2024
POSITION DESCRIPTION
The Book Art Center and Louis Jefferson Long Library Wells College welcome applications for the 2024 – 26 Fellowship in Art Archiving. The Art Archivist Fellowship is intended for a recent graduate from a library, museum, or related program who wishes to pursue collections-based work, and is made possible through the Windgate Foundation.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The Art Archivist Fellowship is a 24-month appointment. The Fellow’s primary projects and activities will center on the creation of new digital catalogs for the College’s physical art collection, including approximately 1100 prints, paintings, and sculptures; the Wells College Book Art Center’s Research Library, which includes over 2000 volumes specializing in printing, book binding and typography; and the Victor Hammer collection, containing bibliographic information on the founder of Wells College Press. These catalogs will foster greater access and use of our craft and art archives within and beyond the Wells community, supporting teaching, lending, and research projects. The ‘24-’26 Fellowship is also intended to produce preservation recommendations for the above collections, and to culminate in a public exhibition with a catalog to highlight some of the gems in our collections.
Engaging in a broad spectrum of professional activities, the Fellow will assist with collection management, archival processing, housing, and preservation. They will be supervised by the Book Arts Director and receive additional mentoring from the Library Director and String Room Gallery Director. The Fellow will in turn supervise a student intern assistant interested in craft, visual arts and/or museum studies.
The Art Archivist Fellow will be expected to pursue mutually agreed-upon projects resulting in tangible deliverables. The Fellow will have the opportunity to delve into a unique set of collections crossing craft and fine art, with a heavy focus on print, and will gain experience that crosses library, archive, and museum contexts. Other activities will vary based on current campus needs, and the Fellow’s interest and experience. The Art Archivist Fellow may participate in library committees and working groups at the Library; contribute to social media feeds in collaboration with Library staff; and will be encouraged to be professionally active and involved in the academic, scholarly, and professional community at Wells College.
QUALIFICATIONS
Excellent analytical, organizational, management, customer service, and interpersonal skills. Strong hand skills and the ability to handle fragile materials with care is a must. Ability to effectively build partnerships and promote the benefits of change in an academic culture that often values ambiguity, diversity of opinion, and historic precedent. Ability to communicate effectively through both oral and written expression. Ability to work both independently and collegially in a demanding and rapidly changing environment.
Preferred: Master’s degree or above from an ALA-accredited program for library and information science, archives, museum studies, or related field. Experience working with rare materials, cataloging, archival processing and/or developing digital information resources.
The Louis Jefferson Long Library can accommodate more than 300 students for research and study, including an expanding Learning Commons with student support services. It includes the Rare Book Collection and the Wells College Archives, containing materials related to the history of Wells College and the surrounding communities. Scrapbooks compiled by alumnae from roughly 1890-1950 are contained in the Archives. Campus life is represented by clippings, programs, correspondence, and other ephemera. The Victor Hammer Collection contains bibliographic information on Victor Hammer, who fled Europe during the Second World War, coming to the United States with his first wife, Rosl. They moved to Aurora, NY where Victor Hammer taught art at Wells College and set up the Wells College Press and his personal Hammer Press.
The Wells College Art Collection dates back to the College’s founding in 1868. The art collection holdings are strong in printmaking, and include prints by Albrecht Durer and Mary Cassatt, a fine binding edition of etchings by Jacques Callot, collection of wood engravings and printing blocks by J.J. Lankes, and engravings by Thomas Bewick. The collection also includes Indigenous American and Greco-Roman pottery, textiles, paintings, ironwork, stained glass, and plaster.
The Book Arts Center, established in 1993, is the oldest of three Centers for Excellence at Wells College. Rooted in the work of internationally renowned artist Victor Hammer, who founded the Wells College Press in 1941, the BAC continues his tradition of excellent craftsmanship and a focus on student engagement. The iron hand press he used is still in use today, complemented by nine Vandercook proofing presses and three platen presses that students and BAC staff use to create printed materials. The Center also boasts over 400 cases of metal type and ornaments and 70 cases of wood type; the Jane Webster Pearce Class of 1932 Bindery, with professional-grade equipment and finishing tools for the study and practice of hand bookbinding; a scriptorium for calligraphy instruction; a papermill for hand-papermaking with a Hollander beater; and other unique resources. The Book Arts Center is home to a special collection library and archival materials and publications related to the study of Book Arts and book history. The Book Arts major/minor at Wells is housed within the Visual Arts program. More information can be found at https://www.wells.edu/academics/book-arts-center.
Wells College is a nationally recognized, private four-year Liberal Arts college located in the Finger Lakes region of New York on the unceded lands of the Cayuga Nation. The mission of Wells College is to educate students to think critically, reason wisely, and act humanely as they cultivate meaningful lives. Wells College is the leader in providing immersive academic experiences tailored by each student. Our historic campus in a lakeside setting that is ideally conducive to deep learning is home to over 150 years of evolving, inclusive traditions that bind Wellsians across generations. Recognizing the role of higher education in supporting students from all backgrounds to lead in the future, Wells College actively seeks to diversify its faculty and staff. We strive to embody a culture of belonging that empowers all of our students — 35% of whom identify as students of color and 32% who are first-generation — to thrive.
To Apply
MATERIALS REQUIRED – please submit the following two documents formatted as PDFs:
- CV, with names & contact information for three professional references
- Statement of interest that includes experience with catalogs, special collection material, and preservation and addresses how this position will help you meet your goals
- Optional samples of professional work and/or letters of recommendation
Please contact Mary Tasillo, Book Arts Center Director, at mtasillo@wells.edu with any questions.
In this search, Wells College wishes to reinforce its commitment to increase faculty and staff diversity to best serve our extraordinary students. We strongly encourage applicants with a record of embracing equity, accessibility, anti-racist pedagogies, and inclusion. Candidates from groups that are currently underrepresented at Wells, including those from indigenous, black, TLGBQIA+, and disabled communities, are especially encouraged to apply.