Art Museum Advisory Board Curatorial Fellow at Mount Holyoke College Art Museum
Job Title: Art Museum Advisory Board Curatorial Fellow
Job Status: Full-time
Location: South Hadley, MA
Salary: $26.70/hr
Job Description:
The Mount Holyoke College Art Museum (MHCAM) is a dynamic learning resource for both campus and community audiences, serving as a laboratory for innovative interdisciplinary teaching. Founded in 1876, the Museum stewards a collection of approximately 24,000 works of global art and objects of material culture, including those of the Joseph Allen Skinner Museum. The Museum’s core program, “Teaching with Art,” serves the curriculum by annually supporting over 150 class visits across the disciplines. The Museum mounts permanent collection installations and special exhibitions, while also hosting community-centered programming with campus partners, those at Five Colleges, and others. For more information about MHCAM, please visit: https://artmuseum.mtholyoke.edu/
Job Purpose:
The AMAB Curatorial Fellow is designed for a recent graduate or an emerging professional with a strong interest in pursuing museum work. In addition to learning broadly about museum roles, this position provides essential support and assistance on all aspects of the Curatorial Department and works closely with the Collections Department. Tasks include conducting research; entering and cleaning up data in the Museum’s database; writing museum copy (including acquisition proposals, press releases, labels, etc); and performing other administrative duties as needed. This position provides support for curatorial and collections initiatives based on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility principles. Other responsibilities may depend on the fellow’s experience and research interests as well as Museum priorities.
Term:
Two years with an option to renew
Key responsibilities
- Conduct research for collection-related activities including acquisitions, exhibitions, and publications
- Assist with data entry and editing in the collections database in addition to larger-scale projects related to the migration of the collections database to a new system
- Manage external rights & reproduction requests
- With staff support and training, assist in research and paperwork related to NAGPRA repatriation efforts
- Assist with cataloging new acquisitions, researching objects in the permanent collection, and processing deaccession candidates
- Assist with the maintenance of checklists, image files, lenders, and other details
- Help create, coordinate, and edit promotional and didactic materials such as wall texts, labels, press releases, and magazine and website content
- Respond to internal and external collections inquiries, prepares object checklists and reports from the database
- Occasionally engage with public and museum supporters through virtual and in-person gallery talks and tours
- Other duties as needed
Requirements
Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in art history, indigenous studies, history, or other related field
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
- Highly developed writing and copy editing skills
- Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
- Strong communication skills
- Skilled in establishing priorities, coordinating multiple projects simultaneously, and meeting deadlines
- Commitment to the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and museum accessibility
Preferred Qualifications:
Preference will be given to those with interest in and/or experience with Native American history and NAGPRA issues. Preference may also be given to applicants with experience working with databases such as Mimsy, TMS, PastPerfect, etc.
We embrace diversity and are committed to building a team that reflects a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, experiences, and skills. Research shows that women and individuals from underrepresented backgrounds often apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all of our qualifications.