Building Assistant

Description:

The Johnson Museum permanent collection numbers 40,000 works, spanning six millennia and encompassing art from most world cultures. Among the strengths of the collection are the holdings of Asian art; more than 23,000 prints, drawings, and photographs ranging from the fifteenth century to the present; modern and contemporary painting and sculpture; European art from ancient times to the present; African sculpture and textiles; and pre-Columbian sculpture and ceramics. Each year the Johnson Museum mounts major exhibitions and programs that present new scholarship and fresh perspectives on the works in our collection or on temporary loan. Many of these exhibitions are inspired by the Cornell curriculum and are the product of partnerships with faculty, graduate students, other museums, research centers, scholars, cultural practitioners, and source communities.

The Museum enhances and supports faculty teaching across Cornell’s schools and departments by hosting approximately 350 class sessions per academic year in the Museum’s galleries and classrooms. Educational outreach programs for the regional community are core to Cornell University’s land-grant commitment to public engagement: we serve over 6,000 schoolchildren from schools in a 90-mile radius of Ithaca and offer professional development trainings for regional teachers, many of whom teach in rural areas and for whom the Museum promotes intercultural understanding and global awareness.

The Opportunity

We seek a Visitor Services and Gallery/Building Assistant to join our dynamic team In coordination with your supervisor, you'll play a key role in maintaining the smooth operation of our gallery and reception desk. Your responsibilities will include greeting visitors, providing information, and answering questions, as well as managing multi-line telephone systems and mentoring the security interns as they cycle through all front-line duties. You'll also assist with administrative tasks such as sorting mail, filing, and making copies. Additionally, you'll support our Chief Preparator with display installations and assist the Building Coordinator with facility maintenance tasks. Ensuring the safety of artwork, staff, and visitors will be a top priority, including performing security checks, monitoring lobby activity and security cameras, and assisting with opening and closing procedures as needed.