Description:
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Assists Curator with research and planning of exhibitions including the production and maintenance of project timelines, checklists, and loans.
- Writes or collaborates on exhibition-centered texts and essays, including wall labels, content for the museum website, press releases, and grant applications. Assists in the production of catalogs.
- Performs ongoing research on collection objects, artists, and potential acquisitions.
- Assists Collections Manager with building and maintaining up-to-date records in the collections database, collection management, care and storage.
- Conducts studio/museum/gallery visits for research and to meet artists.
- Works with Curator to expand community outreach and develop opportunities for community partnerships.
- Oversees and organizes the Regional Exhibition of Art and Craft exhibition.
- Supports the day-to-day operations of the Curatorial department, including logistics and administrative work as well as participating in exhibition, collection, and public programs and events planning.
- Works in close partnership with the Education Department to contribute to programs related to the collection and special exhibitions, including but not limited to lectures, workshops, tours, and other in-gallery interpretation programs.
- Assists with preparing proposals, reports, and presentations for Director, other internal departments, and Collection Committee meetings.
- Participates in co-teaching at Fitchburg State University for a communication studies class centered around producing exhibition catalogs for the museum’s special exhibitions. The Assistant Curator co-teaches in the fall and spring semester.
Required Skills/Abilities
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills including editing. Able to communicate and work effectively with a diverse population and maintain open and responsive lines of communication with fellow staff, board members, artists, vendors, students, and the public.
- Able to work independently and collaboratively.
- Strong attention to detail and able to meet deadlines while balancing multiple projects.
- Working knowledge, from the curatorial perspective, of collections management and registrarial best practices.
- Ability to speak in public.
- Demonstrated passion for the visual arts, with a strong commitment to making art collections more accessible and meaningful to diverse audiences.
- Commitment to furthering equity efforts within the department and the organization.
Education and Experience
- MA degree in Art History, Museum Studies, Humanities, or other areas relating to the museum specialties. Applications without an MA but with equivalent years of experience will be considered.
- 3+ years of museum, gallery, or community arts programming experience
- Knowledge of historical and/or contemporary art practices, concepts, and techniques.
- Experience working with living artists helpful.
- Fluency in or working knowledge of Spanish language is a plus.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Creative Suite