Art Museum Advisory Board Fellow

Position Type: Staff Full-time

Hours per week: 37.5   

Weeks per year: 52

Work Schedule: 8:30am to 5:00pm 

Department Summary & Job Purpose:

Reports to:
Associate Curator of Visual and Material Culture and NAGPRA Coordinator; and
Assistant Curator

Supervises: Student interns
The Mount Holyoke College Art Museum invites applicants for the term-based position of Art Museum Advisory Board Fellow. Candidates should be interested in expanding their professional training within the unique environment of an academic art museum. This position will introduce the fellow to a range of experiences pertaining to curatorial work. Some areas include, but are not limited to: support for exhibition conceiving and execution, collections research and management, interpretation, and museum administration. Distribution and focus will largely depend on the fellow’s experience and research interests, and current museum priorities.

Term:
One year; optional one-year extension

 

Core Job Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Provide general curatorial support for the two department curators

• Conduct research for collection-related activities, exhibitions, and publications

• Assist with gathering and writing exhibition-related information pertinent to grant applications and other institutional needs

• Assist with cataloging new acquisitions, researching 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 newsletter and website content

• Manage external rights & reproduction requests

• Help to ensure the accuracy of the information in publications, other print materials, and online

• Give tours of exhibitions and collection installations 

Qualifications: 

• Open to recent college graduates and those pursuing a career in the museum profession
• Keen organizational skills
• Highly developed writing and copy-editing skills
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced and dynamic environment
• Strong communication skills and confidence in public speaking
• Attention to detail, high level of accuracy, and strong problem-solving skills
• Ability to work effectively with staff, students, faculty, artists, arts professionals, and the public
• Skilled in establishing priorities, coordinating multiple complex projects simultaneously, and meeting deadlines
• Strong sense of accountability for achieving stated objectives and demonstrable experience doing so

Preferred Qualifications:

• Preference may be given to Mount Holyoke graduates
• Knowledge of a second language is a plus, as is familiarity with website editing and Adobe Creative Suite.

License/Certifications:

Compliance Requirements: 

Physical Demands: 

1. Physical Demands/Work Type
• Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.

2. Physical activity
• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. Those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Sufficient clarity of speech required includes those which permit the employee to discern verbal instructions and communicate effectively in person and by telephone.
• Employee speaks with other employees, students, and alums by telephone, e-mail, or in person on a daily basis.
• Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discriminations in sound.

3. Visual Acuity
• Visual Acuity including color, depth perception and field vision.
• Visual Acuity - Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
• The employee is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; and extensive reading.
• The employee is required to perform extensive reading.
• Employee is reading and correcting assignments, evaluating student writing, presentations, projects, research assignments, etc.
• Employee operates office equipment and computers to perform essential duties and responsibilities.

Working Conditions: 

Standard work week of 8:30am to 5:00pm as well as occasional evening or weekend hours for Museum events

* Consistent with its obligations under the law, the College will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of the job.

Background Checks:

Mount Holyoke College is committed to providing a safe and secure environment, supported by qualified employees that will allow all of its students, faculty, staff and those associated with them to successfully carry out the mission of the college. As a condition of employment, the College will conduct appropriate background checks for all new hires. Mount Holyoke has designated the Office of Human Resources as the office responsible for ensuring that background checks (CORI, SORI, Credit History, & Driver Credential) are completed and utilized in the hiring process and Five College Office of Compliance and Risk Management as the office responsible for facilitating background checks as articulated in this policy.

Special Instructions for Applicants: 

Apply online; application materials must include:

A cover letter summarizing interests and qualifications

A complete resume or curriculum vitae

Contact information for 3 professional references

Mount Holyoke College is a women’s college that is gender diverse. The College is committed to providing equal access and opportunity in employment and education to all employees and students. In compliance with state and federal law, Mount Holyoke College does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, genetic information, sex, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, ancestry, veteran or military status, or any other legally protected status under federal, state or local law. The College does not discriminate on the basis of gender in the recruitment and admission of students to its graduate program.

Mount Holyoke College is an Equal Opportunity Employer.