Collections Management Graduate Assistant

COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT GRADUATE ASSISTANT

Dedicated to a grant-funded initiative, the Graduate Assistant actively supports the Spelman Museum Collections Manager to enhance the visibility, accessibility, and care of the College’s significant permanent collection, valued at over $5 million and encompassing approximately 450 works predominantly by American and African artists. Through engagement, study, and interpretation, the Graduate Assistant will strive to inspire and nurture the next generation of museum leaders, conservators, and advocates. Assisting with establishing organizational protocols, procedures, and cataloging efforts, the Graduate Assistant plays a central role in ensuring the collection’s integrity and accessibility. They will also play an active role in recruiting and mentoring students and interns, fostering their involvement in collection assessments and educational activities. The Graduate Assistant collaborates in forging new partnerships for the Museum and the College, aiming to cultivate collections-focused educational opportunities for students within the Atlanta University Center. This multifaceted role underscores the Graduate Assistant’s commitment to advancing scholarship by fostering and nurturing the future stewards of our cultural heritage.
This position offers invaluable collaborative experiences directly engaging with students in the realms of collections policy and management. The Graduate Assistant acquires specialized knowledge in art, museum acquisitions processes, and collections systems while working closely with the Collections Manager and conservators to assess artwork conditions, facilitate loans, and implement a new COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT system. This hands-on involvement not only hones professional management skills but also cultivates a profound appreciation for collections care and its educational significance.
The Graduate Assistant may assist with essential collections-focused responsibilities including contributing to the process of writing grants, helping to organize exhibitions from the collection, digitizing the collection, advising on touring exhibitions of the collection, and publishing a book on the collection. Through these endeavors, they play a vital role in advancing the mission of the Museum and the College, enriching both scholarly discourse and public engagement with the collection’s cultural treasures.
NOTE: This is a 10-week, temporary assignment. End date to be determined.

• Conducts primary research on the College’s permanent collection with the involvement of student research assistants;
• Updates and maintains the artist and object files and update collections research in an electronic COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT database in collaboration with Collections Manager;
• Assesses and responds to routine correspondence and inquiries regarding the permanent collections and the related policies;
• Assists with processing gifts of works of art with Collections Manager and correspond with donors accordingly;
• Assists with reviewing and processing incoming and outgoing loan requests and evaluate all related forms with the Collections Manager;
• Assists with evaluating and updating the COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT policy to ensure that it complies with American Association of Museum standards. Work with Collections Manager to recommend new policies and addenda accordingly. Attend conferences as needed and pursue advanced professional workshops/conferences as necessary;
• Serves as an assistant to the principal and project investigators on collections-based initiatives that are supported by grants;
• May work with the Collections Manager and Director to research, implement and plan exhibitions, and complete the condition reports for incoming and outgoing loans;
• May be required to organize and present lectures and gallery talks on collections care or exhibition logistics;
• May serve as a point person to meet and coordinate with faculty and organize class sessions, which take place in the Museum;
• May work with the Collections Manager or Director to complete grant applications, which are submitted regularly to family, county and national foundations, government agencies and arts organizations;
• Works collaboratively with Collections Manager to review Collections-related forms and policies (such as incoming loan forms, outgoing loan forms, storage guides, insurance information and the COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT policy) that are out of date and require revision; evaluate and revise these documents to ensure that they adhere to current museum standards; compare them to more recently completed documents that govern peer institutions, and revise them accordingly;
• Works collaboratively with Collections Manager to take inventory of the collection, evaluate and make recommendations for storage, organize object photography with associated metadata, and work with conservators for works that need preservation;
• Works collaborativelywith Collections Manager to digitize the collection and make it searchable to the public online;
• Conducts extensive research on objects, document and photograph works in collaboration with the involvement of identified vendors, and document all changes in the status of the permanent collection;
• Helps supervise student interns and develop collections-based assignments.

Bachelor’s Degree in Art History, Art, Art History, Chemistry or a related field, with demonstrated interest in Collections Management or related field required. Must be enrolled in a graduate program and reside in or close to Atlanta.
This position requires significant attention to detail, good organizational skills, exceptional communication skills (written and oral), expertise in an area or areas of art history, and a passion for working with students that have varying skill sets and a penchant for problem solving.
Excellent writing skills for informal audiences (i.e.: social media posts, blog style) and formal publications such as a collection book. Excellent oral communication skills are required when presenting information and responding to questions from internal and external customers in one-on-one or group situations. Incumbent must be able to write business correspondence and procedure manuals plus compose memos, letters, and e-mails. Also, must be able to read, analyze, and interpret documents such as professional journals, safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedural manuals.
To perform this job successfully, an individual must have intermediate level skills using Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) which includes typing basic letters, memos, and e-mails, plus things such as mail merges, flyers, spreadsheets using formulas, and creating forms.

N/A

None

Days

0%

Full-time

Non-Exempt

1

TP034

05/24/2024

Yes

Spelman College is an EEO/Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran/Title IX Employer and we participate in E-Verify. We are a smoke-free campus.