Decorative Arts Trust Intern [Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, Utica, NY]

Decorative Arts Trust Intern
2-year position, full time, 35 hours per week

Position Summary:

The Decorative Arts Trust Intern will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the decorative arts collection, its research and exhibition, working under the mentorship of the Director, Museum of Art. The intern will contribute to a variety of exhibition and educational projects, working collaboratively across Museum and Institutional departments.

Qualifications:

The Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute Museum of Art seeks a dynamic decorative arts scholar for a two-year internship funded in part by the Decorative Arts Trust. The intern must be a recent (no more than 2 years) graduate of a Masters Degree program in Decorative Arts, American Material Culture, Museum Studies, or a related program.

Responsibilities:

The Decorative Arts Trust Intern will have day-to-day responsibility for the decorative arts collection of approximately 6,000 artworks, working under the mentorship of the Director, Museum of Art, who served as Decorative Arts Curator for 20 years. The intern will be an active staff member and part of a team of curators, educators, and collection management staff that work together closely to present programs, exhibitions, and scholarship that excite the imaginations of our visitors, enhance the quality of life in our region, and build upon scholarship related to the collection and the field.

In his or her role, the intern will work on three major exhibitions and several smaller projects. The curatorial intern’s duties will include:

• 40%     generate research,  related writing, publications, and all aspects of the development and installation of special exhibitions, including a major role in the reinstallation of the Museum’s 19^th-century American art collection;
• 10%     collaborate with education department staff to develop programs and interpretation related to the collection and special exhibitions, including the presentation of gallery talks and public programs;
• 5%       help to train specialized decorative arts docents through lectures and hands-on programs;
• 15%     initiate research on American silver plate in preparation for an exhibition and accompanying catalogue;
• 20%     on a daily basis, oversee four mid-19^th-century period rooms and their changing installations for thematic school tours and the annual Victorian Yuletide exhibition, the theme of which changes annually; and
• 10%     participate in Museum special events, including MWP Friday Nights, Art Alive Family Days, and the annual Summer Arts Festival.

The intern will also work closely with two part-time interpreters/decorative arts assistants who are assigned to Fountain Elms, the former Williams-Proctor home that now houses the Museum’s period rooms, galleries, and study storage.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in 19th-century American decorative arts and culture, strong writing skills, and a desire to work in an organization where curators have the flexibility to undertake special projects in addition to those within their area of specialty. MWPAI draws an audience from across the country, but about 50% of our attendance is from a five-county region. The Museum works closely with numerous community partners on a range of programs to serve all our audiences.

MWPAI has aggressively collected, researched, exhibited, and published 19^th– and early 20^th-century decorative arts since the Museum’s opening in 1936, and the furniture collection is recognized as one of the strongest of its type. The Museum’s list of groundbreaking and award-winning catalogues and exhibitions is extensive. The dedicated staff enthusiastically fosters an appreciation for decorative arts as an artistic expression, and the Museum follows advanced collections care standards.   Please visit us at www.mwpai.org

Application Process:

Please send cover letter, resume and names of three professional references with contact information to:  Jeanette R. Breish, Human Resources Manager, Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, 310 Genesee Street, Utica, New York   13502    Email:  hrjobs@mwpai.edu Applications will be reviewed as receive  Inquiries:  315-797-0000, ext 2108