Author: Darcy Foster (Page 1 of 4)

We understand that the job hunt has become much more difficult in this uncertain time. However, we recently received a job announcement from the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, CT, which is posted below. Best of luck!

The Mattatuck Museum seeks a full-time museum educator to oversee all school and family programs for the museum. The immediate focus for the new position will be to undertake digitization of the museum’s school tour program for 3rd, 4th and 5th graders as well as developing curriculum-based content to share with partner schools for distance learning with their students. Ultimately, the educator will help to develop new art- and history-based tours for the museum in a newly renovated space opening in spring 2021. 

We would like the educator to begin work as soon as possible, so we will give priority to CT residents and candidates willing to relocate to CT in the next few weeks. Please send cover letter, resume and 3 professional references to janice@mattmuseum.org. Interviews will begin immediately.

The Mattatuck Museum is an art and history museum located in Waterbury, CT. It is currently operating in a temporary location while undergoing construction at its main building. The Museum serves approximately 7,500 area students per year through curriculum-based school tours and has developed a wide range of partnerships with area schools.

Full job description at: https://www.mattmuseum.org/visit/about/job-opportunities/

We hope that our readers are staying healthy and safe at home! With that in mind, there is a virtual town hall that NEMA has organized through Zoom for museum studies students and recent graduates on May 11 at 2pm. 

Presenting will be MaryKate Smolenski (at Tufts University), Lindsey Bauler (formerly at Tufts, now at George Washington University), and Sydney Sheehan (at Columbia University). 

Zoom link for the event: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEqd-iupjMpH9SzYMlWXYhxFir1HEDYkFRQ

Link to all NEMA’s webinars: https://nemanet.org/conference-events/workshops/

Happy hunting!

Northeast: 

Executive Director (Connecticut River Museum, Essex, CT) 

Museum Director (Rokeby Museum, Ferrisburgh, VT) 

Digitization Archivist (The Preservation Society of Newport County, Newport, RI) 

President (American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, MA) 

Curatorial Assistant (Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, MA) 

Live Presentations Education Associate II (Museum of Science, Boston, MA) 

Membership Coordinator (Historic Beverly, MA) 

Public Programs Coordinator (The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home, Lenox, MA) 

Art Director, Communications (Harvard University, Cambridge, MA) 

Development Manager (Revolutionary Spaces, Boston, MA) 

Director of Preservation and Maintenance (The House of Seven Gables, Salem, MA) 

Aquarist, Sustainability (New England Aquarium, Boston, MA) 

Collection Specialist (Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA) 

Preservation Services Manager (Historic New England, Northern New England) 

South: 

Director of Historic Resources (Jekyll Island Authority, Jekyll Island, GA) 

Chief Preparator (High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA) 

Director of External Affairs (Asheville Art Museum, Asheville, GA) 

Director, Fine Arts Gallery (Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN) 

Director of Development (The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, Bradenton, FL) 

Sophie Davis Fellowship for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (West Palm Beach, FL) 

Manager, Education and Public Programs (University of Houston, TX) 

Mid-Atlantic: 

Grants Associate (Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art, Chadds Ford, PA) 

Manager of Community Relationships (Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PA) 

Manger of Gallery Engagement (Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PA) 

Senior Director of Museum Experiences (Carnegie Science Center, Pittsburgh, PA) 

Exhibit and A/V Technician (The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, PA) 

Director of Volunteer Programs (The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Philadelphia, PA) 

Curator, Arts of Global Africa (The Newark Museum of Art, Newark, NJ) 

Content Director, Creative (National Geographic Society, Washington D.C.) 

Advancement Specialist (National Postal Museum, Washington D.C.) 

Registrar (National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Cooperstown, NY) 

Researcher and Community Relations Organizer (Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY) 

Head of Public Programs (New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York, NY) 

Executive Director (Jewish Museum of Maryland, Baltimore, MD) 

Midwest: 

Exhibit Designer (Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL) 

Marketing and Communications Coordinator (Spurlock Museum, Urbana, IL) 

Director of Interpretation (Illinois State Museum, Springfield, IL) 

Associate Registrar, Loans & Exhibitions (Art Institute of Chicago, IL) 

Director of Learning and Engagement (Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO) 

Early Childhood and Family Programs Manager (Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis, MO) 

Community Outreach Coordinator / African American History Initiative (Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis, MO)  

Outdoor Interpretation Specialist (Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR) 

Conservation Assistant (Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI) 

West: 

Exhibitions Coordinator, Reference and Public Services (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: Margaret Herrick Library , Beverly Hills, CA) 

Senior Registrar (Palm Springs Art Museum, CA) 

Manager, Audience and Interpretation (The J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, CA) 

Community Manager (Art Bridges Foundation, Bentonville, AZ) 

University Museum Curator (New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM) 

Curator of Art (Boise Art Museum, Boise, ID) 

Associate Director of Visitor Services (Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR) 

Non-continental:  

Vice President of Collections and Research (Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI) 

In the past few weeks, the coronavirus (COVID-19) has been dominating international news with its rapid spread. Everyone has a part in keeping themselves and their community as healthy as possible, and that includes museums. So, what is happening with museums? Most places are responding rapidly with plans for closing if things get worse and increased cleaning precautions. Here are some responses across the country and throughout the world.  

Internationally: 

• The Louvre closed its doors on Sunday (3/1) amid concerns from workers that their safety was at risk with the high number of visitors that travel from all over the world. However, the museum reopened on Wednesday (3/4) after the management of the museum, a doctor, and staff representatives worked together to come up with increased precautions to protect workers.  
• The Italian government drafted laws to close off the Lombardy region, and these laws included the closure of museums, among other public places.  
• The Chinese government was the first to handle the massive battle with COVID-19, and they took swift action, ordering all museums and art galleries to close on 1/24. These institutions remain closed indefinitely.  

Domestically: 

• On the west coast, there have been cases of increased health safety with staff members opening doors for visitors, rather than having each visitor touch the handles. There has also been one case of a museum shutdown. The San Jose Children’s Discovery Center had a staff member who may have been exposed to the disease, so they closed their doors until the proper testing could be administered to ensure the safety of their other staff members and their visitors.  
• Today, New York state declared a state of emergency. So far, many museums have increased their cleaning procedures – the Whitney Museum of American Art has had maintenance workers double the number of times they clean doorknobs – but according to ARTnews, no major institutions have closed their doors yet. Instead, they are keeping an eye on the situation in order to respond quickly if necessary.   

Each museum will have its own response. Right now, vigilant cleaning procedures will help to mitigate the spread of germs, which is already an important procedure in flu season. Institutions in less affected areas have time to prepare for closures in the future and what that might mean for them.  

Position Title: Curator Reports To: Director of Interpretation 

FLSA Status: Full Time 

Function: The Curator is responsible for the content development, planning, and 

implementation of the Fairfield Museum’s exhibitions, as well as overseeing the development of Museum collections. 

PositionResponsibilities: 

• Exhibitions: In consultation with Museum staff, develop and implement a museum-wide exhibit and interpretive plan. 
  • Plan, research, develop, and implement a regular schedule of changing exhibitions. 
  • Oversee the advance scheduling and implementation of all exhibitions in the museum’s galleries, the 18th century Ogden House, and in historic properties on the Museum Commons (Sun Tavern, Victorian Cottage and Barn). 
  • Conduct research as needed and prepare interpretive content with museum staff and/or outside consultants.
  • Supervise guest curators, designers and exhibition fabricators; administer contracts, schedules and exhibition budgets.
  • Design and install exhibitions and/or direct contract staff in design and fabrication. 
  • Work with the Museum’s education staff to develop exhibit-related programming and train docents in presenting programs and tours. 
• Collections: With the Collections Manager and Librarian, oversee the development and care of the Museum’s collections. 
  • Consult with Board committees and staff on recommendations for acquisitions and deaccessions.
  • Ensure storage and record keeping is maintained to professional standards. 
  • Make recommendations for acquisitions and deaccessions. 
  • Plan and manage conservation assessments and supervise contract conservators.
  • Keep up to date on professional standards for collection care and management. 
• Expertise: Maintain a high level of expertise in museum curatorial, interpretation, and collections management, including a thorough understanding of relevant professional, ethical and legal issues, as well as a strong understanding of regional history and culture. 
• Outreach: Oversee interpretive collaborations with community organizations, affinity groups, schools, and other constituents. Represent the Fairfield Museum in the community and among professional organizations, and act as a public spokesman for the institution when appropriate. 
• Teamwork: Work closely with museum staff and Board committees to develop and implement the exhibition schedule, and direct the museum’s curatorial functions. Serve on program and exhibit committees as needed. 
• Evaluation: Design and oversee exhibition audience assessments that drive program innovation, quality and adaptability. 
• Development: Assist in grant writing and sponsorship development that support exhibitions and programs. 
• Performs other activities as required. 

Position Requirements: 

• Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree preferred. 
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in the humanities, arts, and/or cultural sectors. 
• Three or more years of experience in content development of museum exhibitions, as well as exhibit planning and production. 
• Highly developed skills in written and verbal communication. 
• Excellent organizational skills and careful attention to detail. 
• Project management experience. 
• Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues, interns, and volunteers. 
• Creative, flexible and innovative thinker and planner with excellent multi-tasking abilities. 
• Ability to maintain a high level of poise and professionalism in all circumstances. 

This is a full-time position requiring occasional evening and weekend hours. The position will require employee to lift, bend, stoop, walk, speak and stand for up to 7 hours in a day. Competitive salary with a generous benefit package that includes health, disability, dental and life insurance, and employer-sponsored 401K. 

To Apply: 

Email a cover letter and resume detailing relevant work and educational experience to search@fairfieldhs.org. The Fairfield Museum is an equal opportunity employer. 

About the Fairfield Museum: 

Fairfield Museum is a thriving cultural center that uses history and the arts to strengthen community and help shape its future. We believe in the power of the arts and the humanities to inspire imagination, stimulate thought, and transform society. Central to our community- focused mission is a commitment to provide a trustworthy environment where multiple perspectives can be heard and collective solutions explored. Fairfield Museum is a vibrant nexus of community life that welcomes more than 35,000 visitors annually. We are a leading and award-winning center for arts and humanities education that provides high-quality school programs to more than 4,000 students each year. Fairfield, CT is a thriving and youthful community of great restaurants, lively music venues, theater and two large universities. It is an hour 1⁄2 away from New York by train and 1⁄2 hour from New Haven, CT.