Museum Collections Manager Job Announcement the American

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Museum Collections Manager Job Announcement the American Museum Collections Manager Job Announcement The American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati, a nonprofit historical and educational organization headquartered at Anderson House in Washington, D.C., seeks a full-time museum collections manager to oversee the care, preservation, and documentation of its museum collections—comprised of more than 4,000 works of art and artifacts, including paintings, sculpture, armaments and other military equipment, medals, ceramics, textiles, and other historical artifacts. The museum collections are strongest—and growing fastest—in portraits of Revolutionary War participants, weapons used during the war, and objects documenting the history of the Society of the Cincinnati. The American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati promotes knowledge and appreciation of the achievement of American independence, fulfilling the aim of the Continental Army officers who founded the Society of the Cincinnati in 1783 to perpetuate the memory of that vast event. The Institute supports advanced study, presents exhibitions and other public programs, advocates preservation, and provides resources to teachers and students to enrich understanding of our War for Independence and the principles of the men and women who secured the liberty of the American people. The Institute’s home, where it undertakes much of this work, is Anderson House, a 1905 mansion and National Historic Landmark in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org. Major Duties The museum collections manager is the primary staff member charged with maintaining the Society’s museum collections and the records that document them. The museum collections manager works with the staff, interns, and outside vendors and colleagues to ensure that the museum collections are properly documented, stored, and displayed, whether at Anderson House or another venue. The museum collections manager plays an important role in establishing and achieving goals to improve the care and preservation of and access to the museum collections and may be called upon to lead staff-wide projects in these areas, such as emergency preparedness and building security. Major duties include: managing proper documentation of the museum collections, including accessioning and deaccessioning, cataloging, inventories, and other records; maintaining the collections management database (Past Perfect) and object files; ensuring proper care and preservation of the museum collections by managing the museum collections storage rooms, environmental conditions data and analysis, curatorial housekeeping, and conservation projects; and contributing to exhibition planning and installation, including overseeing incoming and outgoing loans. Qualifications Required: Bachelor’s degree in history, art history, museum studies, or a closely related field; at least 3 years of professional experience managing art and artifact collections in a museum environment; thorough knowledge of collections management standards and best practices; demonstrated experience managing the care, preservation, and documentation of museum collections, especially in museum registration, collections management software, object handling and housing, loan procedures, and exhibition installation; excellent project management skills; the ability to perform moderate physical activity, such as climbing ladders, lifting, kneeling, and standing or walking for extended periods of time; the ability to work occasional evening and weekend hours, including courier trips; and being organized, detail-oriented, able to work independently and take initiative, an effective writer and public speaker, and eager to contribute to the Institute’s work. Preferred: Master’s degree in history, art history, museum studies, or a closely related field; familiarity with the history and material culture of the era of the American Revolution; and experience leading staff teams in larger projects. Salary and Benefits This is a mid-level position on the professional staff of the Society of the Cincinnati. The current budget allocation for this position is $53,500 per year (negotiable). Excellent benefits include paid annual and sick leave, health insurance, a 401(k) plan, and a monthly commuting stipend. To Apply Send a resume and cover letter, including mention of where you learned about this opening, by email to: Emily L. Parsons Deputy Director and Curator The American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati 2118 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20008 [email protected] Position open until filled. .
Recommended publications
  • Assistant Curator Job Description ……
    Assistant Curator Job description ……. Background For over a century, the Whitechapel Gallery has premiered world-class artists from modern masters such as Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Frida Kahlo to contemporaries such as Sophie Calle, Lucien Freud, Sarah Lucas and Walid Raad. With beautiful galleries, exhibitions, artist commissions, collection displays, historic archives, education resources, inspiring art courses, dining room and bookshop, the newly expanded Gallery is open all year round, so there is always something free to see. The Gallery is a touchstone for contemporary art internationally, plays a central role in London’s cultural landscape and is pivotal to the continued growth of the world’s most vibrant contemporary art quarter. Exhibitions Department The Exhibitions Department realises the ambitious programme of temporary exhibitions and commissions, including the production of catalogues to accompany these events. In addition, the Department is closely involved with an MA in Curating Contemporary Art, taught jointly with London Metropolitan University. The Department consists of the Chief Curator, Curator and Head of MA Curatorial Studies, Curator, 3 x Assistant Curators, Assistant Curator – Special Projects, Archivist and Archive Curator, Head of Exhibition Design and Production, Gallery Manager and Installation Manager. Role The Assistant Curator works with a small and busy team on the realisation of projects with artists, lenders and arts institutions; delivering modern and contemporary exhibitions and commissions, including the organisation of transport and insurance; registrarial duties; and the production of catalogues. As a member of the exhibitions team, the Assistant Curator contributes ideas to the Gallery’s programme, is essential to the department's collegiate work environment and liaises with other internal departments and with the professional art world, in one of the most dynamic art environments in Europe.
    [Show full text]
  • COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT POLICY SOAS Collections Management Policy
    SOAS COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT POLICY SOAS Collections Management Policy Date at which policy due for review: October 2018 (5 years after approval date) (The following document is based on Museums Association and the Museums, Libraries & Archives Council guidelines) 1. Introduction 1. The School of Oriental and African Studies Mission Statement is: The mission of the School is to be a leading centre of excellence in research and teaching relating to Asia and Africa. The aims of the School are: • To advance through teaching and research the knowledge and understanding of Asia and Africa • To contribute to the development of the School’s academic disciplines • To provide high quality education so that our students achieve competence in their chosen subject or subjects and develop their intellectual and other core skills • To provide high quality training in languages and other expertise related to Asia and Africa specific to the needs of individuals, official agencies, companies, non- governmental organisations and the media • To encourage and inform understanding of Africa and Asia in the United Kingdom and beyond SOAS's collections exist to support the mission, and are dedicated to promoting a better understanding of the art, culture, history and contemporary contexts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East. They include manuscripts, rare books, wall-hangings, textiles, ceramics, metalwork, sculptures, maps, photographs, documents of historical interest and records on other media which relate directly to the regions and subjects studied by the School. These are held in the Archives and throughout the School. 1. The purpose of this Collections Management Policy is to be a guide for SOAS staff, supporters, and the public, to the professional standards the School will observe towards the objects in its care.
    [Show full text]
  • Collections Management Policy Fenimore Art Museum & the Farmers’ Museum
    Collections Management Policy Fenimore Art Museum & The Farmers’ Museum Approved by: The Farmers’ Museum Board of Directors, November 2019 Fenimore Art Museum Board of Trustees, November 2019 1 Table of Contents 1 Purpose ................................................................................................................................................ 3 2 Founding Documents ........................................................................................................................... 3 3 Scope, Use and Management of Collections .................................................................................... 4 4 Management of the Collections ........................................................................................................... 5 5 Authority and Responsibility ............................................................................................................... 5 6 Acquisition and Accessioning ............................................................................................................. 6 7 Deaccessioning and Disposal .............................................................................................................. 7 8 Loans ................................................................................................................................................... 9 9 Temporary Custody of Objects ......................................................................................................... 11 10 Staff and Museum Collections .........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • A Preliminary Study on Curation Concerns in Higher Education
    Southern Illinois University Carbondale OpenSIUC Research Papers Graduate School Spring 4-2013 A Preliminary Study on Curation Concerns in Higher Education Anthropology Programs with a Focus on Archaeological Collections Sarah Cain Southern Illinois University Carbondale, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/gs_rp Recommended Citation Cain, Sarah, "A Preliminary Study on Curation Concerns in Higher Education Anthropology Programs with a Focus on Archaeological Collections" (2013). Research Papers. Paper 367. http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/gs_rp/367 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at OpenSIUC. It has been accepted for inclusion in Research Papers by an authorized administrator of OpenSIUC. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON CURATION CONCERNS IN HIGHER EDUCATION ANTHROPOLOGY PROGRAMS WITH A FOCUS ON ARCHAEOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS by Sarah Cain B.A., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2007 M.L.S., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2010 A Research Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Public Administration Department of Political Science in the Graduate School Southern Illinois University Carbondale May 2013 RESEARCH PAPER APPROVAL A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON CURATION CONCERNS IN HIGHER EDUCATION ANTHROPOLOGY PROGRAMS WITH A FOCUS ON ARCHAEOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS By Sarah Cain A Research Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Public Administration in the field of Public Administration Approved by: Lorilee Huffman, Chair Dr. Heather Lapham Dr. LaShonda Stewart Graduate School Southern Illinois University Carbondale April 2, 2013 AN ABSTRACT OF THE RESEARCH PAPER Sarah Cain, for the Master of Public Administration degree in Museum Administration, presented on April 2, 2013, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
    [Show full text]
  • Federal Laws and Regulations Requiring Curation of Digital Archaeological Documents and Data
    Federal Laws and Regulations Requiring Curation of Digital Archaeological Documents and Data Cultural Heritage Partners, PLLC Prepared for: Arizona State University October 25th, 2012 © 2012 Arizona State University. All rights reserved. This report by Cultural Heritage Partners, PLLC describes and analyzes federal requirements for the access to and long-term preservation of digital archaeological data. We conclude that the relevant federal laws, regulations, and policies mandate that digital archaeological data generated by federal agencies must be deposited in an appropriate repository with the capability of providing appropriate long-term digital curation and accessibility to qualified users. Federal Agency Responsibilities for Preservation and Access to Archaeological Records in Digital Form Federal requirements for appropriate management of archaeological data are set forth in the National Historic Preservation Act (“NHPA”), the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (“ARPA”), the regulations regarding curation of data promulgated pursuant to those statutes (36 C.F.R. 79), and the regulations promulgated by the National Archives and Records Administration (36 C.F.R. 1220.1-1220.20) that apply to all federal agencies. We discuss each of these authorities in turn. Statutory Authority: Maintenance of Archaeological Data Archaeological data can be generated from many sources, including investigations or studies undertaken for compliance with the NHPA, ARPA, and other environmental protection laws. The NHPA was adopted in 1966, and strongly
    [Show full text]
  • Deaccessioning Done Right by Jennifer Holt, Curator, Will Rogers Memorial Museums, Claremore
    technical bulletin Deaccessioning done right by Jennifer Holt, Curator, Will Rogers Memorial Museums, Claremore Oklahoma Museums eaccessioning is the process used to ered; private sales can be problematic due to Association Dremove permanently an object from a transparency and accountability issues. The Technical Bulletin #47 museum’s collection or to document the rea- use of all proceeds should comply with the Published January sons for an involuntary removal of an object professional ethics and the law. from such a collection. The deaccession- 2009 ing process is used only when accessioned Procedures should be developed along with objects are at issue. Deaccessioning should policies. Deaccession check lists should not be viewed as a routine way to manage follow policy parameters. The registrar/col- indiscriminate collecting. The first rule is lection manager/curator should oversee the Back issues of techni- careful, focused collecting. process and maintain permanent records of cal bulletins published all deaccessions. by the Oklahoma There are a number of reasons why a mu- seum may be prompted to consider deacces- Problems may arise with the deaccession of Museums Associa- sioning. The condition of the object may be an object. The title to the object may be in- tion are available free so bad that it threatens other objects in the complete. Restrictions may have been placed to members. For a collection. A collection may contain unneces- on deaccessioning the object when donated. complete list of tech- sary duplicates. These dupes take resources Other issues that may appear include pri- nical bulletin topics, that could be used for new objects.
    [Show full text]
  • CURATOR CORE COMPETENCIES American Alliance of Museums Curators Committee
    CURATOR CORE COMPETENCIES American Alliance of Museums Curators Committee Standing Committee on Ethics ABSTRACT Curator Core Competencies is a comprehensive statement of the domains in which curators work, the duties they perform, and the applied skills that they must all possess to be successful in today’s profession. It defines who we are, what we do, and why curators are important. 1 A Curator’s Core Competencies Introduction The role of the museum curator is rewarding, broad and challenging. This compilation of curatorial core competencies created by CurCom’s Standing Committee on Ethics addresses the skills required of curators to be successful in their profession. During the creation of this document, several sources provided valuable information regarding the skills identified by respective institutions as integral to the role of curators. The AAM, CurCom’s Code of Ethics, US Federal Government’s position classifications, US National Park Service classifications, College Art Association’s standards and guidelines, International Committee for the Training of Personnel and International Council of Museums served as references, helping to create the foundation for this document. Most important were the informal conversations with curatorial colleagues and conference sessions since the 2012 AAM annual meeting, which provided valuable insights into the demands on museum curators today, and revealed the growing need to formally study curatorial education, experience, and training, as well as to express the competencies required to practice the craft. The 2014 survey conducted by CurCom validated much of the input taken from these discussions and revealed other interesting considerations. For all the things this document is, there are several things that it is not.
    [Show full text]
  • Curator of Archaeology and Assistant Professor in Anthropology
    Curator of Archaeology and Assistant Professor in Anthropology The University of Colorado Museum of Natural History and the Department of Anthropology invite applications for a tenure-track, joint position as Curator of Archaeology and Assistant Professor. Applicants should have PhD with specialization in Archaeology, and museum experience. Strong preference for candidates with experience in Southwestern material culture research and publication, NAGPRA, collaborative research, and teaching, with strengths in contemporary archaeological and museological theory. The successful candidate will teach no more than one course per semester and be a part of the museum’s Anthropology Section, working closely with the Collections Manager and the Curator of Cultural Anthropology. Duties include establishing and executing a vital research program with extramural funding; curating archaeology collections (including a large collection of Southwest pottery); implementing NAGPRA; teaching in both units including graduate and undergraduate courses; and, advising MA and PhD students in Anthropology (http://www.colorado.edu/Anthropology) and Museum & Field Studies (http://cumuseum.colorado.edu). We offer a collaborative, intellectually stimulating, and supportive environment in which a new professor can thrive. Contact: [email protected]. The anthropology collections at the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History include more than 1.5 million archaeological and ethnographic objects, and nearly 50,000 photographic images relevant to these collections. The geographic foci of the collections are the North American Southwest and Rocky Mountain-Plains. The anthropology collections are primarily archaeological materials resulting from the systematic work of Earl H. Morris and Joe Ben Wheat. Morris built the museum's anthropological collections from 1913–1956. Wheat served as Curator of Anthropology and Curator Emeritus from 1952–1997, and directed the Yellow Jacket field school from 1954–1991.
    [Show full text]
  • Review of Things Great and Small Lydia Tang Michigan State University, [email protected]
    Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies Volume 6 Article 15 2019 Review of Things Great and Small Lydia Tang Michigan State University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/jcas Part of the Archival Science Commons, and the Museum Studies Commons Recommended Citation Tang, Lydia (2019) "Review of Things Great and Small," Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies: Vol. 6 , Article 15. Available at: https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/jcas/vol6/iss1/15 This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by EliScholar – A Digital Platform for Scholarly Publishing at Yale. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies by an authorized editor of EliScholar – A Digital Platform for Scholarly Publishing at Yale. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Tang: Review of Things Great and Small John E. Simmons. Things Great and Small: Collections Management Policies. 2nd edition. 2006; Lanham, Md.: Rowman and Littlefield, 2018. Things Great and Small is a comprehensive and aptly titled book focusing on museum collections management policies. Revised from the original 2006 version, this second edition is informed by newer laws and regulations and considers emerging collections management practices and technologies. Author John E. Simmons is president of Museologica (a museum consulting company based in Pennsylvania), a lecturer in art at Juniata College, an instructor in museum studies at Kent State University, profesor invitado at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, an instructor for Museum Study LLC, and the adjunct curator of collections for the Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum and Art Gallery at Pennsylvania State University.
    [Show full text]
  • Collect Like a Curator with Liberty Hall Museum
    Collect like a Curator with Liberty Hall Museum What is a collection? A collection is group of objects usually brought together for their similar subject matter or purpose. That’s a fancy definition—but what does that mean? Let’s explore collections together! Where do collections come from? o Collections come from individuals who have a passion for certain objects, such as art, historic items, a sport’s team, etc. These individuals then go out and find examples of these objects and decide to group and store them together, making a collection. Many times these collections end up in a museum like Liberty Hall! What do museums do with collections? o Museums take on the responsibility for caring and preserving their collections, so visitors like you can enjoy them. The person primarily responsible for caring for a museum collection is a curator. What is a curator? o Museum curators are in charge of a collection of exhibits in a museum. Their job is to build up collections and develop ways in which objects, archives and artworks can be interpreted, through exhibitions, publications, events and audio-visual presentations. How do curators keep track of all the objects in a museum collection? o Curators keep track of a collection by making sure every object has a written record of information about that object. All of that information is then stored in a catalog or a database. o Curators will also assign each object a different number to help organize the objects. This number is called an accession number. Does Liberty Hall have any collections? o Yes indeed! In fact, Liberty Hall is a museum that is made up of collections.
    [Show full text]
  • SAA Guidelines for Preparing Legacy Archaeology Collections
    GUIDELINES FOR PREPARING LEGACY ARCHAEOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS FOR CURATION Michelle K. Knoll and Bruce B. Huckell ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We are grateful to a number of colleagues for their advice and assistance in compiling and reviewing previous drafts of this document. Our first thanks go to volunteers nearing retirement who completed a preliminary survey about what kinds of collections, samples, and materials they had in their possession that needed to be curated. They helped us assess what topics might best be covered in this guide. Once we started the process of compiling sections and full drafts, we had the good fortune to receive editorial comments, suggestions, and thoughtful reactions from our colleagues on the SAA Committee on Museums, Collections, and Curation. In particular, we are most grateful to committee chair Danielle Benden, Terry Childs, Jenna Domeischel, Susan Gilliland, and Marybeth Tomka. Bill Lipe, Professor Emeritus, Washington State University, long concerned with the proper curation of legacy collections, provided us with much food for thought on both an initial and a revised draft of this guide. We thank Richard Talbot, Brigham Young University, and Janaki Krishna, Natural History Museum of Utah, who also reviewed drafts, and Andrea Knoll for assistance with designing the cover. Our thanks as well to our colleagues at the University of Utah and the University of New Mexico for important conversations about aspects of curation that came up as we worked on the guide. Finally, we are grateful to the SAA Board of Directors for their invitation to prepare the guide and for their review and final approval of it.
    [Show full text]
  • A Framework of Guidance for Building Good Digital Collections
    A Framework of Guidance for Building Good Digital Collections 3rd edition December 2007 A NISO Recommended Practice Prepared by the NISO Framework Working Group with support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services About NISO Recommended Practices A NISO Recommended Practice is a recommended "best practice" or "guideline" for methods, materials, or practices in order to give guidance to the user. Such documents usually represent a leading edge, exceptional model, or proven industry practice. All elements of Recommended Practices are discretionary and may be used as stated or modified by the user to meet specific needs. This recommended practice may be revised or withdrawn at any time. For current information on the status of this publication contact the NISO office or visit the NISO website (www.niso.org). Published by National Information Standards Organization (NISO) One North Charles Street, Suite 1905 Baltimore, MD 21201 www.niso.org Copyright © 2007 by the National Information Standards Organization All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. For noncommercial purposes only, this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior permission in writing from the publisher, provided it is reproduced accurately, the source of the material is identified, and the NISO copyright status is acknowledged. All inquires regarding translations into other languages or commercial reproduction or distribution should be addressed to: NISO, One North Charles Street, Suite
    [Show full text]