CAREERS

Curator of Art and Artifacts (full-time, hourly, non-exempt)

$37,000 annual salary 

Overview

Massillon Museum is a cultural hub where art and history come together. Having completed an expansion of its facility in 2018, MassMu now operates a 48,421-square-foot building that occupies an entire downtown city block in the heart of Massillon, Ohio. Governed by a board of directors and funded in large part by a municipal property tax levy, Massillon Museum maintains free admission, is open six days a week, and places emphasis on Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI), and offers a diverse mix of educational programming and rotation of exhibitions. The permanent collections of both Massillon Museum and the Paul Brown Museum hold more than 30,000 artifacts and artworks along with over one million individual archival documents, negatives, photographs, and other ephemera. A dynamic staff consisting of nineteen part-time and full-time positions operate the museum alongside several contractors.

Position Summary

The Curator of Art and Artifacts is an integral member of the Collections Team and is responsible for the development of both long-term and temporary exhibitions of permanent collections objects. The position will also assist with developing a diverse and innovative exhibition schedule for the Main Gallery. The Curator reports to the Executive Director.

Responsibilities

The Curator of Art and Artifacts assists and supports the duties and objectives relevant to the collections and archives department, which include:

·        Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the permanent collection (diversity, historical era, media, etc.), and making recommendations for acquisition, research, use, storage, and deaccession, as well as appraisal and conservation needs, in collaboration with the Collections Team;

·        Assisting with the development and implementation of policies and procedures for collections stewardship, access, and use, in collaboration with the Collections Team, including but not limited to creation of a Collections Plan;

·        Facilitating internal and external research and photographic reproduction requests related to the permanent collection;

·        Collaborating with the Collections Team, specifically the Collections Manager & Registrar, on various aspects of the cataloging process;

·        Attending quarterly Collections Committee and weekly Collections Team meetings;

·        Managing any collections on exhibit at both onsite and offsite locations;

·        Maintaining well-organized digital and physical files, inclusive of exhibition materials and research;

·        Managing and sharing supervision of interns and volunteers;

·        Collaborating with the Collections Team on development of the annual departmental budget and maintaining adequate collections and archival supplies;

·        Actively and respectfully conducting new research on objects and artwork within the permanent collections, including but not limited to culturally sensitive objects and materials;

·        Supporting a clean and well-organized storage space;

·        Updating the records within the Museum’s collections management database specific to objects within the scope of the permanent collections;

·        Engaging in collections photography, as necessary;

·        Working with the Collections Manager & Registrar in providing access to collections, including review of requests for outgoing loans from collections; and

·        Facilitating researchers and responding to media inquiries related to permanent collections.

The position will be responsible for developing and scheduling a rotation of exhibitions within the second-floor galleries in partnership with the Collections Team, and Main Gallery in partnership with the Executive Director, contracted staff, and guest curators. This will also include:

·        Researching and creating original content;

·        Writing exhibition text and interpretive material;

·        Selecting artwork, objects, and/or archive material in partnership with the Collections Team;

·        Managing exhibition installations;

·        Contracting traveling exhibitions;

·        Requesting loans from other institutions and/or private collections;

·        Monitoring and documenting those exhibitions while on display; and

·        Communicating exhibition content to the Education & Outreach Manager for use in developing tours.

The Curator of Art and Artifacts is also responsible for maintaining related pages on the Massillon Museum website in coordination with the Administrative Assistant & Social Media Manager to reflect new exhibitions and permanent collections and to ensure content is updated and relevant.

The position is expected to make media appearances and to collaborate with the Education & Outreach Manager on programming and lectures as appropriate. The individual will also participate in related facets of the Museum programming, which requires involvement on the Collections and Marketing Committees, and working collaboratively across all departments.

The Curator must cultivate and maintain relationships with community partners and organizations, donors, lenders, and professional colleagues. This position is also expected to support other departments within the Museum, and represent the Museum within the local and regional community by:

Assisting with educational programming and presentations as requested through the Museum’s Speaker’s Bureau;

•           Assisting the Events & Volunteer Coordinator in the development of events in support of Museum collections and exhibitions;
•           Helping to innovatively promote these events across departments and throughout the community;
•           Staffing exhibition openings and receptions, and other Museum events (both onsite and offsite) as needed;
•            Attending community events as appropriate; and
•            Fulfilling other duties as prescribed by Executive Director.

Opportunities for professional development are encouraged, and may take the form of board involvement at local and statewide levels.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate must have:

·        The ability to work independently and be self-motivated;

·        The ability to collaborate and function as a member of a team;

·        An existing knowledge of museum best practices and industry standards;

·        A desire to remain up-to-date and well-informed of new developments in collections stewardship;

·        Be familiar with collection management databases (preferably PastPerfect Online) and museum infrastructure; and

·        A network of industry colleagues with whom they are willing to consult; and/or the willingness to grow such a network.

Requirements

This team member must also:

·        Be detail-oriented;

·        Adhere to ethical guidelines and federal regulations with regard to collections care and management, including but not limited to NAGPRA;

·        Exhibit strong communication and interpersonal skills (both written and verbal);

·        Have the ability to work effectively with competing projects and deadlines;

·        Be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite; and

·        Demonstrate a working knowledge of object evaluation, preservation, and selection, along with exhibition and display methods and equipment.

Education and Experience

A bachelor's degree in art history, history, museum studies, or related field is required, with a master’s degree preferred. A minimum of three years’ experience working with museum collections, inclusive of internships, where a working knowledge of research, object handling, and exhibition development was gained is required. Preference will be given to candidates who have experience curating exhibitions within a museum environment.  

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to the attention of the Executive Director, Alexandra Nicholis Coon, by email to jobs@massillonmuseum.org no later than August 18, 2024, at 5:00pm.  Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.  The employee has an opportunity to participate in the Museum’s Health Insurance (includes vision), dental, and Simple IRA programs after 30 days.  PTO is earned from the start date, with eligibility for paid vacation time starting at the first-year anniversary date.