Posting Details
I. JOB OVERVIEW
Job Description Summary:
Located in the heart of Washington, D.C., the George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum celebrates the creative achievements of local and global cultures from antiquity through today. The mission of the museum is to foster the study and appreciation of art, history, and culture, both within the university and throughout the global community, through its affiliation with The Textile Museum and through its university collections, including the Albert H. Small Washingtoniana Collection. The Textile Museum expands public knowledge and appreciation-locally, nationally, and internationally-of the artistic merits and cultural importance of the world’s textiles.
The Curatorial Assistant is responsible for a variety of administrative and curatorial tasks related to both daily and long-range departmental and institutional operations for The Textile Museum Collection’s Curatorial Department at The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum.
The position serves one curatorial department, containing four curatorial staff members with 2-3 student hires and 1-2 fellow(s)/intern(s), with approximately 21,000 works of art, producing 3-4 potential collections rotations/focus exhibitions each year.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Department Administration
- Provide administrative support for the department by overseeing the maintenance of all department files and records.
- Compile and organize data and statistics for reports.
- Maintain the daily appointment and travel schedule for the curators.
- Make travel arrangements as requested, and process travel-expense reports.
- Assist in overseeing curatorial student associates, including creating and maintaining files for each, arranging access to the office spaces, training on the use of collections database, departmental computers, scanners, and software, and IPM and department procedures.
- Assist curators with organization and preparation for department-related special events, including exhibition tours/luncheons/meetings/behind-the-scenes presentations/workshops.
- Assists with coordination of logistical needs for artist/curator visits including arranging honoraria, travel, lodging, meals, and any event-related logistics. Assists with hosting visiting artists/curators, including itineraries, transportation, and entertainment.
- Maintain departmental library, including conducting inventory.
- Take minutes in departmental and task force meetings.
Curatorial Support
- Provide support to curatorial projects initiated within the department. This includes gathering and analyzing art historical and scholarly texts, visual and object location information, and budgetary data, compiled to initiate and implement exhibitions and other curatorial project activities. After receiving art-handling training, assist with viewing appointments, as needed bases.
- Assist curators with presentations including researching contextual images, collection images, and creating PowerPoint presentations.
Department Liaison
- Act as the department’s liaison within the museum and with the public by managing inbound and outbound communications, and correspondence via telephone and email representing the department and the museum in a professional, courteous, and efficient manner.
- Research and respond to public inquiries, liaison for collection access requests.
- Develop and maintain knowledge of the departments’ donors and patrons as well as colleagues at peer institutions and dealers.
- Manage yearly-donor acknowledgments.
- Maintain and update the department’s database of patrons and contacts.
- Assist in the management of the Textile and Costume Curators Forum by maintaining and keeping up-to-date distribution lists, managing meetings of the forum, and taking minutes.
Collection Research and Support
- Assist curators in conducting or conduct object and provenance research for incoming object donations.
- Manage acknowledgments to donors to The Textile Museum Collection.
- Conduct research in areas of the collection to update the collections database.
- Assist in cleaning and updating records in the collections database.
Communication
- In tandem with the curator(s) work with Education, Development, and Marketing & Communications staff, prepare and edit materials to interpret, promote, and publicize exhibitions, collections, installations, and related public programs.
- Assist with gathering and writing exhibition- and collection-related information pertinent to grant applications, final reports, and other institutional needs.
- Work with the Education department to plan and coordinate public programs related to curatorial activities.
Performs other duties as assigned. The omission of specific duties does not preclude the supervisor from assigning additional responsibilities that are logically related to the position.
Minimum Qualifications:
Qualified candidates will hold a Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate area of specialization. Degree must be conferred by the start date of the position. Degree requirements may be substituted with an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
Additional Required Licenses/Certifications/Posting Specific Minimum Qualifications:
Preferred Qualifications:
- B.A. or M.A. Degree in Art History or an equivalent combination of education and experience and the ability to work independently, mobilize and motivate others, establish priorities, meet deadlines, and handle numerous assignments concurrently are preferred.
- Highly responsive and resourceful; has a strong propensity to provide excellent service and support internally and externally in a professional and approachable manner.
- Knowledge and experience in curatorial practices and understanding of relationships between art institutions, galleries, artists, curators, and auction houses.
- Knowledge of and familiarity with global cultures; respecting, including, and integrating all people from all backgrounds and cultures are highly desirable.
- Reading ability in one major foreign language, excellent public speaking skills, and the ability to work with multiple audiences are highly desirable.
- Experience managing and building positive relationships with cross-institutional teams is welcomed as well as two to five years’ experience working in a curatorial environment.
Typical Hiring Range
$19.09 – $26.25 How is pay for new employees determined at GW?
II. JOB DETAILS
Campus Location:
Foggy Bottom, Washington, D.C.
College/School/Department:
Academic Affairs
Family
Museum & Performing Arts
Sub-Family
Museum and Arts
Stream
Individual Contributor
Level
Level 1
Full-Time/Part-Time:
Full time -> FTE 1.00
Hours Per Week:
40
Work Schedule:
Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm
Will this job require the employee to work on site?
No
Employee Onsite Status
Hybrid
Telework:
Yes
Required Background Check:
Criminal History Screening, Education/Degree/Certifications Verification, Social Security Number Trace, and Sex Offender Registry Search
Special Instructions to Applicants:
Employer will not sponsor for employment Visa status
Internal Applicants Only?
No
Posting Number:
S012354
Job Open Date:
07/26/2023
Job Close Date:
If temporary, grant funded or limited term appointment, position funded until:
Background Screening
Successful Completion of a Background Screening will be required as a condition of hire.
EEO Statement:
The university is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer that does not unlawfully discriminate in any of its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.