Employment Opportunity with the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts

Inventory Assistant (Part-Time, Temporary)

Background

The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts is conducting a collections inventory project of its over 7,000 works of art, including significant holdings of European and American art dating from the 16^th century to the present, Asian and African Art, and decorative arts. The inventory will allow the Museum to provide better access to its collections for citizens of the region, artists, area collectors, community educators, students and scholars. 

Established in 1931, the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts (WCMFA) is dedicated to collecting, preserving and interpreting works of art for the people of Washington County and citizens from the four-state region. The WCMFA has been recognized as one of the finest small museums in the United States. Accredited by the American Association of Museums, the Museum offers studio art courses, lectures, concerts, and exhibitions from its permanent collection and traveling shows.

Description

The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts (WCMFA) seeks a qualified and motivated individual to assist with the hands-on activities of a complete art collection inventory funded through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The collection inventory is scheduled to conclude in July 2014.

Duties & Responsibilities

Working with the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts staff, the Inventory Assistant will assist with art handling and moving, verifying and supplementing the information about the art objects as compared to the collections database, photographing objects, batch processing and uploading images, and batch data entry from inventory sheets. 

Qualifications

·         Bachelor’s Degree preferred in art history, studio art, museum studies, or other related field and/or a minimum of two (2) years experience conducting museum collection inventories.

• Demonstrated, practical knowledge of collections management policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of fine art photography.
• Knowledge of museum registration methods, collections management practices, and object handling.

·         Familiarity with major word processing and database software packages, especially Past Perfect Museum Software. Knowledge of Past Perfect-Online software is a plus.

·         Ability to work harmoniously and effectively with others, independently as well as part of a team and to exercise discretion, initiative, and judgment.

• Attention to detail.
• Ability to stand for prolonged periods, reach, step on step stools/ladders, push and pull shipping/packing crates, and carry artwork and artifacts weighing up to fifty (50) pounds.

Schedule

Position is IMLS grant funded and begins immediately and concludes July 2014. This position is not eligible for benefits.

Apply

For consideration, please send a resume and contact information for three professional references with “Inv Assistant, Tracking #2, your first and last name” written in the subject line to: info@wcmfa.org.

Closing Date: June 1, 2014

The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Drug and Alcohol-Free Workplace. The Museum requires selected candidates to be subjected to an investigative background report.