Specialist, Photography and Media & Prints and Drawings

Location Type: Not Specified

 

The Art Institute of Chicago shares its singular collections with our city and the world. We collect, care for, and interpret works of art across time, cultures, geographies, and identities, centering the vision of artists and makers. We recognize that all art is made in a particular context, demanding continual, dynamic reconsideration in the present. We are a place of gathering; we foster the exchange of ideas and inspire an expansive, inclusive understanding of human creativity.

Please click on the links below to view our competitive, comprehensive benefits package:

• Hiring Range
• Benefits
• PTO Overview
• Job Classification: Full-Time Salaried Staff
• Grade Level: 7

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT(S)

The Art Institute of Chicago’s collection of prints and drawings comprises works on paper from the thirteenth century to the present. The collection holds approximately 15,000 drawings, 40,000 prints, 1,000 illustrated books, and continues to grow with a focus on global practitioners. Particular strengths are French 19th-century prints and drawings; British, French, and Italian drawings; strong collections of Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Francisco Goya, and James McNeill Whistler, and twentieth-century American prints. The Glore Study Room welcomes scholars, students, and the general public, hosting classes and individual visitors and Jean and Steven Goldman Galleries present three exhibitions per year, focusing on the strengths of the collection.

Spanning the history of photography from the 1830s to the present, the Art Institute’s Photography and Media collection holds approximately 26,000 objects by celebrated practitioners from across the globe. Photographs have been exhibited regularly at the Art Institute of Chicago for well over a century; the museum’s photography collection originated in 1949, when Georgia O’Keeffe donated the Alfred Stieglitz Collection. That collection, along with the Julien Levy Collection, give the museum a core strength in early 20th-century photography from the United States and Western Europe. The department’s collection also includes important groups of work by pioneer photographers of the 19th century, Japanese postwar photography, African photography, South American photography, work made in Chicago, and a range of contemporary art-making it wide-ranging in scope.

Photography and Media mounts on average four exhibitions and two rotations of the permanent collection yearly, utilizing Galleries 1-4 and 10 in the Allerton Building and Galleries 188-189 in The Modern Wing. The collection is also available to the public by appointment in the Mary L. and Leigh B. Block Photography Study Room.

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Specialist organizes, coordinates, and supervises art preparation and movement for departmental gallery rotations, reinstallations, and exhibitions, collaborating with curators, collection managers, installation crew, registrars, conservators, facilities, and security colleagues; relocates and installs art in the departmental galleries and storage areas; provides basic care, including maintenance of objects and displays in storage and on view; monitors environmental conditions of the galleries and storage areas; performs location tracking in the museum’s database; and supervises and assists in the preparation of objects for installation and shipment.

This position works equally in two separate departments and reports jointly to the individual collection managers of those departments. Assignments, priorities, and time allocations shall be determined through collaborative decisions by the two departments.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Art movement and installation: In consultation with the curators and collection managers, responsible for planning and scheduling departmental art movement and installations; directs departmental art handling, moving art to and from galleries, storage areas, trustee meetings, imaging, and conservation/preparation studios; attend all design and installation meetings to troubleshoot any potential problems or conflicts (including mounts and casework); works with conservation for best framing and/or installation solutions; requests installation and/or packing crew as needed for art movement and provides functional supervision of art handlers and packers in installing, deinstalling, packing, and unpacking objects as directed.* May act as courier for the department.

Object tracking: Updates location changes in museum database within 24 hours of art movement as per museum guidelines; performs systematic location checks of storage areas and galleries.

Collections in care: Organizes and maintains storage areas as needed; assists in the care, conservation, installation, and storage of the departmental collections, including creating bespoke housing for objects. Under the supervision of Conservation and Science, performs tasks, including light dusting and inspecting the condition of, labeling, and measuring objects; supervises preparation of objects for display.* Assists visiting scholars, students, and visitors in the safe examination of objects in storage and study areas.

Gallery maintenance: Performs regular maintenance of galleries, including dusting platforms and casework; checks and monitors temperature, humidity, and lighting conditions in the galleries and storage areas; places work requests and schedules work with Facilities for the departments related to painting, lighting, cleaning, stanchions, and casework; facilitates work in the galleries and storage areas for contractors; installs object labels for the collection and replaces existing labels as needed.*

Safety and security: Ensures all security procedures are followed in galleries, including temporary removal notices, proper securing of objects to walls and mounts, and securing of storage areas; and responds as needed in case of art, gallery, or storage emergency.

Training and best practices: Adheres to training in art handling as provided by museum colleagues; participates in periodic training to learn new techniques; and keeps abreast of and offers recommendations based upon best practices in the field related to safe and secure art handling, materials, and installation.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Frequently lifts, carries, and moves objects, including art, weighing up to 70 pounds.
• Frequently moves about the museum between departments, storage spaces, and galleries
• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk; occasionally operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a copy machine and printer.
• Occasionally moves about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, ability to adjust focus, and the ability to sustain prolonged visual concentration.

QUALIFICATIONS

• High School diploma/GED required.
• Minimum 3-5 years of experience handling and installing works of art required.
• Minimum 2-3 years of experience regularly using hand and power tools required.
• Willingness to be internally trained and certified on warehouse and small construction equipment.
• Ability to learn museum-specific collection database systems. Previous experience using a collection data base system helpful.
• Familiarity with or specialization in departmental field a plus.
• The successful candidate should:
  • be highly detail-oriented and organized;
  • demonstrate initiative;
  • have a proven track record of careful, experienced art handling;
  • embrace the museum’s commitment to creating an inclusive and equitable institution;
  • have an open-minded and collaborative approach to working and communicating with all colleagues across the museum;
  • and have strong communication, organizational, and multitasking skills.

UNION: This position is part of a bargaining unit represented by AFSCME Council 31.
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
The Art Institute of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits, hires and promotes qualified individuals without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, veteran status or citizenship. The Institute complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact the Department of Human Resources at apply_help@artic.edu.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees may be required to follow other job- related instructions and to perform other job-related duties as requested, subject to all applicable state and federal laws. Certain job functions described herein may be subject to possible modification in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.