Month: April 2015

Job Posting: Samuel H. Kress Conservation Fellow (Objects Conservation) – Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Boston, MA)

Samuel H. Kress Conservation Fellow (Objects Conservation)
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston seeks applicants for the Samuel H. Kress Conservation Fellowship in Objects Conservation. This full-time, one-year appointment begins in September of 2015 and will focus on treatment and research of Italian glazed ceramic sculpture for an upcoming exhibition of della Robbia sculptures in American collections. The exhibition opens at the MFA in August 2016. The Kress Fellow will participate in a wide range of conservation activities related to the exhibition with conservators, conservation scientists, collections care specialists and curators. The Kress Fellow will be expected to carry out a related publishable research project. 
Applicants must have a graduate degree in conservation from a recognized program in the U.S. or Canada, or be U.S. citizens with a graduate degree from a graduate-level conservation program abroad. A minimum of one year of practical experience beyond graduation, and experience with a variety of analytical instruments, is also required. 
Compensation includes salary and travel allowance, in addition to a generous benefits package. 
Application materials are being accepted immediately. (If possible, interviews may be conducted at the AIC Annual Meeting in Miami, May 13-16, 2015.) For consideration, please submit your letter of interest, résumé, transcripts, several samples of examination reports and treatment records with photographs, and two letters of recommendation to: resumes@mfa.org. Application materials may also be submitted via postal mail to: Human Resources Department, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115. Confirmation of receipt of complete applications will be sent via e-mail. Only those candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. 
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is an Equal Opportunity Employer and seeks diversity in its workforce.

Preserving Auschwitz

From 1989-1994, I was a member of the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation Auschwitz Preservation Advisory Committee. When we met, we had agonizing philosophical discussions about what should be done to the site and its contents. Should it be allowed to collapse or decay on its own? Would it be an insult to the victims’ memory if objects or buildings were conserved and then looked better? Would there be people with the emotional strength to work in such a place for months or even years? Twenty-one years later in Rachel Donadio’s article “Preserving the Ghastly Inventory of Auschwitz” published in today’s (April 16, 2015) New York Times, I found out the answers to the questions of what is being done, who is doing it, and how they approach their work.

Job Posting: Head of Collection Care – Auckland Ware Memorial Museum (Auckland, NZ)

Head of Collection Care

Tamaki Paenga Hira: Tui tui hono tangata, whenua me te moana. 
Ko Tamaki Paenga Hira, hewaengarahi ake, he ngakau mahaki mo te kaitiakitanga taonga pu korero, pakiwaitara, korero tipua ano hoki mai i nga kai para korero.
Auckland Museum is seeking an experienced, forward-thinking museum professional to lead our Collection Care team in an exciting period of the Museum’s development.
This is a key management role as the Museum embarks on a number of capital projects will significantly affect the use and storage of the extensive wide-ranging collections.
The Head of Collection Care leads the long-term preservation of the Museum’s collections through both advocacy and direct management of people and activities to upgrade and enhance the care and condition of the collections. The position is responsible for maintaining and improving the physical state of collections through preventive care strategies, policy and procedure development and through management of projects which optimize the care of the collections. Contributions to Museum-wide programmes and building development projects are vital parts of the long-term success of the role.
The Museum’s collections span a wide range of formats, subjects and materials across the human history, natural science and documentary heritage fields. A key challenge of the role is managing the skilled professional and technical team and the long-term care of diverse collections while also enabling various modes of access and collection use. A core responsibility will be to advocate strongly for appropriate conditions and sensitive collection care in the context of Museum planning, gallery developments, storage renewal and digitization projects.
We are looking for someone with management experience who is eager to provide outstanding leadership to the Museum’s team of Collection Managers, Conservators and other project staff who work on the preservation, storage and conservation treatment of the collections.
The successful candidate will be a positive player in our diverse organisation and will have strengths in building relationships and provoking new thinking in the care, storage and management of museum collections, and managing change.
The successful candidate will have:

  • Excellent staff management experience with proven ability to lead, train and supervise staff and to engender enthusiasm and commitment
  • Ability to advocate effectively for preservation issues and concerns and to negotiate solutions in an environment of competing priorities
  • Tertiary qualification in the Conservation of Cultural Materials, Collection Management or a Degree in a field relevant to the Museum’s collections
  • Extensive familiarity with conservation principles, the needs of a wide range of object materials and the care and management of heritage collections
  • Good knowledge of tikanga Maori particularly its application to culturally appropriate collection care along with a general knowledge of New Zealand natural/cultural history
  • Desire to work in a dynamic museum and in a cross-functional team environment

We invite motivated applicants with management and team leadership experience and thorough knowledge of current practice in collection management, conservation and public access to museum collections.
Closing Date: 5pm Sunday, 17 May 2015
You must be eligible to work in NZ to apply for this position.
This is a great opportunity for someone looking to be part of a fabulous New Zealand organisation committed to telling our national and Auckland stories and reflecting our unique place in the South Pacific.
To apply for this job, please apply online or go to our job site http://careers.aucklandmuseum.comand enter the job code 4630.

YOU MUST APPLY VIA OUR CAREERS SITE. APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED INCORRECTLY WILL NOT BE PROCESSED.

Connecting to Collections Care Webinar, April 21

Please excuse cross postings.
Sign up for the next Connecting to Collections Care webinar on museum environments – it’s free!
“When Less is All You Got! Budget-conscious solutions to protect collections on display and in storage”
April 21, 2015, 2:00 – 3:30, EDT, with Ernest Conrad and Lisa Mibach.
In an ideal world, all buildings that house and display collections would have purpose-designed environmental control systems that work, enclosed display cases, chemically-neutral storage and display cases and containers, and enough trained staff to care for collections. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
The first part of the webinar will illustrate the diagnostic effects of the lack of environmental controls, and will discuss budget-conscious solutions to protect collections on display and in storage. The second part will deal with proper storage and display conditions so that objects can weather minor disruptions. If you don’t have ideal storage and display conditions, you need to have regularly updated priority lists of objects (in order of vulnerability) to check during/after an environmental failure or change.
Check the Calendar for more upcoming events.
Connecting to Collections Care is sponsored by the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation with funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Job Posting: Manager, Arts Programs – Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NY, NY)

Manager, Arts Programs 

SALARY: Min: $70,993 Mid: $88,666 DEPT/DIV: MTA Arts & Design SUPERVISOR: Deputy Director, MTA Arts & Design LOCATION: 2 Broadway HOURS OF WORK: 9:00 am – 5:30 pm (7.5 hours/day) SUMMARY: This position is responsible for providing high quality public visual and performing art including music, graphic posters, poetry, photography and performance to create a customer-friendly environment that is inviting and secure, resulting in an unmatched level of goodwill, and positive feedback from the ridership throughout the MTA network. Specifically, the Manager is responsible for providing professional level project management in planning, implementing, and evaluating multiple projects within the Percent for Art Program. From initial stages of site planning to project completion and conservation, in concert with capital construction staff and consultants, the Manager serves as the departmental coordinator and design representative for MTA Agency projects (Capital Construction, Metro-North, LIRR,Staten Island Railway, New York City Bus, Bridges and Tunnels). The Manager is the expert and responsible for artwork conservation for the Percent for Art collection and for architectural review. RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Organize and lead high quality competitive artist selection process following fair procurement practice to coincide with new capital construction or station projects. Identify and engage professional panel members and invite community representatives and elected officials to participate; liaise with community affairs staff, community members and elected officials in coordination with appropriate MTA agency to achieve appropriate support and approvals.
  • Commission approximately 10 capitally funded projects annually; oversee approximately 10-15 percent for art projects on an on-going basis. Negotiate and prepare contracts, guide artist and procurement/legal departments through contract negotiations and bid solicitations as needed through MTA Board approval. Monitor construction progress on each project, problem-solve engineering and technical design issues in coordination with construction and design managers and consultants from MTA agencies for capitally funded projects that must be delivered on time and within budget.
  • Communicate and collaborate with the project, architectural and engineering teams including agency staff, and projectrelated consultants and contractors; oversee artists’ work throughout design, fabrication, delivery and installation phases; report on federal grants as necessary.
  • Coordinate and lead department efforts to survey, assess, analyze, creatively problem-solve, expertly maintain, repair and document a growing and aging collection of more than 250 permanent artwork assets with a value totaling more than $12 million throughout the MTA network spanning 5,000 square miles.
  • Provide consultation to staff for siting, material selection and life-span conservation of new projects. On an annual basis, coordinate with internal staff, interns and consultants to create and implement a conservation plan.
  • Coordinate with all MTA operating agencies to guarantee that permanent public artwork and design standards are incorporated into each eligible capital program project to enhance the MTA system and provide positive feedback from ridership

DESIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

  • Professional knowledge of public art, design and architecture, and the related issues of integration;
  • Strong project management experience including the knowledge of and familiarity with technical issues for art integration and materials; and construction and urban design principles and terminology
  • Proven experience and expertise in conservation and related preservation fields.
  • Strong technical knowledge and experience in computer database and record-keeping programs and their use to develop and maintain the conservation database
  • Solid, successful experience in project administration, including overseeing budgets
  • Good working knowledge of duties in managing and maintaining a medium-sized art collection;
  • Excellent organizational and communication skills;
  • Ability to work independently yet participate in the department’s overall administrative requirements as a collaborative team player;
  • Strong design background;
  • Excellent oral presentation skills;
  • Exceptional writing skills; proven ability to write white papers, analysis, editorial, meeting minutes and related project status reports;
  • Proficiency in Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, iWork and MS Office; experience in Oracle Peoplesoft, preferred
  • Excellent, professional, interpersonal skills and sense of humor;
  • Knowledge of public agency administration/organization; and an appreciation for the role of public transportation in a vibrant metropolitan region
  • Knowledge of fundraising techniques and sources.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

  • Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree preferred, or equivalent in experience in Arts Administration, Art Education, Visual Arts, Art History or Art Conservation;
  • Minimum of 3-5 years’ experience working with arts organizations and artists;
  • Ability to lift 25 lbs.

OTHER INFORMATION As an employee of MTA Headquarters you may be required to complete an annual financial disclosure statement with the State of New York, if your position earns more than $90,020.00 (this figure is subject to change) per year or if the position is designated as a policy maker. TO APPLY: Please Visit http://www.mta.info/mta/employment/ .  Select Jobs at “MTA Headquarters” and search by Job Title “Manager, Arts Programs”   MTA is an equal opportunity employer. M/F/V/D

Your Conservation Career: Resources for Negotiating Your Next Salary

In November of 2014, I gave an ECPN Webinar titled “Beyond the Portfolio: Your Conservation Career” in which I briefly discussed salary negotiations (that webinar is here). Whether you’re just starting out or are further along in your career, here are two more resources to help you research and negotiate your next salary.
1) BUST magazine recently had a short but excellent feature on how to negotiate a salary for a new job. If you’re male, be aware that although BUST is aimed at women, most of the content is great for men, too. Including this article, which you can read here.
2) The 2014 AIC/FAIC Compensation Survey is online now, here! I LOVE these things! They are gigantic goldmines of data about our profession. But back to you – here is how to use this survey report for salary research. Start by having an overall look at how the report is organized, and then start to think about which sections and criteria apply to your situation. Page 69 gives an example of how to combine criteria to determine a salary.
Let’s use the survey for a pretend scenario: you are applying for a full-time job at a medium-sized, private museum in Washington, DC; you have a master’s degree in conservation and 3 years of post-graduate experience. What kind of salary offer should you expect?
To do this exercise, you’ll need to have the survey in front of you. Flip to page 70, Exhibit 3.17. We’ll move back and forth between columns a bit; because you’re a relatively new grad, you can expect your salary to be below the median in most categories. But I also don’t want you to aim too low, so we will stick mostly to the 25th percentile column* and not reference the 10th percentile data. Once you get the hang of this, though, you can figure out a range for yourself with points at the high, middle, and low end.
You can see that a salary in the 25th percentile for a medium-sized museum is 49K – write that down. It’s not part of a university, so the 25th percentile there is about 47K. Write that down, too. For a private museum, we’re at 46K. Keep writing these numbers down. You have less than 5 years of experience, but here let’s look higher – you’re really good, right? The 75th percentile for your level of experience is 47K. This would be a new position for you, so 35K. Look at the numbers for gender (yes – look again, my friends!). We’ll say you’re female. Write down 45K. Nope, that was too painful for me.  Erase 45K! Let’s assume instead that your work is worth the same as a man’s; write down 60K. You have a master’s degree in conservation, so write down 45K. Probably no one will be reporting to you, so write down 34K. Will you have input into the department’s budget? Probably not? Write down 34K. We’ll say you’ll be working under supervision, write down 34K. DC is in the “South Atlantic” as defined by the survey (which you know, because you paged through it and looked at how the report is organized), so write down 43K.
Based on this super basic research, you should be looking at a salary somewhere between 34 and 60K/year. Add together all the numbers you wrote down (I got 474) and divide by 10 to get the mean, which is 47. 47K/year would be a solid salary offer that you could feel good about.
Remember that you can calculate a salary range for yourself based on the different criteria and percentiles given in this table. Also remember the gender disparity; if you’re female and you feel a salary offer is too low, this survey provides solid statistics to which you can point.
Finally, you can use this survey for more than salaries; it gives good data on rates charged by private conservators, and you can also use it to evaluate benefits packages. In case you were wondering, I had nothing to do with this survey. I just really like it. Good luck!
* When you use this survey to find a salary range, make sure you use the data in a way that makes sense for your situation. This example is written for a recent graduate, which is why I suggest the 25th percentile in most places. If you’re mid-career, look at the 50th percentile. If you’re quite senior, look higher. There are also a few places where the survey data are sorted by level of experience. In these places, look at the midpoints that match your criteria.

Coping with Professional Rejection: Advice from Conservators in the Field; compiled by ECPN

Emerging Conservation Professionals Network (ECPN)
Coping with Professional Rejection: Advice from Conservators in the Field

The field of conservation provides opportunities for rewarding and enriching work. As in other areas of life and other competitive fields, most of us in conservation have also experienced the disappointment of rejection and can lend an empathetic ear. Internships, graduate school, fellowships, jobs, conference presentations and papers– not scoring something that you’ve been working towards can be difficult to cope with, even when you’re aware that it is a challenging goal. It may be comforting to know that even the most accomplished conservators have experienced rejection in some form; in fact, greater ambition can lead to more frequent rejection. A few of us on the ECPN board have reached out to peers and supervisors, as well as others in related fields, to hear how they’ve coped with rejection and to compile some of their advice for emerging professionals. Below are some of those anonymous responses. We plan to carry this momentum of thinking creatively about navigating opportunities in conservation and related fields into future ECPN programming, so stay tuned. Of course, much of what is reported below is subjective, so if you have further advice to offer, please comment at the end of the post and share your story.

Coping with Rejection:

When talking to supervisors, people on hiring committees, and program chairs for conferences and publications, the advice most frequently offered was to recognize that rejection is not personal. There are many, many factors that go into selection decisions that you will be unaware of when applying. For example, there may be a planned upcoming exhibit at a museum that the public does not know about. One candidate may have experience that relates to this exhibit and you do not. You have good rapport during the interview, but ultimately the other candidate is better suited to the undisclosed future needs of the lab. The upside is that the institution now knows you and perhaps will contact you in the future when another position opens (something that has actually happened to respondents).

The phrase “everything happens for a reason” can feel a little too cheerful when you’ve just received disappointing news, but for most people, there is truth in that statement. Perhaps an even better opportunity or experience will come your way! One person that we interviewed remembered the time she was declined for a prestigious summer internship. Her “back-up plan” for that summer turned into one of the most important projects in her early career– an opportunity that eventually led to a published paper and a fellowship. Think about times in your life when this sort of thing has happened to you, and find comfort in unknown possibilities.

Some respondents mentioned that they really wanted a job or fellowship for reasons other than the job itself (i.e. the institution, geographic location, etc.) and being turned down made them realize they would not have been a good fit in the actual position. Sometimes rejection happens to a qualified individual because their personality is not a good fit for the particular lab or institution. Some workplaces might have need for a bubbly personality to help balance out a shortage of energy around the lab. On the other hand, another conservation department is looking to add a calming presence to their space. Graduate programs are known to aim for a sense of diversity and overall harmony amongst the personalities of the students in an entering class. It’s practically impossible to anticipate the needs of the hiring manager or interview panel, so just be your authentic self and have a certain level of faith that you will end up in the right place for you. It may seem counter-intuitive, but even decisions partly based on personality aren’t personal.

There are many articles written on “not getting the job” advice through other fields. Here is a small sampling:

“10 reasons you didn’t get the job (reasons you can and cannot control)”

“6 reasons you didn’t get the job that no one told you”

“How to ask for feedback”

Seeking Feedback:

Though it may not feel like it initially, remember that rejection can be an opportunity to grow. Turn a disappointing moment into a constructive one by requesting feedback and using that information to become an even stronger applicant when you submit your next application. If the bad news is delivered over the phone, politely ask the person if it would be possible to receive feedback on why you didn’t get the job, or how you could strengthen your application for next time. If you receive a non-acceptance email, reply in a way that is professional, being careful not to burn bridges. This a small field and you are likely to meet this person again. And you never know if another job will open up in the future. Graduate programs expect to provide feedback to applicants, as do places that regularly host interns and fellows. Even if someone is not used to providing feedback, if asked nicely, they will usually respond politely. Try not to be defensive about the feedback you receive, even if it stings. Taking constructive criticism to heart will make you a stronger candidate for future interviews.

Previous ECPN webinars have addressed how to make the most of your pre-program experience, strengthen your applications, and how to self-advocate. The webinars are free to watch on the AIC YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/user/aiconservation.

Conferences and Publications:

It may not be possible to seek feedback when your abstract is not accepted for a conference or publication. Just as in a work environment, you never know what the other abstracts provide – they may be more applicable to the theme of the conference, or together develop a theme that does not include your paper. It can be helpful to try smaller conferences (like regional groups) or allied fields for presentations, and smaller publications (like newsletters or a guest spot on an established conservation blog) for written work. Even though your work was not accepted by one outlet, does not mean that it is not worthy of publication or presentation! If you are unsure where to submit next, or what to do after your abstract or paper has been turned down, ask your mentors and peers for feedback; they may have advice on other submission options or suggestions to help refine your idea.

Remembering Other Options:

When entering a small competitive field, like conservation, a savvy long term strategy is to have a “Plan B.” Thinking about career alternatives does not mean you are less dedicated to your career goals. Instead, see your “Plan B” as an alternative path to professional success, which may or may not intersect with conservation in the future. Set parameters and create a timeframe for yourself by realistically considering how much time, energy, and financial resources you want to spend on achieving your goal. It’s important to remember that the path to being a conservator is often not a straight road from an undergraduate degree and pre-program internships to graduate school and a great job. People enter conservation with a diverse range of experiences, sometimes after spending years in another field where they have developed other useful skillsets. Many conservators have shaped successful careers by making decisions and finding opportunities that were outside the path of institutional fellowships and jobs. For example, one conservator we interviewed had to move to a new city with her family. The new location did not have a conservation job available, so the conservator worked as a curator for seven years until a conservation job opened. Working as a curator helped the conservator understand how all departments in a museum work together for preservation, and ultimately this understanding made the person a better conservator and an indispensable employee.

Plan B

Preservation and collections care are not only the responsibility of conservators but are managed by professionals working in many fields. Below we have compiled a very brief list of museum departments, careers, and fields of study that are essential to the preservation of cultural heritage.

-Collections Care departments, including collection managers and registrars, play an integral role in the acquisition, safe storage, transit, and display of objects. Like conservation, professionals in these fields often have a background in art history, anthropology, studio art, or museum studies.

-Chemical and Materials Science departments within universities and other institutions offer fascinating careers for those with a strong science background. Working in analytical research brings a different perspective to future conservation projects and forms connections to researchers and scientists.

-Museum Education is an evolving field that is dedicated to helping visitors better understand and engage with museum collections. Working with many departments across a museum, educators develop and run

programs that relate to works in a collection or special exhibition. Through teaching and outreach museum education plays a vital role in enhancing the public’s knowledge of and access to cultural institutions.

-Development and Fundraising is an essential part of all cultural institutions. Successful development campaigns not only facilitate the construction and expansion of museums, but the acquisition and long-term care of collections.

-Public policy for cultural heritage is a critical aspect of preservation. This is particularly true during periods of war and political turmoil when invaluable objects of art and cultural heritage can be threatened by looting or destruction.

-Library and information science has long been an allied field to conservation through the preservation of books and archives. As a developing field that is shaped by technology, areas of specialty also include database engineering and management, information analysis, and web development.

-Moving image archivists focus on the preservation of film, video, and digital media. Graduate programs are offered at a few major universities in the United States. Follow the links below to find out more about the field and graduate programs.

Association of Moving Image Archivists, http://www.amianet.org/

Selznick School of Film Preservation, http://selznickschool.eastmanhouse.org/

New York University, http://www.nyu.edu/tisch/preservation/

University of California, Los Angeles, http://mias.gseis.ucla.edu/

Private Practice

Don’t forget about private practice! Conservators who have completed training can consider joining or starting a private conservation practice as a great way to create their own opportunities in the field, especially if there are scant institutions with conservation jobs in a particular area. FAIC offers an online course for establishing a conservation practice, and joining the AIC specialty group Conservators in Private Practice (CIPP) can provide a network of support. ECPN is partnering with CIPP at this year’s AIC Annual Meeting in Miami for a discussion panel that includes established and emerging private practice conservators. The panel will be from 4-6pm on Wednesday, May 16th, 2015 and is followed by the annual ECPN Happy Hour from 6-8pm. See the AIC website for more details.

ECPN is planning future resources for developing “alternative” career paths and working in private practice. In the meantime, an ECPN-hosted Q&A Webinar with established private practice conservators can be found on the AIC YouTube channel (“Considering Your Future Career Path: Working in Private Practice”), as well as a written synopsis of the main portion of the webinar on the AIC blog Conservators-Converse.

Your Advice?

Art conservation is a competitive field in part because the people who pursue it are passionately driven. As we continue to advocate and educate, we will create more opportunities and more qualified candidates. Responding well to constructive criticism and expanding our concepts of the “ideal path to a conservation career” can be very helpful when dealing with rejection. What do you think? How do you cope with disappointment? What was your path to the field?

Job Posting: 2015 – 2016 Post-Graduate Conservation Fellowship with NMAAHC & MCI (Washington, DC)

2015-2016 Post-Graduate Paintings Conservation Fellowship with NMAAHC and MCI 

The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. is accepting applications for a one-year post-graduate fellowship in paintings conservation beginning in the fall of 2015. The conservation fellow will be part of an exciting and groundbreaking journey that will culminate in the opening of the new NMAAHC on the National Mall in 2016. The fellowship provides an opportunity for a recent graduate to gain experience in paintings conservation, including preventive care for artworks in storage and exhibition for the Visual Art Gallery (VAG) of NMAAHC and conservation analysis and treatment in the studios of the Museum Conservation Institute (MCI). The fellow will work under the supervision of the Head of Collections (NMAAHC) and the guidance of Senior Paintings Conservator (MCI). Responsibilities will include paint analysis, preventive conservation, and treatment of diverse mixed media and single media paintings. The fellow is encouraged to do research on a topic within the category of conservation of modern and contemporary paintings.

Qualifications:

A recent graduate of a recognized master’s level conservation training program with knowledge and understanding of: conservation principles and practices; conservation challenges of modern and contemporary paintings and the importance of preventive care; organic chemistry and its application in paint adhesion, cleaning and identification; paint aging and deterioration; painting structure and processes; painting framing, hanging and handling. An ability to make critical decisions in performing conservation task should be demonstrated by a portfolio. Oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills and the computer and graphic skills are required. The stipend is $40,000 plus health insurance benefits, not to exceed $45,000 total.

Apply for this position at: https://solaa.si.edu/solaa/SOLAAHome.html. SOLAA is the Smithsonian’s online system to apply for internships, fellowships and other academic appointments. Applications should reach us no later than May 25, 2015

Please address all inquiries to Dr. Renee S. Anderson, Head of Collections at andersonrs@si.edu or Jia-sun Tsang, Senior Paintings Conservator, tsangj@si.edu, Tel: 301-238-1231
http://www.si.edu/mci/english/professional_development/2015-2016NMAAHCFellowship.html

Job Posting: Associate Paintings Conservator – Brooklyn Museum (Brooklyn, NY)

Associate Paintings Conservator–Conservation

(Full-time, permanent, non-union position)

 
Requirements: The candidate for this position must have a graduate degree in conservation, or its equivalent, and at least three years of experience in a museum conservation laboratory. Experience examining and treating both canvas and panel paintings desired. The candidate must have good interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to plan ahead for loans, gallery installations, exhibitions, work schedules, and budgets. Individual must be a team player and have the ability to participate in the overall goals of the conservation department and the Museum.
Responsibilities: The Associate Paintings Conservator examines, documents, and treats the collection for display; maintains conservation records; conducts basic analyses to verify the authenticity of the collection; conditions possible acquisitions; advises on proper installation, storage, and shipment of artworks; inventories and orders supplies; and performs other duties as assigned.
Reports to: Carol Lee Shen Chief Conservator
Starting date: TBD
Schedule: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Salary: $45,000–$50,000
To apply:  http://bit.ly/1Cg8YZf
For technical support with your application, please contact job.email.support@brooklynmuseum.org. Applications should not be sent to this email address.
Brooklyn Museum is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants for positions are considered without regard to race, creed, color, country of origin, sex, age, citizenship, disability or sexual orientation. Candidates of color are strongly encouraged to apply.
 

Job Posting: Post-Graduate Fellowship in Preventative Conservation – Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library (Winterthur, DE)

Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library

Post graduate fellowship in Preventive Conservation and Specialty of Successful Applicant –Objects/Furniture or Textiles

The Winterthur Museum will host a one-year post-graduate fellowship to begin in September, 2015. The fellow will work in Winterthur’s innovative and internationally recognized preventive conservation program and on either a textile or lacquer conservation project, spending half their time in each area. Preventive conservation projects will include development of storage solutions for complex objects, assessment of a new light management system, outreach through a monthly conservation clinic and participation on the team that manages preventive conservation initiatives.  The fellow will also be encouraged to pursue a research project related to his/her interests and other projects.  A successful applicant with an objects/furniture specialty will participate in an ongoing IMLS funded treatment and research project on Chinese export lacquer and participate in an FAIC sponsored symposium on the topic. A successful applicant with a textile specialty will participate in the examination, treatment and analysis of an important needlework collection with an emphasis on those with original mounts and frames. Beyond these specific projects, the fellow will engage with other projects and conservators to enhance their professional growth.
The fellowship is structured to provide emerging conservators with the broad skills and hands-on experience needed for a successful career in conservation.  In addition to work in preventive conservation and their specialty, the Fellow is strongly encouraged to interact with curators, Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation (WUDPAC) students, faculty, and guest speakers by attending lectures and selected classes that support their professional growth. The Fellow will have full access to Winterthur’s Scientific Research and Analysis Laboratory as well as the Winterthur and University of Delaware Libraries and will assist in teaching a selected topic in the WUDPAC program. They will also participate in outreach programs as appropriate including conservation tours for special interest groups and the public, educational programing for school age children that uses conservation to make the art-science connection, and posts on the Winterthur’s website.
The Winterthur Museum collections encompass a wide selection of fine and decorative arts made or used in America from the 17th through the mid-19th centuries exhibited in period rooms, galleries and changing exhibits.  Library special collections extend from the mid-16th through mid-20th centuries and document American material culture through craftsmen’s records, technical manuals, trade catalogs, periodicals, design sources and literature on art, architecture, travel and domestic economy.  The current material includes a significant collection of conservation literature.
The stipend amount is $27,000 per year plus benefits and $2,000 for travel and research.
Eligibility: Completion of a masters-level degree in conservation from a US or Canadian university program within the last 3 years or a US or Canadian citizen who has completed a masters-level program abroad within the last 3 years. The successful candidate will exhibit a thorough understanding of preventive conservation concepts and a strong interest in applying them in a complex institutional setting. They will also exhibit foundation knowledge of conservation techniques and object fabrication technology and be able to apply this knowledge to the care, treatment and assessment of collection objects in their specialty.
Application: A complete application includes curriculum vitae and a letter summarizing the applicant’s interests and intent in this fellowship, a transcript of graduate studies and a list of any other relevant course work, three sample reports (preventive conservation assessments, research projects or condition and treatment documentation) and three letters of recommendation.  All materials must be submitted in English.  Deadline for receipt of application: April 30, 2015.  Interested candidates should forward a cover letter and resume to Human Resources, Winterthur Museum & Country Estate, Winterthur, DE  19735 or email jobs@winterthur.org.  EOE
This Fellowship is supported by a grant from the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation, funded by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation