Assistant Curator

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The Warhol is one of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, and a collaborative project between Carnegie Institute, Dia Art Foundation, and The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. Plans to house The Warhol in Pittsburgh were announced in 1989, and the museum opened its doors during a 24-hour celebration on May13, 1994. Originally built in 1911 as a distribution center for products sold to mills and mines, The Warhol was redesigned by architect Richard Gluckman and features seven floors of gallery and exhibition space as well as an underground level that houses The Factory education studio and the conservation lab.

Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh is interested in candidates who, through their experience and collaborations, will contribute to diversity and excellence of the Carnegie Museums community.
The Assistant Curator contributes and collaborates with the chief curator on the interpretation, development, presentation, and care of the museum’s collections. The role supports planning and implementation of exhibitions, gallery rotations, collection research, curatorial administration, and public programming, with a cross-departmental and collaborative approach. The Assistant Curator lends organizational support to ongoing departmental functions and initiatives, including exhibitions and displays related to Andy Warhol as well as those of modern and contemporary artists. The Assistant Curator will foster relationships with professionals in the curatorial field as well as with universities and potential partners. The Assistant Curator will conceive of, organize, and implement their own exhibitions and projects related to the AWM collection and archives, in consultation with, and sometimes in collaboration with, the chief curator and/or other departments, including the Archives and the Film & Video department.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Requires a master’s degree in art history or related field, as well as five years of relevant museum experience, including a successful track record in exhibitions, publications, collaborative projects, and public speaking.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES: The Assistant Curator will have a history of impactful curatorial work as well as knowledge of exhibition procedures and logistics. The candidate will have strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills. The candidate must have excellent writing and editing skills as well as experience working with a range of art. Must be proactive and work collaboratively with colleagues in a team-oriented environment as well as take initiative when working independently. Attention to detail and an ability to meet deadlines is necessary. Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs, including Word, Excel, and Outlook. The Assistant Curator will be expected to gain familiarity with TMS, the museum’s collections management system. Knowledge of Andy Warhol, popular culture, and contemporary social and cultural issues is preferable. Native or bilingual proficiency in another language a plus.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Work is sedentary in nature. Must be able to lift 25 pounds, bend, stand, and navigate spaces for installations, as necessary. Occasional travel is required, and some flexibility in schedule is necessary, including evening and weekend hours.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITES

Coordinates permanent collection and archival presentations, rotations, exhibitions, and special projects, in consultation with chief curator and related departments.
Supports and organizes exhibitions and gallery rotations, utilizing the art collection, archives, and film & video collection.
Working with Manager of Archives and the Director of Moving Images and Digital Media acts as point of contact, internally, for curated exhibitions, displays, and projects that include any archival material and/or the film & video.
Works with chief curator on collection data, including research and writing detailed reports on proposed acquisitions; deaccessions; researching and updating information on the permanent collection and non-collection objects.
Liaises acquisitions/deaccessions process with donors, archivist, registrar, conservation, and other internal departments, including off-site non-collection objects with the supervision of the Associate Registrar for Collection.
Researches and writes visitor-friendly and/or scholarly interpretive materials including labels, gallery didactics, audio guide text, and essays for publication.
Contributes to the development department in relation to grant writing and fundraising initiatives for all areas related to the collection, including archives, film & video, and Portrait Society.
Collaborates on loan requests and general inquiries with registrars, conservators and other departments
General departmental duties
Assist chief curator with the organization of exhibitions, gallery rotations, publications, public programs and special projects, both at The Warhol and at partnering institutions.
Assist chief curator on administrative management of the department.
Conceives and organizes their own original exhibitions utilizing the collection, film & video, as well as the archives.
May serve as organizing curator for travelling exhibitions.
Fosters relationships with regional, national, and international colleagues, local arts and community organizations, and universities for potential collaborations.
Assists with hosting visiting colleagues, scholars, and other professionals in the field.
Ensures the effective functioning of curatorial department workflow while curators are out of the office and assists other departments on shared exhibitions and projects.
Represents AWM curators, and the department, when needed.
Other duties as assigned.

This is a union position.

The following PA Act 153 clearances, or proof of application of clearances, are required beginning employment and as a condition of continued employment:

Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Check
FBI Fingerprint Criminal Background Check
Obtaining the required clearances is completed as part of the new hire process.

Carnegie Museums is an Equal Opportunity-Affirmative Action Employer – Minorities / Females / Veterans / Individuals with Disabilities / Sexual Orientation / Gender Identity

The above job description reflects the essential functions and qualifications for the position identified, and shall not be construed as a detailed description of all the work requirements that may be inherent in the position. The job description does not constitute an employment contract and does not alter the at-will relationship between CMP and the employee.

*GUIDANCE ON ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

The Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) requires employers to consider and accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities. An individual is qualified if he or she can perform the essential functions of a job with or without reasonable accommodation. An essential job function is any task that is a fundamental part of the job. When considering essentiality, one must focus upon whether the function is essential to this particular job and not to the department as a whole. Some additional guidance on essential functions follows below. Please note that the following guidelines are non-exhaustive. If you have any questions or need additional guidance, please contact Human Resources.

A. Is the function required to be performed on a regular basis? If the function is rarely performed, it may not be essential.

B. Is the function highly specialized? Is the incumbent hired for his/her expertise or ability to perform the function? The need for special expertise is an indication of an essential function.

C. Does the position exist, at least in part, to perform the function? If so, the function is more likely to be essential.

D. How much time is spent performing the function and how often? Note that even functions performed 10% of the time could be essential if they are required on a regular basis.

E. Would elimination of the function fundamentally alter the job? If so, the function is more likely to be essential.

F. What are the consequences of not requiring the incumbent to perform the function? If they are significant, the function is more likely to be essential.

G. Are there a limited number of employees among whom the performance of the function could be distributed if the incumbent could not perform it? If so, it is more likely to be essential.