CURATORIAL & REGISTRATION ASSISTANT

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Founded in 1964 and located along the beautiful downtown waterfront of St. Petersburg, Florida, the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg (MFA) is a collecting museum annually serving more than 120,000 residents and visitors to the Tampa Bay area. The MFA is proud to present the largest comprehensive art collection in the state of Florida, spanning 5,000 years of civilization in about 20,000 objects from antiquity to today. Highlights include masterpieces from Vigée Lebrun, Corot, Monet, Morisot, Lafarge, Inness, Tiffany, O’Keeffe, De Kooning, Rauschenberg, Wiley, and others; a sculpture garden; important holdings of ancient, African, and Mesoamerican art; and one of the largest and most respected photography collections in the Southeastern United States. In a growing city with multiple museums and a thriving cultural life, the MFA provides the broad context into which all the other local arts organizations fit.

The MFA presents a wide variety of art experiences across the spectrum of time and culture, from expansive blockbusters to provocative contemporary exhibitions to more focused shows illuminating the depth and beauty of the museum’s growing collection. With 17,000 square feet in collections galleries—which were recently renovated and reinstalled—and 7700 square feet for temporary exhibitions, the MFA brings art to life as no other museum in the Tampa Bay area can. In addition to its robust exhibition program, the MFA engages its community through exciting public programs and events and serves our students through youth programs and a partnership with the Pinellas County School System. About 6,000 public school students attend the MFA each year as part of their 6th-grade social studies curriculum.

THE OPPORTUNITY

POSITION: Curatorial & Registration Assistant
REPORTS TO: Senior Manager of Curatorial Affairs & Communications
DEPARTMENT: Curatorial
JOB CODE: Full-time/ On-site
FLSA STATUS: Exempt

POSITION SUMMARY

The Curatorial & Registration Assistant is a vital member of the Museum of Fine Arts’ Curatorial Department. This position assists the Registrar with creating basic records in the organization’s collections management system, as well as provides skilled support in the cataloguing and data clean-up for a backlog of temporary holdings. They will also assist with the proper intake, documentation, and preparation of objects under consideration for acquisition, and well as assist in addressing a back-log of deaccession holdings.

WORK SCHEDULE

• Monday through Friday 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
• Occasional weekend and evening work will be required
• This position requires all hours to be fulfilled onsite

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assists with Curatorial Department projects and planning
• Assists with digital asset organization and data clean-up
• Assists with correspondence relating to the museum’s collection and exhibitions
• Archives exhibitions and manages exhibition close-out packages
• Organizes and archives digital label and other didactic files.
• Acts as point person for information calls/emails related to the Curatorial Department and forwarding to the appropriate staff member as needed
• Assists with curatorial budget management and submitting invoices
• Assists with exhibition calendar updates
• Assists with research for social media and shares content with Marketing
• Assists with production of collection and exhibition didactics
• Assists with rights and reproduction requests
• Manages curatorial supply inventory (paper, equipment, etc.)
• Updates object and exhibition records in the collection database.
• Participates in the installation and de-installation of the collection and exhibitions
• Assists with organizing and sharing content for MFA Board reports and museum collateral
• Organizes agendas for department meetings and takes meeting minutes
• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATION, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED

Education/ Experience Required
• Bachelor’s degree, with a preference for academic focus in Art, Art History, History, Anthropology, Museum Studies or related field
• Preference will be given to candidates with three or more years of experience in a similar position

Skills and Abilities Required
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including ability to effectively communicate with internal and external customers
• Excellent computer proficiency (MS Office – Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint)
• Experience with The Museum System (TMS) preferred
• Must be able to work under pressure and meet deadlines, while maintaining a positive attitude and providing exemplary customer service
• Ability to work independently and to carry out assignments to completion within parameters of instructions given, prescribed routines, and standard accepted practices

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Able to stand and walk for extended periods of time (up to 6 hours) occasionally
• Able to bend, crouch, stoop, reach, push and hang museum exhibits occasionally
• Able to lift and carry up to 50 lbs occasionally
• Able to ascend or descend ladders, organize and place museum collections, occasionally
• Able to grasp, finger, and lift art works occasionally
• Able to assist in installation of museum exhibitions
• Able to constantly operate a computer and other office productivity machinery
• Able to frequently communicate with guests and co-workers about museum events and exhibits. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations
• Able to stand in front of museum guests for extended periods of time during presentations and museum events frequently
• Able to safely and successfully perform the essential job functions consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state and local standards, including meeting qualitative and/or quantitative productivity standards
• Able to maintain regular, punctual attendance consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state and local standards
• All current MFA St. Petersburg employees are vaccinated against COVID-19. Applicants are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated for the health and safety of our community.

This job description indicates in general terms the type and level of work performed, as well as the typical responsibilities of this position. Management reserves the rights to modify, change, add or rescind the work assignments of different positions and make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job. Nothing in this position description changes the at-will employment relationship between the Museum of Fine Arts and its employees.

HOW TO APPLY

Not sure you meet 100% of our qualifications? Research shows that men apply for jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria. Yet, women and other people who are systematically marginalized tend to only apply if they meet every requirement. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. Whether you’re new to arts and culture administration, returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or taking the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar. Please use your cover letter to tell us about your interest in the arts and culture space and what you hope to bring to this role.

Please address resume, letter of interest, and salary requirements to the Human Resources Department at the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, and email to: HR@mfastpete.org with Curatorial & Registration Assistant in the subject line or mail to the following address:

Human Resources
Museum of Fine Arts
255 Beach Drive N.E.
St. Petersburg, FL 33701-3498

No phone calls, please.