Collection Research Fellow

Position Title: Collection Research Fellow
Deadline: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis beginning March 9, 2026
Contract Type: Part-time, Temporary (14 months)
Duration: March 2026 – May 2027
Schedule: 4 days per week (28 hours/week)
Union Status: Union (UAW Local 2110)
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
Compensation: $25.00–$30.00 per hour
Benefits: Paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, and personal leave. Eligible after 3 months for medical, dental, and vision insurance, as well as a 401(k) savings plan. Eligible for a pension plan after 1 year of service.

 

About The Museum

The Bronx Museum of the Arts is a contemporary art museum that connects diverse audiences of the Bronx to the urban experience through its Permanent Collection, Exhibitions, and Education programs. Reflecting the borough’s dynamic communities, the Museum is a crossroad where artists, local residents, national, and international visitors meet.

Since its inception in 1971, the Museum has prioritized serving the culturally diverse communities in which it was founded. Always free and open to the public—removing barriers to access—its contemporary art programming expresses the borough’s tremendous cultural and community wealth. The Museum strives to be an open, inclusive, and equitable place where all feel welcome.

Fellowship Overview

Reporting to the Director of Curatorial Programs and the Registrar and Exhibitions Manager, the grant-funded Collection Research Fellow supports the education, documentation, preservation, care, and accessibility of the Museum’s Permanent Collection.

The collection consists of over 1,800 works across diverse media, representing contemporary artists from around the globe. Since the early 1990s, the Museum has prioritized acquiring works that reflect the communities of the Bronx, with emphasis on artists of African, Asian, and Latin American ancestry, and artists for whom the Bronx has been critical to their artistic development.

The Fellow’s work ensures the Museum achieves its goals of documenting, preserving, and caring for the collection while serving as a cultural and educational resource locally and globally.

The Museum has received support from Bloomberg Philanthropies to digitize its entire permanent collection and publish the database for public access via an upgraded user experience. This includes:

• Creating professional photographs of each object

• Ensuring accurate and up-to-date database records

• Managing digital files for internal and external organization

This is a grant-funded fellowship as part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Digital Accelerator Program. The Fellow will work onsite 4 days per week (7 working hours plus 1-hour unpaid lunch per day) for the 14-month period. Travel to an off-site storage warehouse is required at least 2 days per week.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Registrar and Exhibitions Manager in maintaining accurate, up-to-date records for over 1,800 objects

• Research and document provenance, exhibition history, artist biographies, and historical context

• Source images when available and maintain copyright and reproduction records

• Review and update object records in the database and online

• Assist in drafting interpretive materials

• Follow accepted museum standards in object handling and preparation

• Maintain detailed progress logs

• Ensure consistency of data in accordance with the Museum’s style guide

• Meet outlined productivity goals

• Perform other duties reasonably related to the role

Required Skills & Abilities

• Advanced experience with artwork databases

• Advanced knowledge of image reproduction rights in a fine art context

• Proficiency in Spanish (preferred)

• Demonstrated knowledge of best practices in fine art collections management, including handling, care, preservation, installation, and digital recordkeeping

• Experience handling fragile artworks (packing experience a plus)

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and precise

• Ability to work independently and manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment

• Strong knowledge of and passion for contemporary art and community-based arts practice

• Ability to travel to off-site storage at least once per week

Cultural Commitment

• Supports the Museum’s vision and goals internally and externally

• Commits to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion

• Practices respectful communication, teamwork, and employee participation

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree (or currently pursuing one), preferably in Art History, Museum Studies, Arts Administration, or a related field — or equivalent professional experience

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer