Curatorial Research Associate in Islamic Art

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Type: Staff Position
Status: Part Time
Schedule: 21 hours per week (3 days per week)
Department: Art of Asia

The Art of Asia Department seeks a research associate to work on projects relating to Islamic art under the supervision of the Ananda Coomaraswamy Curator of South Asian and Islamic Art. Supported by a grant from the Lilly Endowment’s Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative, these projects will contribute to development of a plan for future MFA curatorial initiatives utilizing the Islamic art collection to improve the public understanding of religion.

The research associate’s primary project will be to carry out a survey of the state of Islamic collection’s cataloging and documentation, aiming to produce an accurate evaluation of collection needs and opportunities. Using the MFA’s collections database, object files and storage visits, the research associate will produce a report on the collection of about 6,000 objects.

Other duties include coordination of scholars’ visits to study portions of the collection and assistance with convening internal and external roundtable discussions on intersections of Islamic art with topics of importance related to the public understanding of religion. The research associate will also assist with research on objects from the collection; moving objects for photography, conservation or installation; and other department-related duties in support of the Curator of South Asian and Islamic Art.

Qualifications

Some graduate studies in Islamic art, history, or cultural studies, M.A. preferred
Must have some experience working with collections and archives, and using databases or other documentation systems
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Ability to work independently

This is a part-time term position through May 31, 2020 (position to begin in early January 2020).

For consideration, please submit your letter of interest and résumé to: resumes@mfa.org. You may also submit your materials via postal mail to: Human Resources Department, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115.

The MFA is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer that is committed to building a culturally diverse staff and strongly encourages applications from diverse candidates.