Collections Manager
Asian American Arts Centre
Flushing, NY 11354
Deadline
Posted
As part of the Asian American Arts Centre’s Collection, the Collections Manager will report to the Project Manager and create and maintain the cataloging system, as well as the physical conditions of the building for the AAAC permanent collection. This will be an inaugural role for the collection. The Collections Manager is responsible for its care and preservation. Their duties include registration, documentation, cataloging, and provenance research for the collection and its use in exhibitions, programs, publications, and other formats. This role may also support curators in the interpretation of the collection. Building management will be a small aspect of the role as it relates to the health of the collection.
$25 - $32 hourly
Part Time Temporary
This independent contract is for 15 Hours a week/60 hours a month. No health benefits provided, no taxes withheld.
Job Summary: As part of the Asian American Arts Centre’s Collection, the Collections Manager will report to the Project Manager and create and maintain the cataloging system, as well as the physical conditions of the building for the AAAC permanent collection. This will be an inaugural role for the collection. The Collections Manager is responsible for its care and preservation. Their duties include registration, documentation, cataloging, and provenance research for the collection and its use in exhibitions, programs, publications, and other formats. This role may also support curators in the interpretation of the collection. Building management will be a small aspect of the role as it relates to the health of the collection.
About the Project: The Asian American Arts Centre’s Collection is in transition from management by Bob Lee to a new organizational structure, leading to the development of the Asian American Arts Research Centre. The collection consists of around 300 artworks and past partial documentation. In this new phase, a comprehensive catalog, documentation, and preservation of the artwork system need to be designed and implemented. This project is made possible by the Mellon Foundation Arts & Culture planning grant, lasting 3 years, with the mission to develop the project to continue past the duration of this initial grant.
Position Details: The position works closely with the AAAC Project Manager, Curators, and Collections Interns regarding the care and management of the collection, as well as the responsibilities associated with in-house exhibitions, traveling exhibitions, the loan of objects for exhibitions, and the building coordination. As a member of the AAAC Futures’ team, this position collaborates with a wide range of community organizations and partners and is enthusiastic about community outreach and making the critical themes of history accessible to the public.
Job Responsibilities: The Collection Manager oversees the catalogue, care, preservation, digitization, exhibition, and loan of objects in the permanent collection. The Collection Manager ensures the appropriate handling, security, storage, documentation, and inventory of objects; develops wall text, labels, and catalogue entries; and researches, lectures, and writes about the collection and topics pertaining to the AAAC. The Collection Manager is responsible for seeking and recommending additions to the permanent collection. Given that the project is in its early stages, an amount of building management–ie. vendor correspondence and maintenance are a necessary part of the role.
Additional collection and exhibition responsibilities include:
- Create and maintain catalog and catalog system.
- Responsible for the management of the collection–develop loan agreements, condition reports, research request system, and reporting processes.
- Maintains collections records including loan agreements, condition reports, accession records, location changes, insurance records, transaction files, and collection inventories. Conducts, organizes and completes exhibition incoming and outgoing condition reports.
- Responsible for the packing, unpacking, and movement tracking of collections. Repackage artworks to archival standards. Make boxes, slipcases, shadowboxes as needed. (training can be provided)
- Monitors the center’s environmental conditions; particularly humidity, lighting levels, and temperature.
- Participates in building security and pest control audits.
- Assists with the installation, presentation, security and de-installation of changing exhibitions (both traveling and in-house).
- Creates and maintains special exhibit binders to assist cataloguer with resetting exhibitions, maintaining exhibition equipment and electronics, cleaning exhibition spaces during public hours, and contact information related to dealing with specific exhibit needs.
- Assists the Project Manager in maintaining building standards
- Assists in cultivation of collectors and donors.
About the Organizations
Think!Chinatown is a place-based intergenerational non-profit in Manhattan’s Chinatown, working at the intersection of storytelling, arts and neighborhood engagement. We believe the process of listening, reflecting and celebrating develops the community cohesion and trust necessary to work on larger neighborhood issues. By building strength from within our neighborhood, we can shape better policies and programs that define our public spaces, celebrate our cultural heritage and innovate how our collective memories are represented. Find more at www.thinkchinatown.org and @thinkchinatown
Asian American Arts Centre (AAAC), established in 1974, is one of the earliest Asian American community arts organizations in the country. Choreographer Eleanor Yung (an original member of the seminal collective Basement Workshop) co-founded AAAC as the Asian American Dance Theatre (AADT) with the support of her partner Bob Lee, who would become the eventual director. In 1987, the dance theatre and visual arts program evolved into the AAAC. Through these changes and evolutions, the mission always remained the same: to promote and support Asian American art and artists. Find more at www.artspiral.org
Requirements
Required Qualifications:
- BA in American History, Art History, Museum Studies, related field, or equivalent experience.
- Experience with a digital database system, such as ArtCloud, Artlogic, Arternal, or Past Perfect
- Demonstrable research and writing experience; excellent writing skills.
- Experience with collecting and making documentation for oral histories.
- Project management experience. Ability to work with co-workers, interns, volunteers, and the public professionally and tactfully, and support management decisions and goals in a positive, professional manner.
- Must be willing to help others succeed and be respectful of deadlines.
- Experience working in a museum, historical society, historic site, or other public history venue.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master’s Degree in Museum Studies, Public History, collections management, library science, art administration, or related field.
- Experience using open-source content management/web platforms.
- Knowledge of themes and practices of digital humanities.
- Excellent attention to detail, excellent communication and problem-solving skills.
- Demonstrated creativity in developing programs and events that engage a broad public audience.
- Extra points! Possess a valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle
Personal Qualities:
- Highly motivated and detail-oriented.
- Outgoing, energetic, self-motivated, and passionate about history and culture.
- Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills, ability to multitask.
- Creative and innovative, and adaptable to changing situations and circumstances. Performs other duties as assigned by the Project Manager.