« Back to all jobs Associate/Registrar for Exhibitions
- Employer: Seattle Art Museum
- Salary: $69,484 - $87,300 DOE; 40 hours per week
OVERVIEW: Incumbent supports the Department of the Registrar, which is responsible for maintaining records on all works of art owned by or entrusted to the care of the Seattle Art Museum; and for the location, safety, movement, and transport of these works of art, thus minimizing risks to the works of art and to SAM. The primary purpose of this position is to coordinate the collection and dispersal of temporary exhibitions and installations.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
- Executes loan agreements for loans to SAM (exhibitions, installations, and loans to the collection), contacts lenders and is responsible for arranging the necessary logistics of wall-to-wall movement from and to each lender’s premises for the objects borrowed.
- Personal and extensive contacts outside the museum are made with shippers and contractors in arranging for the movement of works of art; customs officials in clearing foreign shipments; individual lenders regarding specific arrangements for shipment of their object, and officials of other museums regarding requirements for the loan of their holdings.
- Prepares all incoming and outgoing documentation for each object including receipts to lenders, shipping and packing lists, condition reports, CITES certificates and U.S. Customs documents for foreign shipments.
- At the Associate level: Collaborates in coordinating; At the Registrar level: Coordinates the work of art handlers and preparators in the unpacking, packing, installation, and movement of each loan object. Supervises unpacking of loans, checks and records their condition, and annotates packing methods. Develops work schedules to meet deadlines. Works closely with Conservation and Design & Installation.
- At the Associate level: Assists in developing; At the Registrar level: Develops exhibition budgets for future exhibitions. Analyzes historic cost data to assist with these cost projections. Reviews and ensures that exhibition budgets are met and/or justified. Monitors budgets for all expenditures in conjunction with exhibitions, including courier per diem and travel. Processes invoices and codes them appropriately.
- At the Associate level: Assists with preparation; At the Registrar level: Prepares applications for U.S. Government Indemnity for assigned exhibitions.
- At the Associate level: Assists in reviewing; At the Registrar level: Reviews exhibition contracts, and ensures that various contract stipulations dealing with packing and shipping are met. Ensures suitable risk mitigation measures are met (e.g. insurance, physical security and monitoring, appropriate environmental conditions).
- In consultation with SAM Conservation, provides technical specifications for outside contractors for the construction of shipping crates and other outside services and assures that all work has been performed to standards and coordinates all work necessary to prepare objects for shipment.
- Ensures accurate records for art movement and in particular collection management system (TMS) location records.
- Acts as representative of SAM in accompanying objects to and from the Museum and other sites.
- Assists the Chief Registrar with the annual inventory of SAM collections and objects on long-term loan, as assigned.
- Maintains a general knowledge of all procedures utilized by the Department of the Registrar and responds to questions from the general public or refers queries to the appropriate departments.
- Represents the Museum with a high level of integrity and professionalism, and adheres to Museum policies and supports management decisions in a positive, professional manner.
- Undertakes special projects as assigned.
