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Since its establishment in 1941, the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University (IU) has grown from a small university teaching collection into one of the foremost university art museums in the country. A preeminent teaching museum, the museum’s internationally acclaimed collection includes more than 45,000 objects representing nearly every art-producing culture throughout history.

In 2019, the museum completed a $30 million renovation of its acclaimed I. M. Pei–designed building, which now features seven new galleries, four new centers (Education, Conservation, Curatorial Studies, and Prints, Drawings, and Photographs), and three art study rooms. With a revived physical space comes a renewed focus on our outreach, teaching, technology, and exhibition efforts. As a teaching institution, one of our primary goals is to enable access to and engage students, scholars, and our community with our outstanding collection. The new study rooms will enable us to share our collection both in person and virtually with a wide range of learners. The Registrar will play an integral role in activating those spaces.

Reporting to the Director of Curatorial Affairs, the Registrar plays a key role in managing the IU Eskenazi Museum of Art’s 45,000+ object collection at the museum, including the galleries, public spaces, object viewing rooms, and storage facilities.

Department-Specific Responsibilities:

• The position manages policies and procedures for the permanent collection, including the archive holdings, as well as loans to the museum and loans out of the museum.
• In collaboration with the museum’s Conservation department, the position is charged with the care, preservation, and risk management of the museum’s collections and with ensuring that the collections are available for current and future visitors.

General Responsibilities:

• Creates and manages the database for collection records which includes processing, photographing, cataloging, and locating all incoming exhibits in the museum system.
• Generates reports depending on the need and information entered. These reports are needed to list object locations for inventory purposes, to provide the object’s information for gift documentation, to provide collection and statistical data, and financial information as requested by the budgetary team.
• Oversees arrangements and documentation for new acquisitions and registration aspects of incoming and outgoing artwork, artifacts, and collections loans, including working with donors and lenders and preparing outgoing and incoming loan documentation and receipts. Provides rights and reproductions documentation when requested and coordinates with photographers for high-resolution images. Manages paper and digital files and creates forms as needed to ensure efficient workflow.
• Assists with budget and strategic planning.
• Coordinates with IT to ensure collections database and multimedia servers are maintained and ensures staff technology requirements are satisfied. Oversees collections storage security by monitoring humidity and temperature fluctuations and ensuring a secure environment for collections and staff, pest management, HVAC and cleaning personnel.
• Inventories collections, manages student workers, maintains statistical data, updates conservation records with conservation treatment reports provided by independent conservators, attend training, and trains users. Coordinates with moving and setups and other collections handlers to ensure the safe transportation of artwork, artifacts, and collections.
• May provide guidance and delegate administrative tasks to other museum services staff.
• May make process recommendations for improved operational efficiency.