NYSCC Galleries & Museum Preparator
Alfred, NY
Full Time
SOAD/SOE
Mid Level
The preparator supports the operation of the New York State College of Ceramics Galleries & Museum by performing tasks involved in storing, cataloging, packing/unpacking shipping, receiving, and installing & deinstalling art objects and exhibition elements. The preparator serves as the faculty of record for the Turner Teaching Gallery Internship.
Salary: $58,500.00 Annually
Essential Functions:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Personal Protective Equipment must be worn when required. A respiratory function test and the ability to use respirators may be required. Stairs and uneven surfaces may be present; artificial lifts, etc. may or may not be available. The position may require the incumbent to walk outdoors in all types of weather to other buildings or offices located on the campus. The Campus is located in an area that contains numerous hills and slopes and may not always be fully accessible for mobility impaired individuals.
Priority applications will be reviewed beginning May 1, 2024.
Position to begin: July 15, 2024
About Alfred University:
Lighting the way for students since 1836. "We've always been a place for makers, especially those who make the future. Our commitment to independent thinking, creativity, academic rigor and community have made us a unique kind of leader since 1836."
Alfred University (AU) was founded on principles of social justice in 1836 by liberal, independent thinkers who placed high value on education for all citizens. The University has retained and built upon the strong values of its founders, developing as an institution of national and international renown that is responsive to the needs of contemporary society while remaining consistent with the spirit of its origins. Alfred University is the second oldest coeducational college in the United States as well as one of the earliest nineteenth century colleges to have enrolled African American and Native American students. It has a long-standing history of educating socially conscious students who make a difference in their professions and their communities.
Over the course of the twentieth century, Alfred University evolved into a complex institution offering a full range of programs in the liberal arts and sciences, art and design, engineering, business, education, counseling, and school psychology to its nearly 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students that live, learn, and play on a 232-acre campus located in an idyllic, creative valley in Western New York. To learn more, visit alfred.edu.
The New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University has been a unique public/private partnership in higher education for more than 100 years. Since its inception in 1900, the College of Ceramics has attracted renowned artists and scientists as faculty in ceramics, glass and other materials, while producing world-class alumni in engineering and groundbreaking artists across all media. The New York State College of Ceramics (NYSCC) was established to advance research in art, design, and engineering, and includes the School of Art and Design, the lnamori School of Engineering, and Scholes Library.
Salary: $58,500.00 Annually
Essential Functions:
- This position has supervisor authority over students
- Support Director of the galleries & museum, faculty, and students in creating a safe, inspirational, and sustainable museum gallery program though exhibition preparation
- Assist in the physical operations of the NYSCC galleries and museum and performs tasks such as storing, cataloging, shipping, and installing/deinstalling art exhibits
- Other duties as assigned appropriate to the position
- Ordering equipment and materials needed for exhibitions
- Communicate information regarding facilities if needed for exhibitions
- Maintain and improve procedures for gallery installation activities in relationship to facilities, equipment, and logistics
- Assists Director to ensures compliance with insurance or loan agreements
- Arranges, assembles, maintains, and dismantles materials and display structures used in exhibition programs
- Hangs and focuses lights according to an exhibit design; selects proper lighting equipment for artwork based on material sensitivity
- With the Director, helps to oversee and maintains security related to the operation and maintenance gallery, including direction of student employees who function as receptionists and security during gallery exhibition hours
- Directs and assists with the packing, unpacking, and transportation of artworks, and arriving and leaving an art gallery
- Assists in the orderly maintenance of the gallery, gallery workshops, and storage areas
- Frames, mounts, labels, places, and/or hangs various objects of art ensuring that aesthetic and safety standards are met
- Assists in planning and gathering information for labels and assists in arranging special programming in the galleries
- Operates and maintains equipment such as power tools, lifts, painting equipment, and other equipment used in art galleries
- Transports and arranges for transportation of art objects and exhibits including the SUNY student exhibitions
- Orders, receives, inspects, and stores supplies, tools, and equipment
- Assists in coordination of the day-to-day maintenance and cleaning of an art gallery including monitoring proper humidity and temperature levels for various artworks
- Performs clerical work related to gallery business, including gathering promotional materials, program preparation, word processing, record keeping, filing, answering telephone inquiries, mailing preparation, and maintaining an art gallery's mailing list
- Support galleries environment with improvements and preparations as needed
- Supervises and trains students in safely using gallery equipment and art handling
- Oversee the galleries storage areas
- Maintains office as a functional and welcoming space for faculty and students
- Initiate requests for work orders to the director
- Supports exhibitions & programming specifically as they relate to the logistical processes of artworks involved
- Work closely with graduate students in preplanning the technical aspects of their thesis shows
- Provides guidance and assists student employees in the preparation of exhibitions
- Faculty of record for the Turner Teaching Internship course, which programs the Turner Teaching Gallery, a student-envisioned and student-run gallery
- Supports and assists in creating intersections for faculty, staff and students that will assist in transforming people's lives
- Supports and assists in creating an evolving culture of mentoring and rich engagement opportunities for faculty, staff, and students
- Maintains a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and a high degree of cultural competence and respect for a wide range of identities and experiences, therefore welcoming and supporting all faculty, staff and students and expanding access to the AU experience
- Maintains a safe working environment within and around their facilities and associated equipment and supplies including, but not limited to, obtaining Safety Data Sheet (SDS) information pertaining to any hazards associated with their work environment
- Participates in all required assigned training, including safety training and will comply with safety rules, regulations, and protocols
- Effective written and oral communication skills
- Contributes to the overall success of the University by performing other duties as assigned
- 1-5 years of museum/gallery work or comparable experience
- Experience working in an educational environment preferre
- Must be highly organized, self-motivated, and work independently
- Working knowledge of MS Office. Preferred: Adobe Creative Cloud
- Knowledge of equipment and materials used in art studios
- Must be able to prioritize time and work on multiple projects simultaneously
- Must have both excellent procedural and spatial organizational skills
- Must have good communication skills and be able to work well with a wide range of people and personalities, including faculty, undergraduate students, graduate students, guests of the university, support staff, future students, and visiting artists
- An interest in learning new technologies, methods, materials, and techniques is important
- Demonstrated knowledge of museum installation techniques
- Ability to be precise in the craft of hanging and lighting shows and keeping the gallery looking pristine
- Experience with art handling, storage, packing, and crating artwork for shipping
- Precise measuring skills are required to make accurate hanging diagrams and floor plans before installing artwork
- Experience in carpentry, construction techniques, and safe handling of power tools.
- To be trained and certified to operate a scissor lift
- Familiar with media equipment, including monitor and video projectors
- Familiar with exhibition lighting techniques
- Ability to identify problems and resolve them safely, including suspended pieces and the structural stability of artwork
- Experience overseeing staff, interns, or volunteers
- Ability to effectively train and supervise undergraduate students
- Ability to work extended hours during periods of installation/deinstallation when required
- Ability to lift and safely move objects weighing 50 lbs
- Must have a valid driver's license
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Personal Protective Equipment must be worn when required. A respiratory function test and the ability to use respirators may be required. Stairs and uneven surfaces may be present; artificial lifts, etc. may or may not be available. The position may require the incumbent to walk outdoors in all types of weather to other buildings or offices located on the campus. The Campus is located in an area that contains numerous hills and slopes and may not always be fully accessible for mobility impaired individuals.
Priority applications will be reviewed beginning May 1, 2024.
Position to begin: July 15, 2024
About Alfred University:
Lighting the way for students since 1836. "We've always been a place for makers, especially those who make the future. Our commitment to independent thinking, creativity, academic rigor and community have made us a unique kind of leader since 1836."
Alfred University (AU) was founded on principles of social justice in 1836 by liberal, independent thinkers who placed high value on education for all citizens. The University has retained and built upon the strong values of its founders, developing as an institution of national and international renown that is responsive to the needs of contemporary society while remaining consistent with the spirit of its origins. Alfred University is the second oldest coeducational college in the United States as well as one of the earliest nineteenth century colleges to have enrolled African American and Native American students. It has a long-standing history of educating socially conscious students who make a difference in their professions and their communities.
Over the course of the twentieth century, Alfred University evolved into a complex institution offering a full range of programs in the liberal arts and sciences, art and design, engineering, business, education, counseling, and school psychology to its nearly 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students that live, learn, and play on a 232-acre campus located in an idyllic, creative valley in Western New York. To learn more, visit alfred.edu.
The New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University has been a unique public/private partnership in higher education for more than 100 years. Since its inception in 1900, the College of Ceramics has attracted renowned artists and scientists as faculty in ceramics, glass and other materials, while producing world-class alumni in engineering and groundbreaking artists across all media. The New York State College of Ceramics (NYSCC) was established to advance research in art, design, and engineering, and includes the School of Art and Design, the lnamori School of Engineering, and Scholes Library.
Alfred University actively subscribes to a policy of equal employment opportunity, and will not discriminate against any employee, student or applicant because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, gender identification or expression, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry or national origin, marital status, genetic information, military or veteran status, domestic violence victim status, criminal conviction status, political affiliation or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Protected veterans, minorities and women are encouraged to apply.
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