Curatorial Assistant

About the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art at UC Davis: The Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art is dedicated to education and serves a primary audience of faculty and students as the lens through which it engages a broader audience. The museum's program is steeped in the richness of resources at UC Davis (a top 5 public university in the US), which is also the repository of an important art historical legacy and its physical location in the Central Valley.

About the role

The Manetti Shrem Museum seeks a curatorial assistant to join a small, nimble curatorial team at a contemporary art museum serving a top-tier public university. This position provides an exciting opportunity to gain hands-on curatorial experience by coordinating multiple administrative aspects of the museum’s exhibition and collection needs from start to finish, including working with artists, donors, and other arts professionals. The Curatorial Assistant should function with minimal supervision and enjoy working within a small, innovative environment that is mission-driven, results-driven, and community-oriented.

Responsibilities

• Research, development, and cataloguing of the Fine Arts Collection
• Exhibition preparation, including research, preparing checklists, and generating texts for didactics, wall labels, and publicity materials; maintaining schedules and files
• General administrative tasks including managing ongoing exhibition proposals, proposed gifts, inquiries, and related correspondence
• Conduct guest tours and serve as liaison with other Museum departments, visitors, and patrons to advance exhibitions and education programs
• Assist in staff, student, and volunteer training on all aspects of above
• Meet with artists and potential donors of artwork to promote participation in the museum and exhibitions
• Prepare materials for artists and potential donors of artwork to introduce the museum and exhibitions

Requirements

• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Good judgment in working across departments and with multiple constituents
• Basic knowledge of fine art collection standards