Museum Registrar

About the role

The Museum Registrar at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) supports the museum’s exhibition programs. The position involves a wide variety of professional registration duties, including exhibition management, loan processing, care and handling of exhibitions, and maintaining art storage requirements.

Responsibilities

• Completes all exhibition management needs for meetings scheduled production due dates for approximately 12-15 assigned museum exhibitions annually;
• Oversees all exhibition loan processing for lenders to assigned exhibitions including: cataloging and database entry; generation of object lists; loan agreement forms; receipt/release forms; insurance documents; correspondence; mailing; and all record keeping and related filing;
• Implements care and handling requirements for assigned exhibitions, including: incoming packing and shipping; receiving; incoming condition reporting; temporary housing and storage; environmental monitoring; liaising with conservation regarding handling and exhibition design handling; onsite packing and transportation; regular monitoring and inspection of galleries; deinstallation; outgoing condition reporting; outgoing packing and shipping;
• Maintains art storage and housing requirements for objects in assigned exhibitions including: supply and use of approved housing materials, fixtures, and furnishings; tagging/marking; environmental control; seismic event damage protection; cleanliness; and security and loss prevention;
• Supervises and trains Registration Department interns, as assigned;
• Works closely with Registrar handling San Francisco Arts Commission duties with regards to Public Art maintenance at the Airport;
• Works closely with Collections Department with regards to SFO Museum objects used in exhibitions;
• Works closely with Conservation, Exhibition Design, and Preparation Departments with regards to object handling and exhibition requirements;
• Affords the Curator in Charge of Registration with the updating and completion of Facilities Reports for storage and gallery spaces;
• Collaborates with other SFO Museum staff, representatives of other museums and outside art handling personnel;
• Maintains a variety of computerized and manual records and files regarding collections, loans and exhibitions;
• Researches and provides accurate information regarding disposition, care, movement and control of art objects;
• Accompanies valuable objects of art in transit, oversees containerization, security, safety, movement and receipt of shipments;
• Performs other duties, as required.

Requirements

• Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university in art, art history, museum studies, arts administration or a closely related field and four (4) years of verifiable museum registration experience;
• Or possession of a master's degree from an accredited college or university in art, art history, museum studies, arts administration or a closely related postgraduate program and two (2) years of verifiable museum registration experience;
• Working knowledge of general philosophy, principles, and practices of museums;
• Working knowledge of the principles of museum object, care, documentation, and classification;
• Working knowledge of computer database systems, particularly Filemaker Pro;
• Working knowledge of environmental controls, pest management, security, and risk management;
• Working knowledge of fine art shipping and handling requirements;
• Working knowledge digital scanning processes and programs, particularly Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Bridge;
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.

Desirable Qualifications

• Working knowledge of general philosophy, principles, and practices of museums;
• Working knowledge of the principles of museum object, care, documentation, and classification;
• Working knowledge of computer database systems, particularly Filemaker Pro;
• Working knowledge of environmental controls, pest management, security, and risk management;
• Working knowledge digital scanning processes and programs, particularly Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Bridge;
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.