Curatorial Assistant Jobs

The Cleveland Museum of Art seeks a highly motivated, energetic individual with strong organizational skills to join the curatorial team as a Curatorial Assistant. The successful candidate will serve a two-year term, renewable for a third year. The Curatorial Assistant will work in the department of Art of the Ancient Mediterranean, Africa, and Europe to 1800, and Decorative Art, providing support to six curators in the following areas: Greek & Roman art; Medieval art; European paintings and sculpture, 1500-1800; African arts; and Decorative Art. Additional areas covered by this department include the arts of ancient Egypt and the Near East, as well as European arms and armor. This is an on-site position; the CMA does not have a remote work policy.

Applicants should have an interest in working at an encyclopedic art museum and particular interest in the areas of specialization mentioned above. This term-limited position will provide the incumbent with administrative experience working in an art museum, as well as experience assisting in curatorial processes such as the organization of exhibitions, acquisition and lending of artworks, and data management (both in digital and analog/paper formats). The successful candidate will be responsible for administrative tasks such as making business travel arrangements for curators, tracking and coding expenses, and keeping track of multiple budgets and calendars. Additional tasks include requesting and coordinating art movement, visitor registration, and photography. The incumbent will respond to inquiries about the collection and may assist members of the public visiting the art study room to examine works of art. Depending on the level of experience and interests of the incumbent, they may be asked to enhance data in the collections management system by conducting research or writing texts for gallery didactics, gallery guides, the Members Magazine, Thinker blog, museum website, etc. The successful candidate will participate in monthly Curatorial and Departmental meetings, quarterly meetings that address the care of the collection, as well as Curatorial Assistants meetings, and meetings regarding installations in the galleries and special exhibitions.

The museum is seeking candidates who are interested in exploring the possibility of a career in an art museum. Candidates who have demonstrated good organizational skills and experience working on several projects simultaneously, who communicate clearly and are comfortable asking questions, and who collaborate effectively as part of a team are preferred. Applicants should have excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work with diverse Museum constituents. The ability to handle confidential and sensitive information is expected. A Bachelor’s degree in art history or a related field (e.g., history, classics, anthropology, African studies) is required; a Master’s degree in a relevant field is preferred. The incumbent should have strong knowledge of art history plus experience working with databases. The prospective applicant must be comfortable with or able to learn Microsoft Teams and Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), as well as the museum’s internal CMS (collection management system). Fluency or proficiency in another language (such as French, German, Greek, Italian, Latin, or Spanish) is a plus, as is experience with handling works of art or rare documents.

In 2018, the Cleveland Museum of Art was the first art museum in the USA to publish a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan. The CMA recognizes that the museum is greatly enriched by the diversity of its staff and visitors; among the goals of the DEI plan is to recruit, mentor, and retain employees with diverse backgrounds and perspectives to ensure the CMA’s position as a global leader among museums and to support the next generation of arts professionals. This position will provide an opportunity for an aspiring museum professional with a diverse background to participate in curatorial work in the setting of an encyclopedic art museum. The CMA is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer with a strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. We prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, marital status or any other legally protected status.

The salary for this position will be between $45,000 and $50,000 depending on the successful candidate’s level of experience. A full range of benefits accompanies the position, including health benefits, the opportunity to participate in the museum’s 401(k) retirement program, generous paid time off, tuition reimbursement after one year of employment, and free admission to museums nationwide. Applications, including a cover letter that addresses the candidate’s interest in the position and the relevance of their experience to the responsibilities of the position, a curriculum vitae, and the names and contact information for three references should be submitted by July 17th.