Exhibitions Registrar

The Tang Teaching Museum at Skidmore College is a pioneer of interdisciplinary exploration and learning. A cultural anchor of New York’s Capital Region, the Tang’s approach has become a model for college and university art museums across the country—with exhibition programs that bring together visual and performing arts with interdisciplinary ideas from history, economics, biology, dance, and physics, to name just a few. The Tang has one of the most rigorous faculty-engagement initiatives in the nation, and a robust publication and touring exhibition program that extends the museum’s reach far beyond its walls. The Tang Teaching Museum’s award-winning building, designed by architect Antoine Predock, serves as a visual metaphor for the convergence of art and ideas. The Museum is open to the public Tuesday–Sunday, noon–5 pm, with extended hours until 9 pm Thursday. 

The Exhibitions Registrar (ER) at the Tang Museum is a key part of the museum’s curatorial team, responsible for all logistics and care of artworks and objects on loan to the Museum and from the collection. The ER is responsible for arrangements and movement of artworks to and from the Tang, including those on loan, incoming acquisitions, and outgoing loans. The ER is responsible for all objects on loan to the Museum or from the Museum’s collection on loan to other institutions, including packing and transportation, condition and conservation, insurance and contracts, and all record management.

The ER works closely with the Head of Installations – as an Exhibitions Management team – to set installation schedules with the curators, and to manage the flow of information across the Museum regarding exhibition planning and preparation. The ER consults with and advises the HOI on the handling and moving of art objects by the on-call installation crew and art handlers. The ER also works closely with the Collections Registrar on matters of mutual concern, including the care and storage of objects in the museum, both on loan and in the collection. 

The ER oversees outside contractors, including insurance agents, couriers, registrars, art technicians at other institutions, etc. concerned with objects for which the Tang is responsible, and spearheads the development and enforcement of risk management policies and procedures.

The Exhibitions Registrar maintains extensive records pertaining to objects for which the Tang has assumed responsibility and must protect the Tang and objects within the Tang from risk of liability through proper documents such as loan agreements, receipts, certificates of insurance, condition reports, and is accountable for the objects in the custody of the Tang. The ER must be able to provide current information on each object, its location, status, and condition.

The successful candidate will have the ability to learn quickly, have an innate aptitude for flexibility and teamwork, the ability to juggle multiple projects with both immediate and future deadlines, and a positive, solutions-oriented approach. The candidate must have knowledge of accepted museum registration techniques, of conservation and archival materials, packing techniques, and storage practices, legal matters related to collections, copyright laws, policies governing rights and reproductions, records management, and data processing systems. The candidate must also have experience and knowledge of insurance requirements for collections and a keen awareness of national and international fine art shipping.

The successful candidate will have a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, including but not limited to studio art, art history, museum studies, and a minimum of 5 years of museum experience in registration work, art handling, and data entry, as well as relevant internships and work-study. A master’s degree in art history, museum studies, or another field relevant to the Tang’s academic mission or equivalent work experience is desirable.

Other job functions:

• Develops and implements policies and procedures for incoming and outgoing loans, archival record storing systems, museum policies, exhibition budgets for the packing and transportation of artwork. Is also responsible for developing policies and procedures that protect the Museum and College’s interest such as measuring insurance risk, the Collections Policy, and developing and maintaining the Emergency Plan and Facility Report.
• Is responsible for creating, organizing, and maintaining orderly forms, legal documents, exhibition object files, and retrieval systems associated with the following: facility reports, Collections Policy, Emergency Plans, loans, packing, shipping, insurance coverage and claims, facility reports and storage pursuant to the care, custody, and control of objects on loan. 
• Oversees handling, packing, movement, and inspection of all objects entering or leaving the museum, including traveling exhibitions, and confers with other personnel to develop and initiate most practical methods of packing and shipping fragile and valuable objects. Maintains records of exhibitions, reviews and adheres to loan requirements and keeps track of locations and condition of all objects.
• Oversees contracts and museum policies to guarantee legal compliance. 
• Documents unpacking of objects on loan to examine and produce condition reports both when arriving and prior to leaving the Museum.
• In the absence of the Collections Registrar, the Exhibitions Registrar provides oversight of the collections, including donation procedures, records and databases, working with Faculty and students, etc.
• The Exhibitions Registrar attends weekly staff meetings and curatorial team meetings and represents the museum with external contractors and other museum colleagues. The ER also participates in national and regional professional organizations and represents the Tang in the field.  
• The Exhibitions Registrar supervises Skidmore student workers/interns, mentoring and training them in the best practices of museum registration.

Required documents needed to apply:

• On-line application
• Cover Letter
• Resume
• List of Three References

Pay Range: $62,400-$65,000 

EEO STATEMENT

Skidmore College is committed to being an inclusive campus community and, as an Equal Opportunity Employer, does not discriminate in its hiring or employment practices on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, national or ethnic origin, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, predisposition or carrier status, domestic violence victim status, familial status, dating violence, or stalking, or any other category protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

Employment at Skidmore College is contingent upon an acceptable background check result.

CREATIVE THOUGHT MATTERS.