Title:                Registrar and Collections Specialist

Summary:         The Registrar and Collections Specialist is responsible for overseeing all areas of the Vincent Price Art Museum’s registration and general collections responsibilities, including incoming and outgoing loans, storage, temporary and traveling exhibitions, documentation and databases, and inventory. The position oversees the safe handling of artwork during preparation, installation, and de-installation of works on exhibition. This position is also accountable for the physical security of the art in the collection. This includes the safe handling and transporting works of art, ensuring objects are properly installed for exhibition and storage, maintaining accurate location records for works of art in the collection, advising on the safest ways to pack and move objects, and maintaining museum standards for factors such as pest control, temperature, humidity, lighting, and air filtration. In addition, the Registrar and Collections Specialist coordinates access to the collection by faculty, students, researchers, and the general public.

The Registrar and Collections Specialist position is a temporary and grant-funded position that is expected to last from 8–12 months, with the possibility that the role could extend beyond that timeframe. As a temporary employee, this position is not to exceed 39 hours per week at $24.64 per hour. This role includes a monthly health stipend as an employee benefit. This position is currently offered through the Vincent Price Art Museum Foundation and will be transferred to the Los Angeles Community College District. When the post is reclassified, any incumbent will be required to reapply. There is no promise or expectation of future employment beyond the temporary position.

Duties:

Oversees the care, safety, documentation, transportation, and tracking of all artworks within the museum as related to the permanent collection, loans, and temporary exhibitions, with special consideration given to the management.
Manages the logistics associated with loans and traveling exhibitions, including documentation, loan agreements, condition reports, packing, shipping, receiving, and couriering art objects as needed.
Reviews and implements registration and collections goals and objectives and develops policies and procedures that align with museum goals and objectives.
Oversees rights and reproduction requests and processes to ensure accurate accreditation and licensing of reproductions of art objects in collections and on loan.
Manages and safeguards the database of the collections management system, including the development of protocols and guidelines for accurate and consistent data entry; data cleaning; staff training; and the development of reports and user guides; and collaborates with staff to maintain data standards.
Oversees the process of accessioning, including the photographing of art objects, the proper housing of art objects, and the recording of art object metadata.
Coordinates the collection’s maintenance, preservation, and storage, as well as the accessioning of new acquisitions.
Serves a liaison to students, faculty, researchers, and the general public to provide access to VPAM’s collections.
Coordinates the planning, scheduling, and production of exhibitions with the curatorial and preparatory teams.
Oversees registrar and collections budgets, prepares all documentation necessary, and creates exhibition and program reports.
Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
 

Qualifications:

·       A bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university with a major in Museum Studies, Fine Arts, Cultural Studies, Literature, English, Art History, Art Administration, or a closely related field; Master’s degree in Museum Studies is preferred; or an equivalence to the qualifications above.

·       Experience with registration and collections in a museum or gallery setting.

·       Knowledge of best practices and procedures for art handling, installation, storage, condition reporting, and basic conservation.

·       The ideal candidate would demonstrate a strong understanding and/or interest in Latinx art as well as a general interest in artists of Black, Indigenous, and other people of color.

Skills:

·       Strong technology skills, including Microsoft Office applications, collections management software (EmbARK Collections Manager by Gallery Systems), and Google Workspace.

·       Excellent organizational and time management skills.

·       Strong written and oral communication skills

·       Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to multitask.

·       Bilingual English/Spanish a plus.

Special: 

·       A valid Class “C” California driver’s license is required. Travel throughout the District is required. 

Reasonable Accommodations:

·       Our class specification generally describes the duties, responsibilities, and requirements characteristic of the position(s) within this job class. The duties, responsibilities, and requirements of a particular position within this class may vary from the duties of other positions within the class. 

·       In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Vincent Price Art Museum Foundation provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with covered disabilities on a case-by-case basis throughout the application, examination, and hiring processes and throughout employment. If an individual is in doubt about his or her ability to perform the duties and responsibilities of a position or possession of any other requirement noted in a class specification or job announcement, he or she should always apply for a position and request reasonable accommodation at the appropriate time. 

Submit resume, writing sample, and cover letter by March 15, 2023 to: swong@vpam.org