Curator of Visual Resources and Collections Manager


Posting Date: March 12, 2018

Closing Date: Open until filled

Invitation to Apply: 

The College of the Arts and Communication (COAC) invites applications for a full time Curator of Visual Resources and Collections Manager, which reports to the Dean of COAC.

The College is a dynamic community dedicated to fostering creativity, knowledge, and excellence in the fine, liberal, performing and communicative arts.  This unique role encompasses two distinct areas within the college supporting the academic programs of the Department of Art and oversight of the University’s art collection.

The Department of Art teaches students visual literacy within a broad cultural and historical context. The department provides students the opportunities to explore self-expression and scholarship, build knowledge and acquire skills, and develop an understanding of how creativity is articulated through fine art and design.

The University Galleries serve as a cultural resource for William Paterson University, neighboring communities, and the region by presenting exhibitions of visual art, overseeing the University’s art collections, and offering educational programs.

William Paterson University is the third most diverse public university in New Jersey. As a longstanding member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), we have been designated by the US Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution. The University offers more than 250 undergraduate and graduate academic programs that range from liberal arts and sciences to pre-professional and professional programs; it enrolls nearly 11,000 students from across the country and from over 40 nations. The University is situated on a beautiful, 370-acre suburban campus in Wayne, New Jersey, just twenty miles west of New York City.

Opportunities to Contribute:

Build relationships between the Art Department and University Galleries to further the goals of each entity as well as COAC and the University as a whole.

Visual Resources Curator Duties and Responsibilities (include but are not limited to):

Responsible for the organization, development, and day-to-day operations of the Visual Resources Collection. The Visual Resources Curator collaborates with faculty in policy-making and long-range planning to ensure that the collection supports academic programs.

  • Maintain and grow the current digital collection and oversee related databases and equipment.
  • Provide specialized support to Department of Art faculty with imaging needs related to presentations and or publications.
  • Visually document and archive BFA and MFA theses, as well as the database for Foundation Portfolio Review documentation and archiving.
  • Oversee and supervise the use of new imaging technologies. 
  • Implement standardized methods for creating digital files and oversee the process of digitizing visual materials.
  • Research, recommend, and implement new archiving software.
  • Teach digital image usage workshops to faculty and students.

 

Collections Manager Duties and Responsibilities (include but are not limited to):

The Collections Manager will oversee all aspects of the University’s art collection care, safety, and documentation, and manage incoming and outgoing loans. Participate in the assessment, education, and implementation of museum standards and best practices of collections policies and procedures for gallery staff and work study students.

 

  • Create and maintain records related to the University’s art collection and exhibitions.
  • Create and oversee procedures and systems for the University’s art collection database.
  • Create, establish, and implement procedures for periodic inventories and routine condition reporting.
  • Oversee physical facilities requirements including environmental control and monitoring, pest management, security, and risk management.
  • Participate in exhibition production including the handling, installing and deinstalling, moving, storing, packing and unpacking of artwork.

 

Required Qualifications:  

 

  • Master’s degree in art history or museum studies, or MLS with graduate level coursework in art history or equivalent.
  • Three (3) years professional work experience in a museum, library or visual resources special collection.
  • Experience in managing an institutional repository, managing digital preservation projects, and metadata creation.
  • Proficiency in both PC and Mac platforms.
  • Strong computer skills including experience with Microsoft Office, Photoshop, and collections management software such as PastPerfect.
  • Knowledge of and experience working with digital image file formats, file format conversion and related software, and image editing applications.
  • Demonstrated interpersonal and communication skills, as well as the ability to work effectively with diverse clientele.
  • Availability to work a flexible schedule that includes evenings and weekends.
  • Ability to lift, move, and pack items up to 50 lbs. and climb a ladder.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience photographing artwork.
  • Familiarity with installing art and using hand and power tools.

The Ideal Candidate:

  • Committed to high quality service and supports student success
  • Thrives in a fast-paced environment with competing deadlines
  • Thinks critically and innovatively
  • Enjoys challenges and fostering collaborations

           

Invitation to apply:

Please click to Apply for the position.

Interested candidates will be prompted to:

Complete an application 

Submit a cover letter and resume or CV

Provide names/contacts of three professional references.  

 Submission of all documents listed above is required for consideration.

If you have any general questions related to this search please email talent@wpunj.edu.

The Clery Act (The Jean Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistic Act) requires all institutions of higher learning to make available to prospective employees our agency's Annual Security Report. A copy of this information is available on the University Police Department website at the Clery Act page. A paper copy of this report can be obtained at the University Police Department upon request.

William Paterson University is an equal opportunity employer that actively values and supports diversity among faculty, staff and students. Women, minorities, and members of under-represented groups are encouraged to apply.