Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Curatorial Fellowship in Archives presso Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago shares its singular collections with our city and the world. We collect, care for, and interpret works of art across time, cultures, geographies, and identities, centering the vision of artists and makers. We recognize that all art is made in a particular context, demanding continual, dynamic reconsideration in the present. We are a place of gathering; we foster the exchange of ideas and inspire an expansive, inclusive understanding of human creativity. 

Please click on the links below to view our competitive, comprehensive benefits package:  

• Hiring Range
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• PTO Overview
• Job Classification: Full-Time Hourly Staff
• Grade Level: 7 

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT

A hub for scholarship and training, the Art Institute Research Center brings together the museum’s Ryerson and Burnham Libraries, the Art Institute of Chicago Archives, and the department of Academic Engagement and Research with the aim of fostering engagement and access to the Art Institute of Chicago’s rich research offerings.

The Art Institute Archives stewards the museum’s art and architecture archives, institutional archives, imaging archives, and digital preservation efforts.

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Art Institute of Chicago Archives seeks a Fellow to analyze, organize, catalog, and make accessible to researchers the Toby Spiselman Collection of Ray Johnson. The Fellow will report to the Archives’ Associate Director and work closely with curators and other stakeholders to develop and complete a survey and processing plan for the collection to determine arrangement and description procedures, preservation requirements, special formats, and potential restrictions; develop and maintain workflows, timelines, and statistics; conduct historical research on the collection; physically arrange materials according to processing plan; create finding aid in native EAD (XML); perform basic preservation work; identify materials for potential digitization and outreach; and present and share project updates with stakeholders and broader museum staff. This role facilitates access to the collection by assisting in the development and/or implementation of digital tools, and works collaboratively with staff across the museum to achieve project goals. The Fellow also contributes to supporting exhibitions and to the development of programs and publications that feature the museum’s archival holdings. This is a three-year limited term position.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Collection management: Administers to primary research materials, including manuscripts, correspondence, photographs, artwork, 3D dimensional objects, realia and other formats. Engages in processing (i.e. organization and cataloging), including both physical arrangement and the creation or revision of discovery tools and related documentation, such as Encoded Archival Description (EAD) finding aids, accession records, processing plans. Ensures proper storage conditions, and recommends and contributes to conservation and preservation procedures in consultation with museum conservation staff. Conducts research on the collections.

Facilitates access: Makes collections available to scholars engaged in research through the creation and management of digital resources such as finding aids, digitized collection content, webpages, databases and other discovery tools. Assists staff in helping users navigate collections on-site and online in the proper procedures for handling collection items. Assists staff with physical item fulfillment and in responding to telephone, email, Art Institute staff and faculty, and walk-in research inquiries, facilitating appointments, photocopy and photography requests as appropriate.

Stewardship:  Assists the Associate Director in acquisitions or documents that fall within the scope and strengths of the collections, maintaining on-going relationships with Art Institute curators, researchers, and other stakeholders as appropriate. Assists the Associate Director in maintaining administrative and donor records of collections.

Supports the department: Assists in managing fundamental on-site operations and other physical spaces as needed. Contributes to devising operating procedures and workflows for cross-collection projects. Assists with planning and management of Research Center-led initiatives and events that engage a broader academic community as appropriate.

Participates in Research Center and museum-wide committees and task forces, and completes other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Art History, Arts Administration, Museum Studies, Library Science, or related field required; MA degree in Library and Information Science from an ALA accredited institution, or equivalent combination of education and professional experience desired.
• Minimum 2 years of experience in a museum archive environment required.
• Minimum 1 year experience processing and creating finding aids in accordance with national standards and best practices is required. Experience processing art and artist collections is preferred.
• Experience creating and editing finding aids in native EAD (XML) in Oxygen XML Editor is required.
• Minimum 2 years experience with CONTENTdm and Airtable required. Familiarity with museum and/or archival data management systems, such as TMS and GalleryTools is preferred.
• Knowledge of DACS and Dublin Core is required.
• Knowledge of CDWA, VIAF, Library of Congress Vocabularies, and Getty Vocabularies is required.
• Current working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop is required.
• Experience conducting art historical and/or archival research using primary and secondary sources.
• The ideal candidate would bring expertise in the history of modern art; particularly Mail art, Performance Art, Fluxus, neo-Dada, Pop art, and/or Conceptual art movements in New York and Chicago.
• Capacity for analytical work; accuracy, neatness, reliability, and attention to detail are essential.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, ability to initiate and conclude projects, and to work independently.
• Demonstrated commitment to providing excellent public services in an archival, library or museum setting.
• The ideal candidate should demonstrate a commitment to a global, equitable, and inclusive art world as they will be expected to engage in diverse projects across the Art Institute’s global collections.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to lift 40 pounds and occasionally use a step stool or ladder.
• Tolerance to dust and molds with use of optional face covering, gloves and/or smock.
• Periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer; must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time.
• Often moves about inside the office, stacks and across various museum spaces to serve patrons, access storage areas, move collections, and other related tasks.
• Often operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as scanners and printers.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, ability to adjust focus, and the ability to sustain prolonged visual concentration.

UNION: This position is part of a bargaining unit represented by AFSCME Council 31. 

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION 

The Art Institute of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We fully comply with applicable federal and state disability laws and provide reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. We recruit, hire, and promote qualified individuals solely on the basis of their skills, qualifications, and experience. If you require reasonable accommodation to participate in the application or interview process, please contact Human Resources at [email protected]. 

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees may be required to follow other job- related instructions and to perform other job-related duties as requested, subject to all applicable state and federal laws. Certain job functions described herein may be subject to possible modification in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.