Technician na 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
• Benefits
• PTO Overview
• Job Classification: Full-time Hourly Staff
• Grade Level: 6

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT

The Department of Painting and Sculpture of Europe stewards a collection that comprises more than 3,000 works dating from the 12th through the early 20th century, with a particular strength in Impressionism, which comprises some 600 paintings. The department strives to produce original scholarship and engage diverse audiences by contextualizing its collection within an expansive and evolving history of art.

ABOUT THE POSITION

The technician assists with art movement and preparation for departmental gallery rotations, reinstallations, and exhibitions, supporting the curators, director of curatorial administration, and department specialist, and collaborating with installation crew, registrars, conservators, facilities, painters, carpenters, electricians, engineers, custodial, security, and other curatorial colleagues; relocates and installs art in the departmental galleries, storage areas, and special exhibitions spaces; provides basic care, including maintenance of objects and displays in storage and on view; monitors environmental conditions of the galleries and storage areas; performs location tracking in the museum’s database; and assists in the preparation of objects for installation and shipment.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Art movement and installation:

In consultation with the curators, director of curatorial administration, and department specialist, supports the scheduling of departmental art movement and installations; assists with departmental art handling, moving art to and from galleries, storage areas, committee and trustee meetings, imaging and conservation studios, and special exhibition spaces; arranges for delivery to and from offsite storage; requests installation and/or packing crew as needed for art movement and provides functional supervision of art handlers and packers in installing, deinstalling, packing, and unpacking objects as directed; submits facilities orders for pre- and post-installations and storage projects, including painting, lighting, stanchions, casework, mounts, cleaning, etc. May act as virtual or physical courier for the department. Other duties as assigned.

Object tracking:

Updates location changes in museum database within the same day of art movement as per museum guidelines; performs systematic location checks of storage areas; performs annual audit of galleries and storage areas; creates documentation maps with measurements of gallery installations after each reinstallation.

Collections in care:

Organizes and maintains storage areas as needed. Assists in the care, conservation, installation, and storage of the departmental collection. Under the supervision of Conservation and Science, performs minimal tasks, including light dusting, inspecting the condition of, labeling, and measuring objects; supervises preparation of objects for display, including placing mount work requests. Measures artwork and frames, and records dimensions in museum database. Assists visiting scholars, students, and visitors in the safe examination of objects in storage and study areas. Other duties as assigned.

Gallery maintenance:

Performs regular maintenance of galleries, including cleaning and dusting platforms and casework on a daily basis before museum opening hours; checks temperature and humidity conditions in the galleries and storage areas; places work requests and schedules work with Facilities for the departments related to painting, lighting, cleaning, stanchions, casework and mountwork; facilitates work in galleries and storage areas for contractors, including pest prevention; installs object labels for the collection and replaces existing labels as needed. Other duties as assigned. Safety and security: Ensures all security procedures in the galleries and storage areas, including temporary removal notices, proper securing of objects to walls and mounts, and securing of storage areas; responds as needed in case of art, gallery, or storage emergency.  

Training and best practices:

Adheres to training in art handling as provided by museum colleagues; participates in periodic trainings to learn new techniques; and keeps abreast of and offers recommendations based upon best practices in the field related to safe and secure art handling, materials, and installation. 

QUALIFICATIONS

⋅ Minimum of two years of experience handling works of art––or equivalent experience working

with objects––required; ability to lift up to 50 pounds required

⋅ Ability to learn museum-specific collection database systems

⋅ Familiarity with or specialization in departmental field a plus

⋅ The successful candidate should:

￫ be highly detail-oriented and organized;

￫ demonstrate initiative;

￫ embrace the museum’s commitment to creating an inclusive and equitable institution;

￫ have an open-minded and collaborative approach to working and communicating with

all colleagues across the museum;

￫ and have strong communication, organizational, and multitasking skills.

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, equal access employer fully committed to achieving a diverse and inclusive workplace. We believe in a staff culture that benefits from a wide range of experience, backgrounds, and career paths, and we encourage nontraditional candidates to apply.

The Art Institute of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits, hires and promotes qualified individuals without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, veteran status or citizenship. The Institute complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact the Department of Human Resources at [email protected].