Curatorial Assistant – Worcester Art Museum
Website Worcester Art Museum
Employment Type: Temporary, Part-Time
Department: Curatorial
Division: Curatorial
Reports to: Curator of American Art
Supervisory Responsibilities: None
Salary Range: $22.22 – $26.67 hourly
Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion at WAM:
At WAM we are committed to building a diverse environment, one where staff feel a sense of belonging, and are valued for their contributions and the perspectives they bring. Please visit our Mission, Vision, and Values page to learn more.
Job Overview:
This is a part-time, temporary position for two years, through Fall 2026, with the possibility of extension. This position will primarily be in-person, with some flexibility for remote work.
The Worcester Art Museum (WAM) seeks a Curatorial Assistant to provide curatorial, research and administrative support to the Curator of American Art in preparation for a major reinstallation of the museum’s early American Galleries of American art up to about 1900. This project will involve conceptualizing exhibition contents and layout, researching collection items and potential loans and acquisitions, compiling checklists, coordinating interdepartmental collaboration, developing interpretive materials, conducting community outreach, and other related activities.
At the Worcester Art Museum, we strongly value innovative approaches to interpretation and installation and strive to integrate works by and about underrepresented populations and to present a fuller narrative of American art history. The current strengths of the American collection include colonial and early national period US portraiture and decorative arts, miniature paintings, folk art, regional landscape paintings, paintings by Winslow Homer and John Singer Sargent, American Impressionists, Native American basketry, Arts and Crafts ceramics, and arts of ancient Americas. Through recent acquisitions, WAM has been building its collection of art by nineteenth-century African American artists and plans to continue to grow these holdings. We encourage applications from candidates with interest and specialized study in at least one of these collection areas. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to influence the installation of our early American galleries.
Duties/Responsibilities:
- Assist with the coordination of American art programming, particularly the reinstallation of the early American art galleries, but also including temporary exhibitions, other permanent collection installations, symposia and other programming, and print and digital publications
- Collaborate with members of the Curatorial Division and Audience Engagement in the interpretation and presentation of the collections for a diverse public
- Research the collection and maintain Curatorial object files; assist in maintaining collections management database in coordination with the Registrars’ department
- Respond to inquiries about the collection and coordinate and supervise visits from outside scholars, including review of files and records prior to distribution outside the Division
- Provide administrative support to Curator of American Art and American Art program as needed
- Assist with research of proposed acquisitions and cultivation of donors
- Assist with community outreach efforts related to the reinstallation of the American galleries and other initiatives.
- Perform other related duties as assigned
Qualifications:
- Skilled researcher and writer with knowledge of research resources in the field of American art history
- Strong art historical background with knowledge of American art and material culture, including African American, Native American, and Latin American art, through college or graduate coursework and/or previous museum experience
- Ability to coordinate multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail and accuracy
- Ability to work with confidential and sensitive materials
- Strong interpersonal skills; ability to work with all Museum constituents
- Facility with Microsoft Office
- Reading knowledge of a foreign language (especially Spanish) preferred
- Embraces and promotes diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion initiatives
Education and Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in Art History, American Studies, African American Studies, Native American and Indigenous Studies, Latin American Studies, or a related field required; Master’s preferred.
- Prior museum and/or curatorial experience preferred.
To apply for this job please visit recruiting.paylocity.com.