Downtown Gallery Assistant (Part Time)

Job Description
Department:
Museum Mirken Education and Engagement
Pay Rate Type:
Hourly
Employee Type:
Job Summary:Colby College Museum of Art
Part-Time, Regular, Non-Exempt, Hourly, Staff Appointment

The downtown gallery assistant position at the Colby College Museum of Art provides a positive and welcoming presence for visitors of all ages at the museum’s Joan Dignam Schmaltz Gallery, located in the Paul J. Schupf Art Center, located in downtown Waterville, Maine. In addition to being the museum’s primary day-to-day presence in the space to welcome and support public visitors to the gallery, the downtown gallery assistant is also responsible for ensuring smooth logistical and administrative operations as well as effective adherence to security and safety protocols in the space. The successful candidate will work under the direction of the Museum’s Mirken curator of education and engagement and also will work closely with the museum security manager and members of the engagement team. This position is a 20 hours/week that will require work on weekends and evenings. The ideal candidate is punctual, friendly, detail oriented, and adaptable to changing situations. This person should feel comfortable asking questions in order to prioritize a wide variety of tasks.

THE MUSEUM AND ITS MISSION
The Colby College Museum of Art is a collecting and teaching museum dedicated to the preservation, display, and interpretation of the visual arts. We embrace within our collections works of art from diverse cultures and historical periods, with a focus on American art, and commitment to collecting and exhibiting contemporary art. We manage these resources for the benefit of the Colby College community, the region, and the nation and aspire to display works that embody the highest standards of achievement.

A COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND INCLUSION
Working to advance equity and inclusion in the field of American art—and, by doing so, in the wider world—is core to our mission. We feel the urgency of national and campus conversations on inequality and are keenly aware of the unique responsibility that we have as an academic art museum—as a place where we can listen, ask questions, and challenge assumptions—to engage in this dialogue, and to act. We affirm the Colby Museum’s commitment to multidisciplinary teaching and learning and our potential for deep engagement with students will be leveraged in this effort toward fighting racialized violence, injustice, and inequality; and we encourage inquiries from candidates who will contribute to the diversity of our college, including its cultural and ethnic diversity.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Offer a positive and welcoming presence for visitors of all ages at the museum’s Joan Dignam Schmaltz Gallery of Art, providing excellent customer service and informational assistance related to exhibitions and programs in the museum’s gallery and the Schupf Art Center
• Monitor activity in the gallery and ensure that all visitors adhere to museum protocols and policies
• Maintain an alertness for unusual or suspicious activity and deal with various levels of incidents as necessary, including first response in an emergency; report security violations and write incident reports when necessary
• Serve as a liaison and primary point of contact to the Schupf Art Center’s building manager to ensure smooth operation of the gallery space and report any facility-related needs or emergencies, keeping the museum’s security manager and deputy director informed and/or seeking additional guidance when issues arise
• Work closely with education and engagement staff on logistics for public and academic programs in downtown gallery, communicating and sharing information with internal stakeholders; preparing resources; and tracking visitor information.
• Assist in program execution by providing logistical support as needed towards setting up event spaces and communicating with guests, visitors, and colleagues. This includes evening and weekend events
• Contribute to a hospitable environment for guest speakers and pre K-12 groups by assisting with logistical arrangements, and attending to speakers’ and school visit needs during their visit to the gallery
• Provide logistical support for downtown programs, workshops, and training sessions that involve community docents, student guides, teaching artists, interns, and other student workers
• Participate in regular meetings with engagement colleagues at the museum and Waterville Creates partners downtown to maintain effective communication and coordination of operations and events at the Schupf Art Center
• Assist the Mirken curator of education and engagement and Linde Family Foundation curator of academic engagement with special projects, as needed; work could include data compilation and preparation for grant reports, presentations, and updating documents for internal stakeholders
• Support the engagement team with administrative office tasks, which includes ensuring office and artmaking supplies for the gallery are fully stocked and in good working order
• Support the work of the engagement team through the use of software, data management, and registration tools
• Perform additional duties as assigned; duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice

QUALIFICATIONS:

• High school diploma or equivalent required; professional coursework or post-secondary education are a plus
• Three or more years of previous professional experience
• Relevant engagement and/or administrative experience preferred
• Highly motivated, flexible, and comfortable with all audiences
• Unwavering commitment to fostering an antiracist, equitable work environment supportive of people from different cultures, backgrounds, and life paths
• Outstanding interpersonal, and organizational skills, with a high level of motivation and initiative
• Attention to detail and accuracy are critical
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills, with the ability to complete clear, concise, and accurate incident reports and other documentation
• Experience in a professional environment, able to work collaboratively within a team and a diverse organization and to collaborate effectively with students, faculty, art center and community partners
• Able to work independently as well as in a team, exercise judgment, establish priorities, and complete projects with minimal supervision and to adjust as new projects are assigned
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (e.g. Word, Excel) and Google Suite (e.g., Mail, Calendar, Docs, Sheets, and Slides); proficiency and/or ability to learn Airtable, Adobe Creative Suite, EventBrite, SurveyMonkey, Workday, and others specific to Colby College.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS:

Reporting to the Mirken curator of education and engagement, the fellow also works closely with the Linde Family Foundation curator of academic engagement and all members of the engagement team, and has ongoing interactions with all museum teams as well as Colby faculty, students, staff, community partners, and museum guests.

WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS :

General open office and campus environment. Position involves sitting, although frequent movement and standing are also necessary. Occasional lifting is required. Computer usage involving repetitive hand/wrist motion is also necessary. Includes night and weekend work required to fulfill the gallery’s public hours and museum events.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT :

Successful and satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check). All students, faculty, and staff who are present on campus must be vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19, unless granted an exemption or accommodation by the College.

TO APPLY :

Interested candidates should apply electronically by clicking the "Apply" button on the Colby Careers website. Please submit a letter of interest, resume, and the contact information of three professional references. Materials should be addressed to:

Downtown Gallery Assistant (part-time) - Search Committee
Office of Human Resources
Colby College
5500 Mayflower Hill
Waterville, ME 04901-8855