ABOUT THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
The Metropolitan Museum of Art collects, studies, conserves, and presents significant works of art across all times and cultures in order to connect people to creativity, knowledge, and ideas.
The Met presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in three iconic sites in New York City?The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer, and The Met Cloisters. Since it was founded in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. Every day, art comes alive in the Museum's galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing both new ideas and unexpected connections across time and across cultures.
GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is seeking an Assistant/Associate Time-Based Media (TBM) Conservator to oversee all facets of conservation of the Museum's media art collections. This is a one-year term position with the possibility of extension. The Assistant/Associate TBM Conservator will report to the Sherman Fairchild Conservator in Charge of Photograph Conservation.
The conservator will work closely with other departments throughout the Museum (curatorial, collections management, Registrar's Office, Digital, Imaging, Exhibitions, Information Systems &Technology, and others) to develop and implement Museum-wide strategies for long-term programs of care and documentation of these diverse collections.
In addition to caring for the needs of the existing collection, they will establish a dedicated media art conservation space. They will work closely with staff to implement special exhibitions by developing budgets, sourcing equipment, and assisting in installation, documentation, and maintaining TBM on view at The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Cloisters, and The Met Breuer.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES
- Implement best practices for the conservation, storage, and documentation of the collection
- Prepare and install TBM artworks for exhibitions and outgoing loans
- Establish a time-based media conservation laboratory for use in condition assessment, migration, and treatment of TBM artworks and
obsolescent display equipment
- Perform conservation treatments to preserve analog and digital artworks
- Work closely with Digital and IS&T departments to plan and maintain a digital repository for artworks and archival media assets
- Advise curatorial, registrar, and legal staff on TBM acquisitions
- Create, propose, and execute a plan for periodic auditing of the collection that ensures the long-term persistence and usability of artworks and address format obsolescence
- Collaborate with technical staff and outside vendors when necessary
- Train Museum staff in procedures and protocols related to the acquisition, exhibition, and storage of TBM artworks
- Develop projects and manage project budgets for permanent collections, exhibitions, possible acquisitions, and loans
- Contribute to the growing knowledge of TBM conservation through the authoring of articles and presentations for conferences and publications
- Mentor interns and fellows
- Other duties as assigned
REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS
*Experience and Skills:*
- Demonstrated experience in art conservation, including a methodological approach to the development of conservation strategies,
responsible execution of treatments, excellent documentation skills, experience in interviewing artists and capturing their intent
- Experience installing complex contemporary art installations, preferably including TBM components
- Communication skills that facilitate teamwork and the ability to work across museum departments
- Coordination and management skills for the completion of projects and supervision of vendors and external specialists
- Demonstrated ability to adapt and produce high-level results on multiple projects with shifting priorities
- Professional practice: familiarity with current research and developments in the field; connection to colleagues in the field in order
to ensure collaborative best practice development; commitment to sharing developments through conferences and publications
- Demonstrate a deep curiosity and problem solving capacity with unfamiliar technology and rapidly changing environments; have a drive for continually striving to gain new skills and knowledge
*Knowledge and Education:*
- Graduate degree from a recognized art conservation program or equivalent experience, with a demonstrated interest or focus in time-based media art
- Strong knowledge of conservation methodologies, ethics, and techniques for time-based media conservation with demonstrated experience in conservation documentation and treatments
- Knowledge of historical and current technologies including audio, video, film, and with a priority on computer technologies and their
inherent risk factors
- At least two years of museum experience preferred
HOW TO APPY
Please send a letter of interest and resume to careers@metmuseum.org and to Mary.Walsh@metmuseum.org. Please use the following in the subject line of the e-mail: Dept-PhotographConservation-TBM-Conservator.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art provides equal opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, pregnancy, alienage or citizenship status, marital status or domestic partner status, genetic information, genetic predisposition or carrier status, gender identity, HIV status, military status and any other category protected by law in all employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, training and apprenticeship, promotion, upgrading, demotion, downgrading, transfer, lay-off and termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment.