What are the responsibilities and job description for the Exhibitions and Collections Assistant (Temp) position at International Center of Photography?
Description
Department: Exhibitions and Collections
Schedule: Full-Time, Temporary (6 months)
Reports to: Senior Manager of Exhibitions and Collections
FLSA: Non-exempt
The International Center of Photography (ICP) is the world’s leading institution dedicated to photography and visual culture. Through our exhibitions, education, public programs, and community outreach, we offer an open forum for dialogue about the power of the image. Since our founding in 1974, we have presented more than 700 exhibitions and offered thousands of classes, providing instruction at every level. Our new integrated center on the Lower East Side reunites our school and museum in one space to become the cultural anchor of Essex Crossing.
Position Summary:
This temporary position assists with administrative tasks relating to the planning and coordination of exhibitions as well as the management and administration of the Exhibitions Department Reporting to the Senior Manager of Exhibitions and Collections, the Assistant will also work closely with the Marketing and Communications, Development, Visitor Experience, Finance, and Operations teams to realize initiatives.
This position is hybrid with required 2-3 day weekly on-site attendance, full-time attendance during exhibition installation, and occasional travel to ICP’s off-site storage facility in New Jersey.
Essential Functions and Duties:
Exhibitions:
Assist the Senior Manager of Exhibitions and Collection with the planning, coordination and production of ICP exhibitions:
- Prepare and update exhibition checklists and loan agreements
- Assist with the coordination and production of gallery texts
- Provide administrative support during exhibition installation and deinstallation
- Maintain active exhibition files
- Work with all relevant departments to create, update, and distribute task installation schedule
- Coordinate exhibition installation documentation, maintain exhibition documentation inventory, and organize digital files for future use
- Assist in the organization of Exhibitions Committee meetings, including preparation of meeting material
Departmental:
Support the daily operations of the department:
- Order and distribute departmental supplies
- Process incoming and outgoing mail.
- Respond to inquiries from other ICP departments and the public; some requiring research
- Assist with rights and reproductions permissions
- Track departmental budget expenditures and reconcile department credit card accounts
- Assist in the planning for Acquisitions Committee meetings in coordination with the Development team, including preparation of meeting materials and research on works to be presented
- Coordinate exhibition proposal review process and responses
- Produce agendas and other materials for cross-department meetings, project-specific meetings, and appointments with external stakeholders (designers, etc.)
Additional Responsibilities:
- Assists with special projects
- Additional responsibilities as assigned
- May occasionally require some evenings and/or weekends
Requirements
Minimum Qualifications:
- Experience working in an office environment required
- Prior curatorial experience preferred
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Solid administrative, clerical, and organizational skills, with strong attention to detail
- Familiarity with TMS inventory system
- Advanced knowledge and recent experience using current computer programs (e.g., Filemaker Pro, Microsoft Office, PowerPoint, Adobe Creative suite) as well as basic technical support
- Ability to manage several tasks simultaneously in a highly demanding and fast-paced work environment, and with limited supervision
- Adherence to deadlines and strong follow-through
- Flexibility in meeting shifting demands and priorities
- A desire to function in a team and in a service-oriented environment
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Ability to exercise high level of discretion, diplomacy, and initiative
- Interest in photography and knowledge of photography world
Education Requirement:
- Bachelor’s degree in art history or related field preferred
Working Conditions:
Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds
- While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear.
- The employee is occasionally required to stand; use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms.
Special Environmental Factors:
- FULL COVID-19 Vaccination Required
- The employee may be required to commute between locations.
- The employee is required to work in the general public environment (face to face contact with public).