Museum Specialist (Art)

The National Museum of African American History and Culture's primary purposes are to acquire, maintain and preserve objects which document social, cultural, political, military, technological and scientific developments in the United States related to the African American experience; to conduct research in the field of African American history, to publish findings for all audiences; and interpret historical developments through public exhibits and programs as well as digital content.

Qualifications:

Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal Service or comparable pay band system. For this position specialized experience is defined as examining and evaluating the condition of photographic artifacts; developing treatment plans; performing conservation treatment; creating housing; creating exhibition and storage protocol and handling guidelines; preparing project cost and time estimates; providing oversight for interns and contractors, procuring supplies and services; advising on display or exhibit requirements; and documenting all work performed on the collection according to current museum practices within the field.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week.

Responsibilities:

This position is in the Office of Curatorial Affairs, Office of Collections and is located in Landover, Maryland.  The conservator is primarily responsible for designing, proposing, and conducting conservation treatments on a wide variety of photographic materials. In addition to treatment, the incumbent will:

• generate timely written and treatment proposals and reports corresponding to photographic conservation treatments;
• execute simple and complex treatments both independently and as a team member to address deterioration, damage, loss, and instability;
• engages curator and/or the living artist, studio assistants or estates to foster relationship supporting the long-term care and display of their work in the collection;
• performs technical examination and analysis of photographic materials to assess condition issues and proposes appropriate conservation and preservation methods and procedures;
• provides assistance for contracting conservation, transport, services for collection including generation of contract documents, performing market research, serving on a technical evaluation panel, and assisting with quality review of products and services; 
• communicates with a wide range of audiences on current conservation and preservation practices for photographic materials;
• participates in conservation clinics, and answers public inquiries as delegated by management; and
• attends and presents at conferences, workshops, and symposiums.

Salary : $0