Description

The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM), a leading art and culture museum in the United States, is seeking a Curatorial Research Assistant for American Decorative Art. Founded in 1799, PEM is dedicated to transforming people’s lives by creating museum experiences that celebrate the power of art and culture to inform and change our understanding of our place in the world. By presenting art and culture in new ways, by linking past and present, and by embracing artistic and cultural achievements worldwide, the museum offers unique opportunities to explore multilayered and interconnected arenas of creative expression.

This part-time 18-hour per week, 17.5 month-long position will research and document PEM collections for the upcoming American Decorative Art gallery, in close collaboration with Robert N. Shapiro Curator of American Decorative Art R. Ruthie Dibble, PhD. American Decorative Art at PEM is perhaps best known for its furniture collection, but it also encompasses a diverse array of ceramics, glass, textiles, metalwork, toys, secular relics, and tools–largely owned and/or used in Essex County–ranging from the 17th century to the present, many of which remain under-catalogued and studied. As part of this collections research, the Fellow will study and document several Latin American decorative art objects. With knowledge gained by cataloging and compiling research on selected objects from across PEM’s diverse collection of American decorative arts, the Fellow will also play a crucial role in building the checklist, developing interpretive strategies, and liaising with an advisory group for the upcoming American Decorative Art Gallery. The position also interfaces across many PEM departments, especially Collections Management and Exhibition Planning regarding the implementation of the ADA gallery project.

Requirements

The ideal candidate will have a master’s degree in art history, material culture studies, American studies, or a related field and at least one year of experience in a museum or visual arts organization. This role prefers written and spoken Spanish language skills, familiarity with standard museum practices, art historical research methods, object cataloguing, and collections management databases. Knowledge of American Decorative art and/or material culture objects or willingness to learn is preferred. Will be expected to handle art objects. Experience with museum collections databases and object cataloguing is preferred. PEM uses M+ as its collections digital management system. Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access. A combination of related training, education, and/or experience will be accepted. This is a temporary grant-funded role and the hiring range is $21.63 to $24.07 per hour commensurate with experience. 

Summary

PEM strives to create a community of belonging that draws upon the widest pool of talent, embracing individuals of all backgrounds, life experiences, and perspectives. We seek candidates who can contribute to helping us achieve our goals and encourage you to apply for our open positions identifying the contributions you can make.

PEM considers all qualified candidates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, pregnancy or pregnancy related condition or any other characteristic protected by law.