Collections Assistant
Job Information
The Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery at the University of British Columbia is accepting applications for the position of Collections Assistant. This is a temporary student appointment from May 17 to September 3, 2010 (16 weeks) and the position is 35 hours per week. This position is conditional on the approval of funding by the Department of Canadian Heritage’s Young Canada Works in Heritage Organizations program, and program eligibility requirements apply (see below).
The position objectives are to perform a variety of collection and registration duties that will assist the Belkin in managing and increasing access to the permanent collection of art. These duties may include: researching data standards and thesauri and assisting in implementing their use in the gallery’s new Past Perfect collections database; researching, updating and cleaning up collection information in the database; organizing and updating collection, image, and artist files; and researching and compiling biographical and exhibition histories of artists and of the artworks in the collection. The Collections Assistant may also assist with sorting and uploading images to the database and may also assist with loans and traveling exhibitions as required. As part of the digitization of the collection, the student will be required to complete data entry and prepare collection information which will later be released on the Belkin’s website as part of a new online initiative designed to make the artworks in the collection accessible to researchers, students, and the general public over the internet. The position will perform other gallery duties as necessary such as providing information to the public, attending the front desk and monitoring the gallery.
Required Skills: Graduate level student enrolled in Art History, Fine Arts, library, information or museum studies. Advanced research skills. Attention to detail. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Experience using PC and/or Mac computers, MS Office, email, and internet. Ability to work with limited supervision, adapt to a variety of work scenarios, exercise initiative and judgment, meet deadlines, and work under pressure. Comfortable using and/or learning new equipment including scanners and digital cameras. Ability to work as part of a team and coordinate activities of a group as well as and ability to exercise discretion and confidentiality.
Preferred Skills: Experience working in an art gallery and handling artworks. Knowledge of contemporary art. Experience using databases and Adobe Creative Suite is an asset.
Candidate Eligibility requirements: The Public Programs & Exhibitions Assistant position is dependent on funding from the Canadian Heritage Young Canada Works program (YCW). Candidates for the position must:
- be legally entitled to work in Canada.
- be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, or have refugee status in Canada. (Non-Canadian students holding temporary work visas or awaiting permanent status are not eligible.)
- be between 16 and 30 years of age at the start of employment.
- be registered in the YCW on-line candidate inventory (www.youngcanadaworks.ca).
- be willing to commit to the full duration of the work assignment.
- not have another full-time job (over 30 hours per week) while employed in the YCW job.
- have been a full-time student in the semester preceding the YCW job.
- intend to return to full-time studies in the semester following the YCW job.
To apply, please email cover letter and application to:
Terri Sudeyko, Registrar
Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery
The University of British Columbia
1825 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2
Email: terri.sudeyko@ubc.ca
$16.41/hour.
