Collections Assistant
/Job Title:
Collections Assistant
Organization:
Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, The University of British Columbia
Deadline:
Apr. 6, 2026
Organization Description:
The Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery (Belkin) is located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̍əm Musqueam people. The Belkin is mandated to promote the understanding and discussion of contemporary art and issues in art history, criticism, and curating. Our mandate is fulfilled through research, exhibitions, acquisitions, publishing, education, and programming, with a focus on our region in relation to an international context.
Website:
Job Description:
The Collections Assistant position at the Belkin is a temporary 16-week student employment appointment, from May 4 to August 21, 2026. The position is full time at 35 hours per week. The main objectives of this position are for a student to gain as much experience across all collections department functions, while supporting and carrying out the mandate of our heritage institution and serving our local and international audiences. The work in this position will be carried out across the collections department, including work with the artwork collection, archives, active records management program, and with exhibitions.
For a student interested in work within a cultural and heritage institution, this position is an excellent opportunity to gain diverse and practical information and collections management experience across multiple realms and functions. Holistic work across the collections department includes engaging in discussion about and implementation of policy development (emergency response for the collections and records management), and developing and improving accessibility requirements throughout the physical and digital spheres. Practical experience includes handling cultural and vulnerable objects, creating condition reports, packing and shipping, and storage management. Administrative and collections management experience includes rights and permissions processes, loan management, cataloguing, and archival arrangement and description. Technical experience includes working with at-risk and rare media, digitization and migration processes, and digital preservation. All of these activities would benefit a student by utilizing theoretical principles learned in a classroom context and applying them into a practical working environment with discussion, guidance, and support from well-versed mentors. In addition, a student in this position would gain knowledge about Vancouver’s art and cultural history and directly network with artists, researchers, curators, and other museum professionals within the Belkin and beyond. There are also opportunities to interface with local and international researchers with diverse needs and collaborate with different internal departments (programming, curatorial and exhibitions), UBC departments (such as with the Records Management Office), Belkin staff during bi-weekly meetings and professional development activities, and with programming and events.
This position is supported by the Canadian Heritage Young Canada Works in Heritage Organizations program (YCW-HO).
Responsibilities:
Tasks undertaken throughout this project are related to the administrative, management, and processing needs of the Belkin collections across the archives, artworks, and records management functions, as well as to registration responsibilities for temporary exhibitions. Tasks will increase in complexity as the project progresses, depending on the student’s educational background, previous work experience, learning objectives, and interests.
Tasks undertaken include:
• Archival arrangement and description of fonds and records, applying descriptive standards such as the Rules for Archival Description (RAD) and generating finding aids.
• Cataloguing, reviewing, and updating metadata for artworks and archival records through CollectiveAccess.
• Filing, uploading, and publishing image, video and audio media to the database and servers.
• Researching artists and artworks for acquisitions justifications.
• Capturing technical metadata for digital preservation and transcoding media.
• Rehousing and unframing objects and applying preventative preservation techniques and creating condition reports.
• Assisting with facilitating research and reference requests.
• Collaborating on a draft and conducting research for an Emergency Response Plan for the collections.
• Collaborating on finalizing the Gallery's Records Management Policy and liaising with Records Management Office at UBC. Participating in records management activities (retention and disposition) and implementation of policy.
• Researching and implementing accessibility needs, standards, and technical implementation.
• Creating inventories of new acquisitions and backlog.
• Assisting with incoming and outgoing loans, including packing artworks for shipment.
• Obtaining rights permissions, including locating and corresponding with copyright holders such as artists, estates, and copyright management societies.
• Participating in professional development and staff activities.
• Assisting with front desk duties, liaising with the public, monitoring the gallery, and providing information to visitors of the gallery (as required, but not primarily).
Qualifications:
Required Skills: Graduate level student enrolled in a Master of Archival Studies program or equivalent Information Studies degree with a demonstrated interest in working in the arts or cultural fields. Has the following skills: attention to detail; exceptional oral and written communication skills; advanced research skills; experience using MS Office, databases, email, and the internet; ability to work independently and in a team environment; adapt to a variety of work scenarios; exercises initiative and judgement; capable time management skills to meet deadlines and work under pressure; and capacity for compassion, exercising discretion, sensitivity, and confidentiality.
The applicant must meet the YCW-HO eligibility criteria and be: a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or hold refugee status (non-Canadians holding temporary work visas or awaiting permanent resident status are not eligible); legally entitled to work in Canada (have a valid social insurance number); be between the ages of 16 and 30 inclusively at the start of employment; and be a high school, college, CEGEP or university student.
Preferred Skills: Experience working in an art gallery and handling cultural objects; knowledge of contemporary art; experience using CollectiveAccess and Adobe Creative Suite is an asset; and comfortable working with tools and ladders and able to lift 30lbs.
How to Apply:
To apply please email a cover letter and resume to the attention of:
Teresa Sudeyko, Registrar
Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery
The University of British Columbia
1825 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2
Email: teresa.sudeyko@ubc.ca
Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.
The Collections Assistant position is supported by the Canadian Heritage Young Canada Works in Heritage Organizations program. Applicants must meet the program's eligibility criteria and register in the YCW candidate inventory outlined here:
https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/funding/young-canada-works/students-graduates/heritage-organizations-students.html
Remuneration:
$22.44 per hour plus 4% vacation pay
