Head Preparator at Glenstone Museum, Potomac, MD

Position
Head Preparator

An Introduction to Glenstone Museum
Founded with the mission to seamlessly integrate art, architecture, and landscape, Glenstone is an art museum located on nearly 300 acres of rolling hills and unspoiled woodland in Potomac, Maryland. The museum, opened in 2006 and expanded in 2018, offers nearly 60,000 square feet of exhibition space to showcase its collection of more than 1300 works by 200 contemporary artists. With its expansion, Glenstone now has the ability to welcome 100,000 visitors each year, and admission is always free.
Glenstone is proud to foster a professional environment in which people can do stimulating and fulfilling work. To work at Glenstone is to be a part of something bigger, something more meaningful, and something truly special. It is a chance to do a job to the highest standard, with the resources and support available of an endowed organization. It is an invitation to be engaged, challenged and stimulated, to help fulfill a powerful mission, and to contribute to a noble purpose.
We are incredibly proud of what Glenstone offers to those who create, appreciate, study, and otherwise participate in the world of art; and we are equally proud of what Glenstone offers to those who choose to join us in doing so.

Position Overview
Reporting to the Director of Registration, the Head Preparator will play a critical role in the overseeing and participating in all aspects of the installation of the permanent collection and temporary exhibitions in the galleries. Supporting the Director of Registration, the Head Preparator will be responsible for supervising the packing and crating works of art and all matters pertaining to the safe handling, movement and care of artwork in the collection. The Head Preparator will manage temporary and contract art handling personnel, delegating work assignments among installation staff in order to assure the timely completion of all work at the highest level of quality.

Desired Attributes & Characteristics
The ideal candidate will possess excellent communication skills and be personally and professionally motivated by working as a member of a team. The candidate will be a problem solver with the ability to remain calm in stressful or challenging situations. A positive attitude, a willingness to help others, and a desire to work in a team environment is essential. Desired characteristics also include a strong work ethic, as well as an attention to detail and deadlines. In addition, we are looking for someone that can embrace Glenstone’s core value of “continuous improvement” through an interest in professional development to advance their knowledge and expertise to surpass our previous best efforts.

Key Responsibilities

• Recruit, train, and supervise contract art handlers and staff as needed.
• Oversee and participate in the installation and deinstallation of exhibitions.
• Develop installation/deinstallation instructions for artworks, including audio/video and multi-media works.
• Assist in budget preparation and track installation/deinstallation-related expenses.
• Prepare condition and packing reports.
• Supervise and carry out the packing and unpacking of artworks.
• Oversee and participate in the design and construction of crates, as well as managing a sustainable plan for the repurposing of empty crates.
• Design and fabricate bases, pedestals, cases, mounts, and other supports for the display of two- and three-dimensional artworks.
• Design and fabricate archival mounts, boxes, trays, etc. for the long-term storage of artworks in the collection.
• Conduct and supervise routine gallery maintenance.
• Perform and supervise outdoor sculpture cleaning.
• Assist in the upkeep of art storage areas to assure the safety of artworks.
• Procure and manage the upkeep of all tools, equipment and related department assets.
• Courier artworks both domestically and abroad.

Required Skills & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts, Architecture, Museum Studies, or a closely related program from an accredited college or university.
• Minimum of four years of experience in art handling of a wide variety of media: painting, sculpture. (including glass and stone), works on paper, multi-element installations, time-based media.
• Extensive understanding and experience with current museum professional standards for handling and packing works of art.
• Detail-oriented and focused.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.
• Experience in the safe operation and maintenance of a variety of hand and power tools, hydraulic lifts, forklifts, scissor lifts/personnel lifts, and other specialized equipment.
• Ability to interpret and produce work from architectural plans and fabrication shop drawings.
• Excellent dexterity and hand-eye coordination.
• Ability to climb ladders and work on them for extended periods of time.
• Ability to lift heavy objects (up to 70 lbs.) and to stand or walk for an eight-hour day.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
• Working knowledge of art information systems and computerized collection management databases.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree program in Art History or Fine Arts, or equivalent experience.
• General knowledge of contemporary art, art history, and artist’s materials relative to the collection.
• Experience with Adobe Creative Suite.
• Experience with Sketchup or similar 3-D modelling programs.
• Sensitivity to sustainable practices in the reuse of materials.
• Experience with archival matting and framing.
• Experience installing and maintaining time-based media works.
• Rigging experience.
• OSHA-compliant certification to operate a forklift.
• Personal transportation means to Glenstone, as no public transportation is available.

Salary & Benefits
Associates are crucial to achieving Glenstone’s mission and we offer a competitive salary commensurate with experience. We also provide a total benefits package that helps you manage your health, protect your income, and prepare for your future. To promote collaboration and show appreciation to associates, Glenstone provides a weekly staff lunch, on-site health and wellness classes, as well as volunteer opportunities.

Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; life, long-term and short-term disability and AD&D insurance, a Flexible Spending Account (FSA); a 401(k) retirement account with a matching contribution; an Employee Assistance Program (EAP); and tuition reimbursement.

Application Process
Submit a cover letter, resume, salary requirements and a list of three professional references electronically to our Glenstone Jobs Portal.

Date Posted
05/15/2019

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.