Art Handlers—Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, Hudson Valley, NY

Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College
Art Installers, Multiple Positions Available (Part-Time Temporary)

Compensation: $25–30 per hour
Application Deadline: January 31, 2024
Target Start Date: February 19, 2024

The Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College (CCS Bard) seeks skilled installation professionals for roles as part-time temporary Art Installers at CCS Bard and the Hessel Museum of Art. Multiple roles are available at different levels and hourly rates based on prior experience beginning at $25/hour and going up to $30/hour for advanced art installer roles.

Applicants must be available to work from March 4 to April 5, 2024, Monday through Friday, with the possibility of returning for future exhibition installation and deinstallation periods.

Successful candidates will report to the Head Preparator and the Director of Exhibitions and Operations, and will work collaboratively with other members of the exhibitions team to realize an ambitious schedule of exhibitions at the Hessel Museum of Art and adjoining CCS Bard Galleries. Art Installers will also work closely with CCS Bard graduate students in curatorial studies on the installation of graduate student thesis exhibitions, as well as with outside curators.

Established in 1990, the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College is an incubator for experimentation in exhibition-making and a leading institution dedicated exclusively to curatorial studies, a discipline exploring the historical, intellectual, and social conditions that inform curatorial practice. CCS Bard’s mission is to encourage and explore new approaches to the presentation of contemporary art and culture. It does this through three main avenues: a dynamic exhibition program at the Hessel Museum of Art, a graduate program in curatorial studies, and the CCS Bard library and archives. Together, these resources amount to one of the world’s most forward-thinking teaching and learning environments for contemporary curatorial practice and scholarship.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Working as part of a team, help to install and disassemble temporary exhibitions and curatorial projects raging in scale and complexity
• Hands-on work in the galleries including construction, carpentry, interior painting, art handling and installation, gallery lighting, and installation of digital equipment or other media (film, video, and/or audio)
• Help maintain a safe, clean, and organized production environment and gallery space
• Assist with the production and installation of didactic materials, including wall labels, graphic panels, and cut-vinyl signage
• Share skills and assist others on the install team as needed
• Art handling for the CCS Bard archive and special collections, graduate program, and other events and activities as required

Minimum Qualifications:

• At least two years of experience working with museum-quality art installations
• Demonstrated proficiency in fabrication, production, and workshop skills and safety protocols for installing fine art, including painting, carpentry, and the safe use of hand- and power-tools
• Knowledge of conservation concerns and materials for display, storage, and packing works of art
• Able to move or assist in moving heavy objects (must be able to lift up to 50 pounds) and operate a scissor lift, pump lift cart, and pallet jack
• Knowledge of and interest in contemporary art, and the ability to work collaboratively in a professional museum environment
• BA in art, design, or a related field
• Experience with A/V installation and new media/technologies preferred
• Experience with building temporary walls and display cases/mounts preferred

Additional Qualifications for Advanced Art Installer Roles:

· Leadership experience on an installation team
· Experience with A/V installation and new media/technologies
· Ability to build temporary walls and unique exhibition display cases/mounts
· Experience with new commissions and working with artists to install large-scale projects
· Skilled in art framing and creating wall labels
· Vinyl wall text and graphics installation
· Experience with museum lighting
· Rigging and transportation for large/heavy artworks
· Metalwork experience

To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume/CV by the deadline of January 31, 2024 through Interfolio: https://apply.interfolio.com/137682
Bard College is an equal opportunity employer and we welcome applications from those who contribute to our diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, mental, or physical disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, familial status, veteran status, or genetic information.

Bard is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for all individuals in employment practices, services, programs, and activities.