Job Listing: Galleries and Museum Collections Manager

Name of Organization – Sweet Briar College

Job Title – Galleries and Museum Collections Manager

Salary - Competitive

Type – Part time, 30 hours, 12-month, benefits elegible position

Apply - Galleries and Museum Collections Manager Application

Summary – Sweet Briar College invites applications for a part-time Galleries and Museum Collections Manager.  The Sweet Briar collection contains more than 6,000 objects that support the academic and cultural life of the college. It includes 1,758 works of art, ranging from medieval manuscripts to 20th-century femmage. Since the 1990s, the focus has been on women artists, such as Carrie Mae Weems, Kara Walker, and Toyin Ojih Odutola. Items relating to the history of the college as a former plantation site include 19th-century furniture, decorative wares, and garments, alongside a teaching collection of earlier archaeological finds.

Responsibilities – The successful candidate will partner with the Director of Galleries and Museum to implement best practices in collections management, support student engagement with the collection, and assist with curating and installing shows.  In addition to basic inventory work, this role will train and support student employees and interns, pull works for faculty to use in their classes, regularly monitor the collection spaces, and rotate campus artworks.

Current projects include making our Collections Management System web-accessible, fitting out a new collection store, and managing the ongoing historic building maintenance. In addition, the Galleries and Museum have an active art events program attracting 2000 visitors a year as part of the Kelley and C.T. Fitzpatrick Center for Creativity, Design, and the Arts, plus contribute to the annual Summer Arts & Writing Retreat. We partner with Sweet Briar programs such as Art History, Studio Art, Human & Environmental Sustainability, Philosophy, Performing Arts, and Creative Writing, as well as community arts center, Second Stage. Our exhibiting artists and Arts Management program also connects us with other academic institutions and venues, from the Anne Spencer Historic House and Garden in Lynchburg to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCUarts) in Richmond.

Candidates ready to work with a diverse student body are especially welcome. Sweet Briar prides itself on creating a learning environment that encourages female-identifying students to fulfill their highest potential.  Leadership in all walks of life is fostered by the special connections our faculty make with their students, and Sweet Briar women translate their academic experiences into ethical and thoughtful lives.

Required Qualifications:

●Bachelor’s degree in related field, such as art history, history, archaeology, studio art, museum studies

●Experience handling art collections;

●Demonstrated ability to work independently;

●Skills in database management;

●Demonstrated ability to work well with students and student employees.

Preferred qualifications:

●Graduate degree in Museum Studies, Art History or related field;

●Experience with professional standards in museum and galleries collections;

●Technical skills useful to exhibition installations, e.g. familiarity with power tools and installation fixings;

●Experience with major collections management software (CMS) such as Embark or Past Perfect;

●Knowledge and active use of online collection portals and a keen interest in their technical framework.

How to Apply:

To apply, visit: https://sbc.edu/human-resources/faculty-staff-job-openings/. All applications should include: 1) cover letter; 2) Resume; and 3) a half-page statement highlighting contributions to or future plans for promoting diversity and inclusion through work in this position; 4) the names and full contact information for three professional references. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.