Curatorial Assistant

Job Description

The University of Southern California Libraries seek a full-time, fixed-term Curatorial Assistant to work with ONE Archives at the USC Libraries. This position is made possible with support from the Getty Foundation through its Getty Marrow Emerging Professionals Pilot Program. The individual must be an alumna/us/I of the Getty Marrow Undergraduate Internship program. The Curatorial Assistant will work closely with the Curator and Director of ONE Archives at the USC Libraries and will assist in researching, planning, and producing exhibitions and programs. This individual will act as a liaison with artists, scholars, and other museum staff involved in exhibition and program production. This person will provide general curatorial assistance in the planning and organizing exhibitions, including scholarly research and logistical support in the preparation of checklists, loan requests, rights and permissions, transcriptions, exhibition catalogues, interpretive materials, related public programs, and other exhibition-related materials. This person will also assist the Curator with clerical support including correspondence and mailings. The person will also assist with collection-related tasks such as evaluating donations of artworks, cataloging artworks in our new database system, and working with artists, donors, and researchers as inquiries arise. The position will be integral to developing and organizing upcoming exhibitions, artists’ projects, and other programs at ONE Archives, including “Sexual Science and the Imagi-nation” for the Getty Foundation’s Pacific Standard Time Initiative and “Queer Black California” with the California African American Museum. The Curatorial Assistant will also be tasked with developing their own exhibition and associated public programs by the end of their two-year term.

This person must possess strong research skills, be well-organized and detail-oriented, be able to work independently and as part of a team, and communicate and collaborate well with others in the realization of complex projects. A successful candidate for this position will have an educational background in art history, experience in museums, and an interest in or knowledge of queer history. The Curatorial Assistant position is a two-year fixed-term staff position with a potential extension to a third year with additional funding.

University of Southern California

The University of Southern California is one of the world’s leading private research universities. An anchor institution in Los Angeles, USC has a large number of international students and offers extensive opportunities for internships and study abroad. With a strong tradition of integrating liberal and professional education, USC fosters a vibrant culture of public service and encourages students to cross academic as well as geographic boundaries in their pursuit of knowledge. For more information, visit www.usc.edu .

USC Libraries

The USC Libraries actively support the discovery, creation, and preservation of knowledge. We develop collections and services that support and encourage the academic endeavors of faculty, students, and staff; build a community of critical consumers of information; and help develop engaged world citizens. Through these means, we contribute to the continued success of the University of Southern California. The USC Libraries includes the Doheny Memorial Library and fourteen specialized libraries with an operating budget of approximately $41 million. Library collections encompass over 4.2 million volumes, 5.9 million microforms, 3.1 million images, 49,300 linear feet of manuscripts and archives, with access to over 113,800 serials in print and electronic formats, over 1,650 datasets, and nearly 1.3 million e-books. For more information, visit libraries.usc.edu.

ONE ARCHIVES

ONE Archives at the USC Libraries is the largest repository of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) materials in the world. Founded in 1952, ONE Archives currently houses over two million archival items including periodicals, books, film, video and audio recordings, photographs, artworks, organizational records, and personal papers. ONE Archives has been a part of the University of Southern California Libraries since 2010. Its mission is to collect, preserve, and make accessible LGBTQ historical materials while promoting new scholarship on and public awareness of queer histories.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

• Coordinates curatorial department services, activities, and scheduling. Helps to track and manage objects, and assists in the development, copyediting, design, and production of exhibition and installation didactic materials.
• Manages contacts and correspondence on behalf of the curatorial department. Responds to inquiries and requests for information regarding curatorial department functions (e.g., collections, exhibitions, appraisals, etc.) Liaises with donors and communicates with vendors as needed.
• Assists in curatorial budget management and administration. Processes invoices and facilitates requisitions as needed.
• Assists with coordination of logistical needs for short- and long-term artist and curator visits (e.g., arranging honoraria, travel, lodging, meals, and any event- related logistics).
• Supports curatorial initiatives related to education and programming. Conducts research and obtains permissions and clearances as needed. Ensures accuracy of information in print and online publications. Promotes an environment that fosters inclusive relationships and creates unbiased opportunities for contributions through ideas, words, and actions that uphold principles of the USC Code of Ethics.

BENEFITS

USC has excellent benefits, including health benefits for employees and their families with access to the renowned university medical network; eligibility for retirement plans with employer contributions after six (6) months of employment; tuition benefits for employees and their families; access to professional development opportunities; central Los Angeles location with easy access to commuter trains, buses, and tram pick up services at no charge to employees; discounts to a wide variety of cultural, sporting, and other campus events.

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum qualifications:

Minimum Education: Bachelor’s Degree

Minimum Experience: 1 year

Minimum Field of Expertise: Experience supporting collections curators and archivists. Experience with collections databases. Demonstrable specialized knowledge pertinent to materials in collection(s) and archival equipment. Experience utilizing digital reproduction technologies (e.g., scanners and digital cameras for preservation, access and/or exhibition). Excellent organizational skills with strong attention to detail and accuracy. Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office suite and Adobe suite of applications to include Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, PowerPoint, Photoshop, and InDesign.

Application Procedure

As part of the application, candidates must upload one document file (Word or PDF) that contains the following: 1) a cover letter, 2) Resume (including telephone and e-mail address).

USC is an equal-opportunity educator and employer, proudly pluralistic and firmly committed to providing equal opportunity for outstanding persons of every race, gender, creed and background. The university particularly encourages members of underrepresented groups, veterans and individuals with disabilities to apply. USC will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities unless doing so would result in an undue hardship. Further information is available by contacting  [email protected] .

Minimum Education:
Bachelor’s degree

Minimum Experience:
1 year

Minimum Skills:
Experience supporting collections curators and archivists.
Experience with collections databases.
Demonstrable specialized knowledge pertinent to materials in collection(s) and archival equipment.
Experience utilizing digital reproduction technologies (e.g., scanners and digital cameras for preservation, access and/or exhibition).
Excellent organizational skills with strong attention to detail and accuracy.
Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office suite and Adobe suite of applications to include Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, PowerPoint, Photoshop, and InDesign.

Preferred Education:
Bachelor’s degree