Title: Open Rank – Associate Registrar to Registrar

Division: Curatorial

Position Reports to: Chief Curator

Date Revised: March 2025

Compensation: $42,000 - $51,000

Role Summary

The Registrar oversees all aspects of collection and loaned artwork management and care. This includes overseeing de/accessioning, disposal, conservation, lending, documentation, digitization, safety, and accessibility for public and research purposes. The Registrar also assists with preparing artworks for exhibition and aids in de/installations.

Responsibilities

• Collections Management: Overseeing cataloging, inventorying, digitizing, and researching of collections, maintaining records, and managing the storage and conservation of artwork in the museum's care. Work with Chief Curator to plan and execute the relocation of the Permanent Collection in advance of the museum’s capital campaign and planned expansion of its collection storage facilities.

• Exhibition Planning: Collaborating with other staff members to plan, budget, assess collection stability, artwork loans, de/install exhibitions, and un/pack objects. Organizes and manages all phases of assembly and dispersal of touring exhibitions.

• Acquisition, Accessioning & Deaccessioning: Evaluating potential additions to the collection and managing the acquisition process. Evaluating potential removal of items from the permanent collection and disposition policies and legally deaccessioning if necessary.

• Collections Committee: reviewing and presenting potential acquisitions and deaccessions, checking for proper documentation, ownership, and authenticity, and providing expertise and insight into the logistics of integrating new objects into the collection.

• Loan Management: Processing and arranging coordination for incoming and outgoing loans, long-term loans, and traveling exhibitions, including shipping, coordinating with couriers, insurance, customs documents, immunity from seizure applications, managing lender's restrictions and requests, and maintaining crate inventories and packing instructions.

• Research & Accessibility: Facilitating access to the collection for research and educational purposes internally and externally.

• Policy Development: Developing and implementing policies and procedures related to collections following the Code of Ethics of the American Association of Museums, Standards for Museums with Native American Collections (SMNAC), and Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 (NAGPRA).

• Object Handling: Establishing policies for object handling and un/packing. Supervising and training staff, interns, and other authorized personnel in object handling.

• Documentation: Ensuring all collections are thoroughly documented and stored in secure environments. This includes documents outlining legal ownership, condition reports, photographs, correspondence, provenance, and more.

• Risk Management: Creating and following the policies needed to ensure the collection is safely housed, that environmental controls are in place and monitored, and that the collection is insured and in a secure location that is best for preservation and access.

• Collections Care: undertaking basic interventions to clean, repair, stabilize or otherwise protect objects; implementing strategies to prevent damage; establishing conservation treatment schedules and organizing conservation treatment for objects with external specialists. 

• Perform other departmental duties as assigned.

 

Requirements

Education: 

• The position requires a BA degree with a specialization in art history, heritage and museum studies, or a related field.

Experience: 

• Two years of experience working in a collections or exhibitions capacity.

Abilities:

• • The person must possess the mobility to visit various areas throughout the museum in keeping pace with the daily demands of the position. 

  • Must be able speak, read, write and understand the English language. 

  • Must be able to balance, bend, climb, crouch, reach, stand and sit. 

  • Requires lifting of up to 50 pounds, carrying approximately 20 pounds (by hand and cart).

  • Must possess a valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record that meets the minimum requirements of Plains Art Museum’s insurance provider.
  • Familiarity with safety protocols, procedures, and regulations, including knowledge of proper lifting techniques, how to use personal protective equipment (PPE), handling hazardous materials, and emergency response protocols.
  • Ability to work in dynamic environments with changing schedules, tight deadlines, and evolving project requirements while maintaining a high level of professionalism, attention to detail, and commitment to standards.
  • Must have visual acuity in order to identify and categorize pieces of art.
  • Must be a detail-oriented individual with strong organizational as well as verbal and written communication skills.
  • Must be able to work independently as well as part of a team.
  • Must have strong research skills, be able to navigate professional standards and practices, and understand how to write and implement legal and ethical policies and procedures.
  • Command of Microsoft Office Suite programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneDrive, etc.), collection management software (CatalogIt, Mukurtu, etc.), project management software (Asana)