Curatorial Assistant

Company Name: 

MoPOP

Address: 

120 6th Ave N
Suite 100
Seattle, WA 98109

Contact Name: 

Lisa McKay

Phone: 

2062623528

Email: 

lisam@mopop.org

Job Description: 

Why MoPOP?

We’re really glad you’re thinking about joining the team at MoPOP! We believe pop culture is a universal language capable of building connections across a range of people, no matter our differences in race, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, ability, education, socio-economic status, ethnicity, country of origin, or any other characteristic that makes us who we are. For more than twenty years, we have been showcasing how music, film, fashion, video games, sports, and more spark those connections and create a lasting cultural impact.

 

MoPOP provides both a physical space and an emotional and intellectual opportunity for people from any background to explore, find and build community, and recognize their own creative potential. This applies not only to our guests, but also to our staff — be it in designing an educational program to engage the next generation of creators, trying to reach a new audience with a marketing initiative, preserving an artifact in our collection, or providing excellent customer service to a visitor. If this sounds like something you’d be into, we’d love to hear from you!

 

MoPOP’s Mission and Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility 

Our mission is to make creative expression a life-changing force by offering experiences that inspire and connect our communities. A nonprofit grounded in five core values — open arms, creative exchanges, light bulb moments, pursuing excellence, and excitement — MoPOP is actively committed to ongoing learning in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). In partnership with our community, we hope to also develop safe spaces for their application. This includes taking steps to continue increasing our awareness of institutional “-isms,” as well as uncovering and undoing the ways they show up in museum culture. We recognize this is a process that requires intentionality, energy, and resources, and we are developing a DEIA framework that can cultivate a work environment and museum experience that is truly welcoming for all.

 

We are committed to creating an inclusive and equitable workplace, and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We believe that having staff, interns, and volunteers with diverse backgrounds enables us to better meet our mission and encourage BIPOC, women, and LGBTQIA+ individuals to apply. We acknowledge that our work to build safe spaces and better systems for traditionally marginalized groups is ongoing and will require constant vigilance and expect all MoPOP employees to be part of our DEIA journey.

 

Position Summary:

MoPOP seeks an enthusiastic Curatorial Assistant to join the museum's curatorial team. The Curatorial Assistant is a role that is responsible for supporting the Curatorial Department. The employee works on curatorial research and exhibition and content development in tandem or independently from other MoPOP Curatorial team members. They assist with project management and departmental coordination, as well as field outside requests around exhibitions and the permanent collection. 

 

Essential Job Duties (additional duties as assigned): 

  • Assist with all aspects of research, planning, organization, and realization of exhibitions and permanent collection installations and serve as administrative support in meetings as requested.
  • Assists with the maintenance of accurate exhibition checklists, image files, lenders, and other exhibition details.
  • Research, write, edit, proofread, and assist in the production of print and multimedia interpretive materials, including images files, wall texts, extended object labels, and website and app content.
  • Coordinate meetings, travel, and appointments for Curatorial Department and logistical needs for artist/curator visits, including arranging travel, lodging, meals, and any event-related logistics.
  • Assist in acquisitions of artworks, including artist and object research on new proposals, writing of object justifications for board books, preparation of PowerPoint presentations, and communication with dealers, galleries, collectors, and artists, as necessary.
  • Work with Curatorial Department to steward relationships with members, donors, patrons, artists, and general museum audiences.
  • Answer inquiries, conduct gallery tours, and participate in public programs.
  • Assist with gathering and writing exhibition-related information pertinent to grant applications and other institutional needs.
  • Work collaboratively on curatorial and museum-wide initiatives, including serving on interdepartmental workgroups.
  • Research, develop, and assist in the oversight of media content within the museum.
  • Support Curatorial Department in managing effective communications and in the preparation of reports, presentations, articles, lectures, and publications.
  • Support our internal culture which inspires and empowers our staff to live our mission to its highest standards.
  • Contribute to a consistent customer service standard across all departments.
  • Work to ensure customer service is ingrained at the core of the team and is reflected outward to our guests and other staff.
  • Commitment to participating in anti-racism work, learning about the ways institutional racism impacts the workplace, and supporting teammates in operationalizing DEIA strategies in the department.

 

Preferred/Desired Qualifications:

  • At least one (1) year of museum experience with success providing administrative support to leaders and long-term, cross-departmental projects.
  • Demonstrated success in writing clearly, succinctly, and creatively with a strong interest in popular culture and preserving its history.
  • Foundational knowledge of professional museum standards in curatorial procedures.
  • Proven ability to research, distill information, and build upon an already broad base of knowledge using internet, professional journals and publications, and other sources.  Excellent computer skills and experience with a museum collections database (The Museum System) preferred.
  • Demonstrated attention to detail, with strong organizational skills to manage a continuous workflow with several competing priorities which shift day-to-day.
  • Flexibility to handle multiple requests simultaneously and a strong ability to analyze and resolve problems.
  • Ability to work independently as well as in collaboration with multiple team members in the department and across the organization possessing excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Sound judgment and problem-solving skills; ability to understand when to escalate questions and issues to appropriate parties.
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and demonstrated customer service orientation.

 

Benefits

This regular full-time position includes Medical/Vision insurance, Dental insurance, Life/AD&D/LTD insurance, 3.08 hours of accrued Vacation per bi-weekly pay period, Seattle Sick/Safe, 2-7 Floating Holidays dependent on hire date, 8 Company Holidays paid throughout the year, EAP, 401k plan with vested match schedule once eligible, and subsidized transportation benefits for Orca Pass or parking.

Please email jobs@mopop.org if you need reasonable accommodations during the application or hiring process.