Collection Assistant
- Program stream:
- Young Canada Works in Heritage Organizations
- Job title:
- Collection Assistant
- Organization name:
- McIntosh Gallery
- Job location:
- London , Ontario
- Length of assignment:
- 2022-05-16 to 2022-08-05 (12 weeks)
- Hourly wage:
- $18.00
This is an in-person position and responsibilities cannot be fulfilled remotely. Applicants must be willing to adhere to all mandated health protocols.
Under the direction of the Collections Manager and the Registrar, the Collection Assistant will assist in performing an inventory of the collection, comprised of over 800 works held in the Gallery’s Artshare program and over 3000 works held in storage. As part of this inventory, the Collection Assistant will identify incomplete fields in the database and conduct research to find the missing information. This may involve gathering, analyzing, verifying and organizing information from a variety of sources including accession records, donor files, published monographs, art historical references, artist files held by the McIntosh, commercial galleries and public institutions, conversations with artists and public gallery colleagues, and websites. The successful applicant will enter the newly researched information into the appropriate fields utilizing the strict protocols established for data entry.
The Collection Assistant will be responsible for organizing the registered items in the McIntosh Curatorial Study Centre, as well as photographing and cataloguing new items.
The Collection Assistant may also be required to assist with the physical installation of artworks in gallery exhibitions and across campus as part of the Artshare program.
The employment period is 12 weeks, from May 16th to August 5th, 2022, at a salary of $18.00 per hour plus applicable benefits.
The ideal candidate will be a university student with some art history experience, and with an interest in museum work and collections management. The candidate will have excellent written and oral communication skills, excellent research and organizational skills with attention to detail, above average computer experience and skills in Microsoft Office. The candidate must be self-motivated, and have the ability to work independently, take initiative, and work collaboratively with administrative staff, students, volunteers, and members of the public. Familiarity with PastPerfect Museum Software for collection management will be considered an asset.
This position is funded by Young Canada Works in Heritage Institutions. Candidates must be between 18 and 30 years, Canadian citizens, or Permanent Residents entitled to work legally in Canada. Candidates must be high school, college, or university students who have been a full-time student from January – April 2022 and will be returning to full-time studies in September 2022.
Western University is committed to Employment Equity, welcomes diversity in the workplace and encourages applications from all qualified individuals including women, members of visible minorities, aboriginal persons, and persons with disabilities.
Deadline to apply: April 25, 2022
Applications must be made through the Young Canada Works portal, sent to the attention of:
Dr. Helen Gregory, Curator
McIntosh Gallery,
Western University
London ON N6A 3K7
General Information:
As a public gallery on the campus of Western University, one of McIntosh Gallery’s responsibilities in the public trust is to collect, maintain and preserve a Permanent Collection of art objects pertaining to the visual heritage of London. Currently, the Collection numbers over 4,000 works and has its strengths in contemporary and historical Canadian art. A rich resource for the promotion and appreciation of local, regional and national artists, it is featured regularly in curated exhibitions and to demonstrate the depth of cultural and visual heritage in this city. McIntosh Gallery also holds collections of archival materials related to local artists, including Greg Curnoe and Gillian Saward, as well as historical photographs and ephemera documenting the history of the London art scene.
Characteristics of City/Region:
London is part of the densely populated region of Southwestern Ontario. Over 5 million reside within a 200-mile radius. London is also midway between Detroit and Toronto on a direct well-used corridor. McIntosh Gallery audiences include: the University community of 32,000 students, faculty and staff; the broader London area community of 400,000; a general audience which is increasingly exposed to images of the contemporary art world and seeks access, analysis and understanding; the more specialized community of artists, elementary and secondary school teachers, art and museum professionals, critics, writers and collectors who also support and contribute to the dialogue. Audiences are developed through programs that draw upon the unique resources at Western and are shared in outreach and collaborative projects.
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