Position Summary Under general supervision of the Registrar of Collections, the Assistant Registrar of Collections (part of a collections-focused Registration team), is responsible for the recordkeeping and safe handling and care of the Museum’s permanent collection, as well as supporting all registration functions related to outgoing loans. The Assistant Registrar of Collections will provide data management support for the Museum’s collections management database, The Museum System (TMS); online collection, eMuseum; and digital asset management system (DAMS) and will coordinate photography of the collection and implement the Museum’s rights & reproductions policy.
Position’s Principal Responsibilities
• Receive and process all requests for domestic and international loans including reviewing facility reports, providing recommendations to the Art Committee, preparing loan agreements and condition reports, and updating TMS. • Work, in consultation with the Registrar of Collections, to provide the proper care and preservation of collection objects, including condition reporting, organizing packing/crating and transportation, and coordinating courier arrangements as needed. • Manage and maintain TMS on a daily basis, including troubleshooting and coordinating upgrades. Provide initial and ongoing TMS training and support for wide-ranging museum staff. • Perform data entry for collection objects. Audit TMS regularly for record completeness and accuracy. Maintain TMS Cataloging Manual for use by Art Management and ensure proper and consistent data entry by other staff. • Work with IT to administer the museum’s online collection. Collaborate with cross departmental colleagues to publish new eMuseum collections that support the museum’s mission. • Prepare reports on collections information and statistics as requested and on a regular basis for Executive Leadership and Board of Trustees. • Track photography needs for the permanent collection and coordinate photo shoots. Process new images and upload to TMS and the DAMS. Coordinate access to images by other staff. • Secure non-exclusive copyright licenses for artworks in the permanent collection. Track copyright status, permissions and crediting requirements in TMS and the DAMS. • Field internal and external reproduction requests and coordinate image licensing agreements with external parties, such as museums, publishers, and scholars. Communicate license terms to stakeholders and proofread materials to ensure terms are met.
Additional Responsibilities • Manage the permanent collection object files. Work with Curatorial to update and expand object information in files and TMS. • Assist with inventories of the permanent collection. • Act as courier, as assigned, to accompany exhibitions and loans worldwide. • May serve as a supervisor to other staff, interns, and volunteers. • Keep apprised of current registration standards, basic conservation guidelines for the care and handling of artworks, and field developments using collections data. • Complete special projects as assigned and provide general support to the collectionsfocused registration team, as well as the department at large. • Complete all other duties as assigned within the scope of responsibility and skill required for the job.
Minimum Qualifications
Education, Training, and Traits
• Bachelor's degree required, with course work in art, art history, museum studies or related field • Knowledge of American Art, and a familiarity with artists’ materials preferred • Knowledge of current information management standards, including filing and record keeping • Familiarity with museum object cataloguing standards • Proficiency with Microsoft 365 suite • Strong interpersonal, organizational, writing, proofreading and analytical skills, with meticulous attention to detail and the ability to multi-task • Flexible and adaptable • Strategic thinker who enjoys problem-solving • Ability to exercise discretion and independent judgment • Ability to understand and maintain the highest levels of confidentiality Work Experience • Minimum two (2) years of experience in museum registration (with a focus in collections and records management preferred) • Proficiency with using a relational collections database required, The Museum System (TMS) and Crystal Reports experience preferred • Work experience with a digital asset management system (DAMS) preferred.
Licenses and Certifications
• Valid driver’s license with clean driving record required • Ability to obtain valid passport
Physical Demands and Work Environment:
The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Sitting or leaning while on post will not be permitted. Physical demands: Position requires verbal and written conversation with others, sitting, standing, walking, bending, reaching and climbing. Position requires utilizing a computer for prolonged periods of time and good eye/hand coordination. Vision abilities required by the job include close vision and color perception. Position requires use of hands to safely handle and move collection objects according to current museum standards. Position periodically requires standing for prolonged periods of time. Position requires occasional lifting of up to 20 pounds to a height of five feet for the purpose of accessing or storing library or art-related collections objects. ▪ Work Environment: Work will be performed in an office environment and museum spaces. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate. Strong communication skills and ability to interact politely and effectively with a wide range of staff, database support providers, and external parties seeking information about the collection or digital assets will be required. An employee in this position must be able to effectively utilize museum communications systems. Ability to travel periodically as a courier to accompany exhibitions and loans worldwide required. Occasional weekend, evening and night work hours also required.
About Crystal Bridges
The mission of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is to welcome all to celebrate the American spirit in a setting that unites the power of art with the beauty of nature. We explore the unfolding story of America by actively collecting, exhibiting, interpreting, and preserving outstanding American art. Crystal Bridges was founded in 2005 as a non-profit charitable organization by arts patron and chair of the museum’s board of directors, Alice Walton. Since opening to the public on 11-11-11, the museum has welcomed more than 5 million visitors and garnered 15,000 membership households. Some 280,000 school children have participated in the Willard and Pat Walker School Visit program, which provides educational experiences for school groups at no cost. Crystal Bridges takes its name from a nearby natural spring and the bridge construction incorporated in the building, designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie. A series of pavilions nestled around two spring-fed ponds house the galleries and amenities such as a restaurant, museum store designed by architect Marlon Blackwell, and a library featuring more than 50,000 volumes of art reference material. In addition to the museum’s architecture, a Usonian house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright was preserved, acquired, and moved to the museum grounds in 2015, and a rare Buckminster Fuller’s Fly’s Eye Dome was installed in 2017, both providing access to American architectural masterworks in a natural setting. Sculpture and walking trails link the museum's 120-acre park to downtown Bentonville, Arkansas. A new entrance, elevator tower, and pedestrian bridge was added to the north side of the building in 2017, increasing access to the museum’s north lawn and newly enhanced North Forest Trail. More than 600,000 visitors a year utilize the museum’s five miles of walking trails. Crystal Bridges’ permanent collection spans five centuries of American artworks from early American to the present and is always free to view. Crystal Bridges is committed to telling broad and inclusive stories by acquiring and showcasing the highest quality works by artists underrepresented in art history and conventional museum frameworks. Works such as Asher B. Durand’s Kindred Spirits, Gilbert Stuart’s George Washington, and Georgia O’Keeffe’s Jimson Weed are displayed alongside contemporary artists such as Kerry James Marshall, Maya Lin, Fritz Scholder, Jaune Quick-To-See-Smith, Felix Gonzales-Torres, and Amy Sherald represent some of the finest achievements in American art. The collection continues to grow, while the museum also offers temporary exhibitions that complement the collection and can also reveal art’s connections to equality and justice. Crystal Bridges provides year-round programming for all ages. In 2019, more than 800 public programs and events were offered, including lectures, performances, classes, and continuing education for K-12 teachers. Crystal Bridges stays connected online with the full collection available via eMuseum, an award-winning app, a podcast called Museum Way, all available for free, and many of the museum’s lectures such as the Distinguished Speaker Series are on Crystal Bridges’ YouTube channel. An online-learning initiative provides opportunities for students and teachers with arts-based courses, as well as SmartHistory with arts history videos and essays. Crystal Bridges also offers two research fellowship programs. The Tyson Scholars in American Art program encourages and supports full-time scholarship that seeks to expand boundaries and traditional categories of investigation into American art and visual culture. The Reese Teacher Fellowship provides for research into the development of interdisciplinary connections between American art and core curriculum subjects of language arts, history, social studies, and the sciences. In addition, Crystal Bridges administers the awarding of the Don Tyson Prize, an unprecedented award recognizing significant achievements in the field of American art. Additional information about Crystal Bridges is available online at CrystalBridges.org.
About the Momentary
The Momentary is a new contemporary art space that opened to the public on February 22, 2020, in downtown Bentonville, Arkansas. A satellite to Crystal Bridges, the Momentary presents visual, performing, and culinary arts. The mission of the Momentary is to champion contemporary art’s role in everyday life and explore the unfolding story of contemporary American arts in an international context by actively commissioning and exhibiting outstanding works that explore new ideas and inspire action. The Momentary was founded by the Walton family, based on the vision of Tom, Olivia, and Steuart Walton. The Walton Family Foundation is supporting this project as a way to enhance the quality of life in Northwest Arkansas. The Momentary welcomes all with free general admission. Additional offerings include an artist-in-residence program, culinary experiences including an Onyx Coffee Lab, indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, an outdoor festival space, and a gift store. For more information, visit theMomentary.org. The Momentary is located at 507 SE E Street, Bentonville, Arkansas 72712.
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