Position at Freer Gallery

The Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the
national museum of Asian art, Smithsonian Institution, seeks an
individual to serve as the Supervisory Oriental Art Restoration
Specialist in the East Asian Painting Conservation Studio,
Department of Conservation and Scientific Research (DCSR), and as
the Project Coordinator for the Hirayama apprentice and exchange
program.  The duties of the position are as follows:  Oversees the
daily operations of the studio, which conserves and repairs
Japanese, Chinese, and Korean paintings and works on paper from the
10th to the 20th centuries in the Freer and Sackler collections
using traditional techniques and modern methods to treat and
preserve works of art and prepare them for exhibition.  The
incumbent is considered an expert in the field of East Asian
painting conservation and applies a high level of skill and
knowledge of principles and techniques of East Asian painting
conservation to examine works of art to determine their present
condition, develop treatment plans, and undertake conservation
treatments which may include inpainting, paper repairing; preparing
pastes and glues, using specialized tools and materials to mount or
remount works of art as scrolls, screens or panels, removing and
applying backings, compensating for damage or loss of material,
preparing pigments, and dying silk using natural dyes.  The
incumbent is also directly involved in developing and implementing
the DCSR painting conservation apprentice and exchange program
through which apprentices receive formal instruction and on-the-job
training in traditional Japanese painting conservation and mounting
methods and the judgmental and practical aspects of conservation
work in the field of East Asian painting conservation.  May
collaborate with other staff of DCSR to resolve conservation
problems, conduct research, and develop new conservation methods.
Maintains contact with specialists in the field and serves as an
expert advisor to other institutions, museums, and individuals on
the methods and techniques of East Asian painting conservation.
Supervises a staff of conservation specialists; establishes
performance standards; explains work requirements; monitors work;
and evaluates work performance.  To keep current on developments in
the field, the incumbent may attend meetings, workshops, and
conferences and visit studio workshops and laboratories in the
United States and abroad.  Uses a computer to organize and maintain
data used for research, scholarly publications, and museum
exhibitions and to prepare reports and other written materials.

Qualified candidates must have one year of specialized experience
equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.  Specialized
experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular
knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties
of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the
position to be filled.

Selective Factors: (Applicants must meet all of these mandatory
requirements in order to be considered qualified to compete for this
position.)

    1.  Knowledge of the principles and practices of East Asian
        painting conservation.

    2.  Knowledge of the tools, materials and techniques used to
        treat and preserve East Asian paintings.

    3.  Ability to direct the work of a staff of East Asian painting
        conservation specialists.

    4.  Ability to use a computer and software programs for word
        processing and data base management.

Quality Ranking Factors:   (These factors are not mandatory to be
considered for this position, but will be used along with the
selective factors to determine who are the highest qualified
candidates among those who meet the selective factors.)

    1.  Ability to plan and oversee all aspects of an apprentice and
        exchange program linked to East Asian  painting
        conservation.

    2.  Knowledge of Asian art history.

    3.  Ability to speak, read, and write the Japanese language.

Salary range: $58,027 - $75,433 per year. This is not a Federal
Civil Service position; it is a renewable term position
not-to-exceed 3 years.

Applications must be submitted to the address below and must be
received by the closing date of August  13, 1999. Send your
application to:

    Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
    Smithsonian Institution
    P.O. Box 23768
    Washington, DC 20026-3768

To obtain information on the Trust hiring process, to hear about
other Smithsonian vacancies, or to request vacancy announcements, an
Optional Application for Federal Employment (OF-612), or a SF-171
(may be used for Trust Fund positions), call the Smithsonian
automated Jobline at (202) 287-3102 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)
or 202-287-3498 (TTY).  Call 202-357-4880, ext. 444, to leave a
voice message with the Freer and Sackler galleries.

                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 13:9
                  Distributed: Thursday, July 22, 1999
                        Message Id: cdl-13-9-031
                                  ***