Position at Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Conservator (Sculpture/Variable Media)
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Permanent, Full-Time
Trust level 9/11

Application Deadline: September 1, 2014

The Collection Care and Management Department within Hirshhorn
Museum and Sculpture Garden is in search of a full-time permanent
Variable Media Conservator.  The Collection Care and Management
Department is responsible for the care, preservation, and management
of the Museum's collection of modern and contemporary art and for
artwork on loan to the Museum. The conservator would report to the
Director of Collection Care and Management/Chief Conservator.

Major Duties: The conservator will be responsible for the
examination, technical analysis, treatment, and long-term
preservation of permanent collection and loaned works of art,
including three dimensional sculpture, installation art, and
variable media such as film, video, audio, computer, or other
time-based artworks.  The incumbent will also manage the Museum's
Artist Interview Program.

The successful candidate will participate in Museum project teams
responsible for the long-term preservation and exhibition of
contemporary artworks in the permanent collection of the Museum. The
conservator will use the information gathered through examination of
objects, technical analysis of materials, art historical research,
and artist interviews to perform treatments on art works and will
devise safe and appropriate treatment and long-term preservation
methods and strategies that take into account the condition,
structure, materials; and, in the case of time-based art, the
behavior of that medium.

Responsibilities also include managing the Museum's Artist Interview
Program to address many of the challenges of preserving modern and
contemporary art, including documenting artists' attitudes toward
the aging of their works, future obsolescence of components, and the
physical characteristics that affect the meaning of their works.

The conservator will be encouraged to disseminate research through
published articles and at professional meetings and conferences.
The conservator may train and supervise interns and fellows and will
occasionally serve as a courier for works of art in transit.

Minimum qualifications: Master's Degree in conservation from an
accredited institution is highly desired.  Previous experience in
treating contemporary art and media artworks and knowledge of their
preservation challenges is required.

Additional recommended experience

    Experience in conducting artist interviews and applying the
    information retrieved to the preservation of artwork.

    Experience in using instrumental analytical techniques necessary
    to identify materials and construction and to assess their
    condition and mechanisms of degradation and change.

    Experience with digital asset management systems (DAMS) as a
    tool to manage workflow and archive conservation reports and
    images.

Variable media artworks include video, audio, software-based,
electronic, installation, performance and other types of artworks
that have unique preservation needs.

Please send CV and letter of interest via email by September 1, 2014
to:

    Gwynne Ryan
    Sculpture Conservator
    ryangw<-a t->si< . >edu

For questions or additional information: 202-633-2728


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 28:12
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