Museum Registrar

Position Summary:

The Registrar is part of the Vanderbilt University Museum of Art (VUMA) and is the key individual contributor responsible for overseeing all aspects of the care, safety, handling, and documentation of the museum’s art collection. The position develops and implements collections management standards, policies, and procedures. The Registrar also helps educate museum staff, students, and other interested parties in best practices and contributes to a lively exh­ibition and public engagement program. Reporting to the Director, the position interacts with both internal and external stakeholders.

About VUMA:

With 20,000 objects, the Vanderbilt University Museum of Art houses the largest art museum collection in the state of Tennessee, and is the only encyclopedic collecting institution in Nashville. VUMA’s collection strengths are U.S. and European works on paper, especially from 1500 to the present; East Asian art; twentieth-century photography; and modern and contemporary art, broadly defined. The museum presents exhibitions of all types of art from antiquity to the contemporary. Its mission is to be a “globally minded laboratory where the spirit of curiosity meets visual expression to engage with the most critical human issues, build empathy, and inspire wonder across Vanderbilt University and throughout middle Tennessee.” 

Key Functions and Expected Performance:

• Creates and maintains records encompassing the museum’s art collection and exhibitions in a collection database and physical form.
  • Acts as onsite database administrator for the museum’s collections management system, Zetcom/eMuseum. Generates reports as needed.
  • Oversees cataloging and lexicon standards for the collection in conjunction with other museum staff and in accordance with best practices
  • Collaborates with curatorial and education staff to ensure accuracy of all electronic- and print-based collection-related information and conformity to museum standards of quality and consistency
  • Responsible for the maintenance and care of the museum archives, including the care of existing accession, exhibition, and loan files; creates new accession, exhibition, and loan files
  • Organizes and maintains the museum’s digital files on the organizational shared drives.

• Manages public online access to collection database (eMuseum+)

• Manages logistical issues surrounding local, domestic, and international incoming and outgoing loans, including soliciting bids and contracting shippers, tracking shipments and expenses, developing loan contracts, and generating condition reports.

• Manages conservation projects, including correspondence with conservators, maintenance of records, and loan paperwork and transit.

• Maintains regular communications with Vanderbilt office of risk management for collections and loan insurance‐related purposes.

• Photographs works of art in in-house photo studio and oversees the digital image library and photography needs for collections and exhibitions.

• Manages the museum’s photographic services, including rights and reproductions.

• Oversees physical facilities requirements including environmental control and monitoring, pest management, security, and risk management; reviews facility reports of potential borrowers and generates facility reports, climate control reports, and other reports as required for incoming loans of artwork.

• Creates, establishes, and implements procedures for periodic inventories and routine condition reporting.

• Generates and oversees short- and long-term collection storage plans, coordinating with staff and external vendors as needed for moving services and supply procurement.

• Develops and enforces care and safety protocols for the permanent collection, including handling, storage, and general art movement.

• Oversees proper housing of works of art and manages for collections care.
  
  
   
• Provides support in the development of collection management policies and ensures compliance with copyright laws, IRS regulations, and AAM guidelines and best practices.

• Manages the logistics and accessioning and cataloging of new acquisitions and creating annual reports on acquisitions.
  • Supports multiple aspects of the deaccession process including the creation of deaccession proposal documents and disposal/transfer documents, the physical packing and shipping of the objects to their disposal location (transfer, auction, destruction, etc.), and record updates for deaccessioned objects both in the museum’s database and the museum archive.

• Functions as part of a collaborative and collegial museum team and contributes to exhibition and public programming planning, including establishing budgets.

• Participates in exhibition production including handling, installation and de‐installation, moving, storing, and packing and unpacking of artwork. Supervises art handlers during installation and deinstallation.

• Oversees budget and project funding for collections care, conservation, and related activities.

• Couriers works of art, as needed, and manages courier arrangements for incoming loans. 

  • Manages art shipments including the tracking of objects, confirming that crates are properly staged. Manages the schedules and accommodations for visiting couriers, creating courier packages, and requesting honoaria. Acts as the point of contact for couriers while they are in the museum.

     

• Stays up to date on best practices in the field.

• Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Relationships:

This position has supervisory responsibility over student staff and interns; the position reports administratively and functionally to the Director.

Education:

• A Bachelor of Fine Arts or Bachelor of Arts with a focus on art history, museum studies, art, or library science from an accredited institution of higher education is necessary.

• A Master’s degree in art history, museum studies, Master of Library Science with graduate level coursework in art history, or similar from an accredited institution of higher education is preferred.

• 3-5 years of experience is necessary; experience with a major collections move is preferred.

Experience and Skills:

• Knowledge of collections management and museum registration best practices is necessary.

• Knowledge of museum standards for the care, preservation, and display of works of art and historical objects is necessary.

• Proficiency in both PC and Mac platforms and strong computer skills including experience with Microsoft Office, Photoshop, and collections management software is necessary.

• Knowledge of and experience working with digital image file formats, file format conversion and related software, and image-editing applications is necessary.

• Demonstrated interpersonal and written communication skills, as well as the ability to work effectively with diverse constituents including donors, collectors, faculty, students, researchers, community members, and staff.

• Availability to work a flexible schedule that includes evenings and weekends is necessary.

• Ability to lift, move, and pack items up to 50 lbs. and climb a ladder is necessary.

• Experience creating metadata records and performing authority control is preferred.

• Knowledge of best practices and experience with handling a variety of art objects and materials is preferred.

• Experience creating faithful digital images of artwork is preferred.

• Experience managing digital preservation projects is preferred.

Must possess a valid driver’s license or be willing to get a valid driver’s license.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Frequent standing, walking, and bending; fine motor skills for handling delicate objects and documentation; lifting and moving collection objects up to 50 lbs.; extensive computer use for records management and loan coordination.

The work environment is consistent with general office conditions, with moderate noise followed by long spans of installation in the museum, with exposure to vibrations, noise, electrical connections and outdoor weather conditions. Long periods of standing, exposure to chemicals associated with the conservation and production of works of art.