What are the responsibilities and job description for the Walton Family Endowment Fellowship in Library Archives and Objects Conservation position at Cleveland Museum of Art Job Openings?
Walton Family Endowment Fellowship in Library Archives and Objects Conservation
The Ingalls Library & Museum Archives and the CMA Objects Conservation department seek a candidate to participate in archiving and organizational projects in both areas. The candidate will spend approximately 50% of their time working to arrange and describe the personal papers of Japanese American photographer Masumi Hayashi, focusing on her artistic process and the preservation of photographs used in the creation of her finished works. The remaining 50% of their time will be focused in the Objects Conservation department, assisting conservators with organizing and uploading digital and physical photographic documentation regarding conservation treatment projects. The candidate will have the opportunity to engage with preservation professionals in both departments and to gain skills in archival collection management and preservation; and the candidate will spend time in the conservation lab learning how conservators’ study and care for artworks in the collection and how they document object condition changes. The candidate will learn how conservators use material stored in the museum’s archives to better understand the history of an object’s use and display, and therefore current condition.
The fully described Masumi Hayashi collection will be made available through the library’s website. Publication of the collection will be promoted through library social media channels, press releases and a member’s magazine article. A gallery talk on the artist or presentation to the Friends of Photography affiliate group may also be possible. In the Conservation department, the intern will write brief descriptions of select conservation treatments for the museum’s website, with the assistance of the conservators and conservation graduate interns and will upload and caption related digital images that will become part of the object’s public-facing record. Conservation website content is part of CMA’s strategic plan and will help meet yearly goals.
Under the guidance of seasoned professionals, the candidate will gain experience in the proper care and handling of archival collections and works on paper, the standards of best practice for archival arrangement and description, digitization of primary sources, metadata management, and considerations for working with artist papers. The internship also offers essential tools and insights to any person whose career plans include in-depth art historical research.
In Conservation, the candidate will have the opportunity to learn conservation terminology and methodology, gain experience in working with museum databases and Piction, practice writing about conservation for public audiences, and explore past conservation treatment documentation with the conservators. The candidate will also spend time with conservators in the lab as they research and treat 3D collection objects.
Eligibility Requirements
- Be a student in an Ohio college or university, graduate of the same, or a student who graduated from a high school in Ohio.
- The ideal candidate will be a graduate student in library science with a concentration in archival management, art history, or museum studies. A rising senior with a major in art history or history will also be considered.
Required Application Materials
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Academic references
- One paragraph describing their interest and what they hope to gain from this internship.
Application deadline: March 7th, 2025
The pay rate for this internship is $18/hour. The internship is 30 hours/week for 9 weeks.
The tentative start date for this internship is June 2nd, 2025.
Salary : $18
