Association of Academic Museums and Galleries

Art Museum Head Registrar

Weisman Art Museum

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

The head registrar is the chief administrator in the areas of registration and art-related operations and has overall responsibility for the smooth and efficient functioning of art services. The head registrar is responsible for short- and long-range planning related to art security, exhibitions, fine arts insurance, budgeting, and the record-keeping required therein. Head registrar supervises registrar for collections,

senior preparator/museum designer and assistant to the registrars.

PRIMARY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:

• Establishes and implements policies and procedures that are in keeping with acceptable museum standards and ethics for the registration, record-keeping (both paper and electronic), documentation, packing, handling, storage, care, condition, display, and security of objects on loan to and in collections of the museum.
• Performs all duties related to the above procedures, with emphasis on exhibitions and department planning.
• Oversees the Weisman’s electronic collections management database system.  Works with University IT and with the software vendor to maximize its effective use.
• Acts as a liaison between University officials and museum director and curator to facilitate loans for high-profile areas around the campus.
• Establishes work flow and responsibilities of department staff.
• Participates in budget preparation and oversees the department budget.
• Along with the registrar for collections, oversees packing and arrangements for shipping works of art.
• Responsible for ensuring compliance with laws and regulations pertaining to collections and collecting activities.
• With other registration staff, solicits, educates, trains, and supervises interns and students in museum registration methods.
• The head registrar collaborates with the registration and exhibition staff, the curators, and the art preparators to share information and supervise/schedule/coordinate the production of such projects as art exhibitions, gallery installations/deinstallations, traveling programs, and loans to and from the museum.
• Works with director of security and building operations to maintain, evaluate and update disaster preparedness plan and sets long-range collections preservation policies and procedures.
• Acts as courier to accompany designated works of art from the collection to borrowing institutions. Performs all aspects of courierships in keeping with practices endorsed by the Registrars Committee of the American Association of Museums.

Qualifications: Master’s degree in art history or related field preferred, ideally with focus or concentration in collections management; Bachelor’s degree with minimum of 8 years experience and demonstration of a thorough grasp of registration practices and principles.

Knowledge of current and accepted museum registration techniques and practices.  Experience in working with museum collections databases and familiarity with producing reports

Strong organizational, interpersonal, written and computer skills; ability to meet deadlines; prior supervisory experience.

TO APPLY:  Submit applications on line through the University of Minnesota Human Resources web page. http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/employment/

Job Requisition number: 302390