Job Description
The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM), a leading art and culture museum in the United States, is seeking a Curatorial Research Assistant for American Decorative Art. Founded in 1799, PEM is dedicated to transforming people’s lives by creating museum experiences that celebrate the power of art and culture to inform and change our understanding of our place in the world. By presenting art and culture in new ways, by linking past and present, and by embracing artistic and cultural achievements worldwide, the museum offers unique opportunities to explore multilayered and interconnected arenas of creative expression.
This part-time 18-hour per week, 17.5 month-long position will research and document PEM collections for the upcoming American Decorative Art gallery, in close collaboration with Robert N. Shapiro Curator of American Decorative Art R. Ruthie Dibble, PhD. American Decorative Art at PEM is perhaps best known for its furniture collection, but it also encompasses a diverse array of ceramics, glass, textiles, metalwork, toys, secular relics, and tools–largely owned and/or used in Essex County–ranging from the 17th century to the present, many of which remain under-catalogued and studied. As part of this collections research, the Fellow will study and document several Latin American decorative art objects. With knowledge gained by cataloging and compiling research on selected objects from across PEM’s diverse collection of American decorative arts, the Fellow will also play a crucial role in building the checklist, developing interpretive strategies, and liaising with an advisory group for the upcoming American Decorative Art Gallery. The position also interfaces across many PEM departments, especially Collections Management and Exhibition Planning regarding the implementation of the ADA gallery project.
The ideal candidate will have a master’s degree in art history, material culture studies, American studies, or a related field and at least one year of experience in a museum or visual arts organization. This role prefers written and spoken Spanish language skills, familiarity with standard museum practices, art historical research methods, object cataloguing, and collections management databases. Knowledge of American Decorative art and/or material culture objects or willingness to learn is preferred. Will be expected to handle art objects. Experience with museum collections databases and object cataloguing is preferred. PEM uses M+ as its collections digital management system. Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access. A combination of related training, education, and/or experience will be accepted. This is a temporary grant-funded role and the hiring range is $21.63 to $24.07 per hour commensurate with experience.
The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM), a leading art and culture museum in the United States, is seeking a Curatorial Research Assistant for American Decorative Art. Founded in 1799, PEM is dedicated to transforming people’s lives by creating museum experiences that celebrate the power of art and culture to inform and change our understanding of our place in the world. By presenting art and culture in new ways, by linking past and present, and by embracing artistic and cultural achievements worldwide, the museum offers unique opportunities to explore multilayered and interconnected arenas of creative expression.
This part-time 18-hour per week, 17.5 month-long position will research and document PEM collections for the upcoming American Decorative Art gallery, in close collaboration with Robert N. Shapiro Curator of American Decorative Art R. Ruthie Dibble, PhD. American Decorative Art at PEM is perhaps best known for its furniture collection, but it also encompasses a diverse array of ceramics, glass, textiles, metalwork, toys, secular relics, and tools–largely owned and/or used in Essex County–ranging from the 17th century to the present, many of which remain under-catalogued and studied. As part of this collections research, the Fellow will study and document several Latin American decorative art objects. With knowledge gained by cataloging and compiling research on selected objects from across PEM’s diverse collection of American decorative arts, the Fellow will also play a crucial role in building the checklist, developing interpretive strategies, and liaising with an advisory group for the upcoming American Decorative Art Gallery. The position also interfaces across many PEM departments, especially Collections Management and Exhibition Planning regarding the implementation of the ADA gallery project.
The ideal candidate will have a master’s degree in art history, material culture studies, American studies, or a related field and at least one year of experience in a museum or visual arts organization. This role prefers written and spoken Spanish language skills, familiarity with standard museum practices, art historical research methods, object cataloguing, and collections management databases. Knowledge of American Decorative art and/or material culture objects or willingness to learn is preferred. Will be expected to handle art objects. Experience with museum collections databases and object cataloguing is preferred. PEM uses M+ as its collections digital management system. Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access. A combination of related training, education, and/or experience will be accepted. This is a temporary grant-funded role and the hiring range is $21.63 to $24.07 per hour commensurate with experience.
About Peabody Essex Museum
PEM boldly honors creativity as a nourishing force in people’s lives.
We offer thought-provoking experiences of the arts, humanities and sciences to activate understanding of our shared humanity and to empower imagination and learning through experimentation. We steward, build and make our collections accessible to encourage appreciation of the interconnected histories and creativity of people in our complex, always changing world.
As a museum that celebrates creativity to advance our shared humanity, we aspire to be an inclusive, equitable cultural organization that motivates, connects, and empowers people through inquiry, empathy, and dialogue. We strive to create and sustain a sense of belonging and to nurture our ability to build bridges.
We acknowledge that the role of global trade in PEM’s predecessor organizations warrants careful consideration. We commit to being aware and appreciative of differences in order to prevent overlooking, hurting, or excluding anyone. We will continue to work purposefully to remove barriers, whether physical, emotional, or social, so that PEM offers everyone welcoming spaces and experiences where they feel seen, heard, and treated with dignity and respect.
Everyone at PEM has a role to play in bringing this commitment to life. We will use this commitment statement as a guide in our ongoing work, which includes sharing the accomplishments, setbacks, and challenges of our DEIA journey.