Assistant Conservator, Costume & Textiles (One-Year Contract)

 

The Museum of the City of New York fosters understanding of the distinctive nature of urban life in the world’s most influential metropolis. It engages visitors by celebrating, documenting, and interpreting the city’s past, present, and future. Founded in 1923, the Museum of the City of New York (MCNY) showcases the city’s unique stories and cultural treasures. The country’s first and largest city museum, MCNY presents immersive exhibitions and programs at the intersection of history, popular culture, and art to 200,000 people annually, including 30,000 students and educators, fostering shared identity, civic pride and engagement, and social cohesion for New Yorkers. MCNY has been recognized as one of the leading museums in New York City by publications such as Condé Nast Traveler and the New York Times, with Time Out New York awarding MCNY “Best Museum” in New York in 2021.

 

The Museum of the City of New York holds one of the most significant collections of costumes documenting New York City's social and fashion history from the 18th through 21st centuries. Reporting to the Senior Collections Manager of Costume & Textiles, the Assistant Conservator will treat and prepare works for exhibition from the costume and textile collection with a specific focus on late 19th century to early 20th century. Core responsibilities include examination, condition reporting, treatment planning and execution, mannequin dressing, and preventative care. The Assistant Conservator will also contribute loan preparations, incoming loan review, and acting as a courier with artwork as needed. This is a one-year full-time position.

 

Roles and Responsibilities:

Treatment and Collections Care

    • Examine objects and document conditions in TMS Collections.
    • Determine treatment plan in consultation with Senior Collections Manager.
    • Perform conservation treatments to stabilize objects for photography, loan, or display.
    • Perform material analysis as needed.

 

Exhibition

    • Prepare and dress MCNY and loaned objects for display.
    • Create custom display mounts from ethafoam or fosshape as needed.

 

Preventive Conservation

    • Rehouse and update object storage as locations are accessed.
    • Record, update, and maintain accurate data in TMS Collections including object measurements, medium, description, condition, and constituents, as objects are accessed.
    • Perform storage and housekeeping tasks as needed, including vacuuming and integrated pest management checks.
    • Ensure safe handling of art and proper maintenance of conservation equipment, supplies and workspace.

 

Loans and Acquisitions

    • Review and document condition of incoming loans and new acquisitions as needed.
    • Prepare documentation including condition reports for outgoing loans as needed.
    • Create specialty travel mounts for 3d objects traveling on loan.
    • Act as courier for outgoing loans, domestic and international, including travel and dressing, as needed.

 

Collaboration

    • Work closely with Senior Collections Manager to determine priorities, goals, and deadlines to meet the exhibition and loan requirements.
    • Maintain clear communication with colleagues about ongoing priorities, goals, and project status.
    • Cultivate a collaborative and thoughtful work environment that yields success and productivity.

 

Training and Mentorship

    • Occasionally supervise interns, volunteers, and visiting scholars as needed.

 

Additional Duties as assigned

 

A successful candidate will have:

  • Master's degree from a recognized conservation training program with textile and/or costume as a focus.
  • A minimum of three years of post-graduate experience as a conservator; Museum experience preferred.
  • Proven expertise in the treatment and preservation of costume and textiles including principles, techniques, and ethics, with experience treating historic garments.
  • Exemplary manual skill and ability to perform treatments in an efficient manner to meet the demand of the exhibition and loan schedules.
  • Knowledge of fashion history with a specialized understanding of textiles, construction techniques, and changing silhouettes of late 19th to early 20th century fashion.
  • Proven skill at creating, modifying, and dressing mannequins following best practice.
  • Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects with demonstrated attention to detail.
  • Understanding of basic photography and proficiency in using imaging programs for documentation.
  • Experience using a collections management system, such as TMS Collections.
  • Strong computer skills with familiarity of the Microsoft Suite including Teams.
  • Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Be a proactive team player able to excel at meeting the needs of the collection and schedule.
  • A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and a passion for advancing equity and addressing structural racism within nonprofit organizations.

 

Physical Requirements & Work Environment:

 

The Assistant Conservator will primarily work onsite with occasional visits to the offsite storage facility in Brooklyn. Travel, evening, and weekend work may be required, although such requirements are expected to be infrequent. Parts of the workday may be spent in non-traditional workplaces, including loading docks, collections storage facilities, airport cargo areas, and riding on art transport trucks. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 

Benefits:

 

The annual salary for this position is $70,000. This is a one-year, full-time position. MCNY offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; and access to other museums with ID as well as discounts to the museum shop.

 

 

The Museum of the City of New York is committed to fostering a collaborative and respectful work environment with staff as diverse as New York City and the audiences who are curious about learning more about its history and engaging in contemporary urban issues. Our staff members are dedicated to working towards a common goal: creating the most dynamic and inspiring city museum in the world.

 

The Museum of the City of New York is an equal opportunity employer. As such, the museum provides equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants without unlawful discrimination with respect to age, citizenship status, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, gender identification or expression, marital status, military status or veteran, national origin, political association, political/personal convictions, predisposing genetic characteristics, race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and style), religion (including attire, clothing or facial hair worn in accordance with religious requirements), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions and transgender status), sexual orientation, socio-economic status, geographic location, philosophies, or any other classification protected by federal, state or local laws, in all employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, training, compensation, promotion, demotion, transfer, lay-off, and termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment. The Museum complies with applicable state and local law governing nondiscrimination in employment which prohibits discrimination and harassment against any employees, applicants for employment or interns, as well as contractors, subcontractors, vendors, consultants, other individuals providing services in the workplace or their employees in every location in which the Museum has facilities.