Technical Coordinator, Nickle Galleries

Description

The Nickle Arts Museum within Libraries & Cultural Resources is currently seeking a Full-time Regular Technical Coordinator.

Reporting to the Senior Curator, Nickle Galleries, the Technical Coordinator provides technical expertise to all areas of gallery function with a priority on exhibition production and installation, collections management including contributions to facilities management, security and risk management, professional standards and policies, public events, communications, and support of staffing, teaching, and research and scholarship. High to moderate physical demands. High levels of stress on a regular basis related to complex project deadlines. Callout required for security response, as well as for disaster impact on the environmental conditions of exhibition and collection storage spaces in two buildings.

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

Exhibitions and Public Programs:

• Installation and de-installation of all exhibitions.
• May involve working with artists, outside contracted professionals and casual employees.
• Preparation of objects and exhibition space, involving construction of walls and supports, repair and painting, design of space, construction of custom elements. Movement of art and artifacts following best professional practices and archival procedures.
• Communication with Nickle team, visiting curators, and exhibiting artists to advise best solutions for a wide array of physical, technical and aesthetic elements related to the display of artworks, which may involve AV equipment, interactive lighting, media and digital display.
• Installation of exhibition lighting.
• Preparation of art works and artifacts for display following best museum practices, including framing and matting, advising on conservation, mounting.
• Supports shipping and receiving of objects, exhibitions and materials that may involve assistance to and supervision of outside contracted transportation workers and Library staff.
• Unpacking and packing of art, artifacts and exhibition materials according to museum standards, may involve light construction in the design and build of containers for the transportation of objects and exhibitions.
• Design, set up, and control of workrooms (wood shop, matting and framing), including use, maintenance and repair of all equipment, and monitoring of supplies.

Collections Management:

• Physical placement, organization, maintenance, storage and handling and safety of works of art and artifacts in three distinct and valuable museum collections.
• Following direction of the Gallery Registrar, recommends solutions and improvements to the storage spaces for the collections, planning and implementing their construction
• With the Lead Technician, responsible for maintenance, security, environmental controls of storage spaces as well as access to those spaces, the movement of art and objects between and within, and preparation of collections for exhibition, shipment, loan to other institutions.
• Preparation of objects for presentation in secure classroom environments for teaching and learning, access to visiting scholars and curators, appraisal and evaluation as well as making recommendations for care and conservation.
• Assists in photographing, digitizing and organizing images of works and objects in the collections.

Security and Risk Management:

• Adherence to and implementation of security policy and procedure for gallery; offices, meeting and class rooms in the Centre for Arts and Culture; collection and back of house spaces including pass card access, key inventory, and necessitates communication and negotiation with Campus Security, TFDL Building Officers, Facilities Management, campus locksmiths, Nickle and LCR staff.
• Current knowledge of security issues and responses both in general, and specific to each exhibition and public event.
• Responding to daily security issues.

Administration, Building Management, Policies and Procedures:

• Designing, organizing and initiating physical modifications to the museum space, coordinating with Facilities Management for maintenance and repair.
• With Lead Technician, recommends or researches capital equipment expenditures.
• Knowledge of all aspects of our facility (office space allocation, equipment access, building orientation etc.).
• Attend and contribute to production meetings to discuss policies, procedures and exhibition scheduling, planning and preparation.
• Contribute to policies that ensure best professional practices and museum standards.

Mentorship, Staffing, and Support of Teaching and Learning:

• Through collections management, supports teaching and learning on campus by providing access to objects and artifacts to faculty, students and researchers.
• Mentoring and supervision of graduate and undergraduate students for their production and installation of annual graduating thesis exhibitions.
• Mentor and support LCR staff for displays, and artifact handling.
• Assists Nickle and LCR staff members with any and all issues that require additional attention.

Qualifications / Requirements:

• Undergraduate Degree in Fine Art or related area required, additional education or training in appropriate areas an asset.
• Minimum 5 years experience in exhibition installation and collections management in a museum or gallery setting required.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills required in working with colleagues and exhibiting artists, teaching or learning support experience an asset.
• Expertise in exhibition design and display, light construction, basic carpentry, basic electrical, workshop management and maintenance, shipping and receiving required.
• Ability to work with multi-media components within exhibitions is an asset.
• Accountable to monitor equipment use in all workshop, preparation, storage and shipping/receiving areas and ensure that all equipment is properly maintained, safe and fully functional.
• Project management within a team environment is an asset.
• CPR training is required.
• Certification for skylift operation will be required.
• Facility with University regulations and systems will be required, in particular Occupational Health and Safety Management System, Faciities Management, and Supply Chain Management.
• Facility with personal computers and related devices required, including but not limited to word processing, spread sheets, and communication programs (email, calendar, etc.).
• Ability to adapt to advances in technology and software an asset.

Application Deadline: May 10, 2024

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.

This position is part of the AUPE bargaining unit, and falls under the Technical Job Family, Phase 1.

For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Management and Staff Careers website.

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