American Museum of Asmat Art, Elevating the Arts Graduate Assistant

University of St Thomas • Saint Paul, MN

6d • Hybrid

About The Position

The American Museum of Asmat Art, located on the second floor of the Anderson Student Center, showcases art from southwestern New Guinea (West Papua). This role is for degree-seeking graduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences. Assistants will work with project directors and the visual resources coordinator to digitize Asmat documents and other materials, supervise and manage undergraduate assistants, research Asmat shields in terms of regional style and iconography, learn about Dublin Core and best practices for creating metadata, use Omeka to create a database for digital collections, and work with an international network of Asmat stakeholders. Hired assistants must check their email daily and promptly respond to messages from the directors. Positions are somewhat flexible, but require daytime availability Monday-Friday. Assistants may also be expected to attend a few evening events. Remote and in-person meetings are required.

Requirements

• Degree-seeking graduate student in the College of Arts and Sciences
• Strong research, writing, and communication skills
• Creativity and ability to problem-solve
• Self-motivation, positive attitude, and interest in other cultures
• Ability to share art objects in an informative manner
• Ability to multitask and work on a range of projects
• Exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills
• Ability to collaborate with others and complete independent remote work
• Familiarity with Mac computers, Excel spreadsheets, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and OneDrive
• Must check email daily and promptly respond to messages from directors
• Daytime availability Monday-Friday
• Availability for remote and in-person meetings

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with Asmat culture and/or the American Museum of Asmat Art
• Experience researching and writing about visual art
• Familiarity with collection management databases
• Proficiency in social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok
• Willingness to attend a few evening events

Responsibilities

• Work with project directors and the visual resources coordinator to digitize Asmat documents and other materials
• Supervise and manage undergraduate assistants working on the project
• Research Asmat shields in terms of regional style and iconography
• Learn about Dublin Core and best practices for creating metadata to describe and organize digital content
• Use Omeka (web-publishing platform) to create a database for digital collections and other Asmat resources
• Work with an international network of Asmat stakeholders that includes museum and private collections

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level