Preparator

University of Wisconsin Madison•Madison, WI

46d•$26•Onsite

About The Position

The Nancy M. Bruce Center for Design and Material Culture at the School of Human Ecology is seeking applicants with a minimum of three years of post-baccalaureate work experience in art handling and installation in a museum or gallery setting. The Preparator is a key role at the Nancy M. Bruce Center for Design and Material Culture (the center) that leads technical aspects of the center's exhibitions. This position reports to the Engagement Manager for Exhibitions and Programs and works closely with the Collections Manager, guest curators, and student hourly Exhibition Prep Assistants. The Preparator is responsible for the physical and logistical aspects of exhibition fabrication, including collaborating on exhibition design, planning and implementing production workflow, exhibition installation and lighting, and gallery maintenance. The Preparator is responsible for specialized object handling and the fabrication of mounts for objects in the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection and objects on loan to the center for exhibition in the Ruth Davis Design Gallery and Lynn Mecklenburg Textile Gallery. The Preparator is also responsible for the care and organization of the galleries' workspace and resources, including specialized equipment, gallery display furniture, and material and supply inventory and orders. This includes the ability to maintain a clean, organized, and safe work environment, ensuring proper shop upkeep, gallery maintenance and cleaning, and the orderly inventory and storage of gallery furniture, tools, and supplies. In addition, the Preparator must demonstrate the ability to contribute positively to a small team environment and to both give and receive constructive feedback and direction, fostering a collaborative and respectful working atmosphere across all exhibition and program activities.

Requirements

A strong background in fabrication with skills in carpentry, painting, and using power tools and demonstrated hand skills and experience making museum quality mounts using appropriate archival materials (fabric, foam, acrylic, archival board, wood, etc.)
Experience with at least one aspect of the center's tripartite focus on material culture, textiles, and design
Demonstrated knowledge of professional museum collection care and object handling procedures
Experience supporting exhibition design and consulting with designers and curators to plan and realize technical aspects of exhibitions
Experience managing multiple projects and competing deadlines concurrently, including developing and implementing time-sensitive workflows for fabrication, gallery preparation, and installation
Valid driver's license

Nice To Haves

Experience with museum loan protocols, including packing, unpacking, condition reporting, and coordination with lenders
Demonstrated knowledge of behavioral properties of fabric and textiles, as relevant to both mount making and preparing textile artifacts for display
Knowledge of historical objects and skills for working with them
Demonstrated ability to train and supervise others; willingness to teach preparator skills and tasks to student hourly employees

Responsibilities

Handles and prepares collections within established policies
Supports the installation and maintenance of permanent galleries and traveling exhibitions
Assists in fabrication and construction of collection or exhibition related components
Conducts basic monitoring of environmental conditions in storage and galleries
Assists in maintaining and utilizing specialized equipment related to the work of the section