Eskenazi Museum of Art
Graduate Assistantships
Fall 2021- Spring 2022
Deadline for applications: February 28, 2021, 5 p.m.
Applications are reviewed as they are received. Early application is encouraged.

Eskenazi Museum of Art -- Indiana’s treasury for the art of the world -- is a preeminent teaching museum, providing exceptional opportunities for all to engage with the visual arts. Our graduate assistant program supports a team of Indiana University students from a variety of disciplines who work collaboratively with Eskenazi Museum of Art mentors on individual and shared projects that realize institutional gains and advance student learning goals.

Through regularly-scheduled collaborative learning meetings, our program provides opportunities for graduate assistants, other Eskenazi apprentices, and museum personnel to engage as a community of scholars, learning together in ways that support our current work and our future scholarship and career goals.
2021-22 Projects Include:

• Curatorial (Arts of Africa, Oceania, and Indigenous Arts of the Americas) – The projects for a graduate assistant in the AOA department focus on three areas within the Wielgus Gallery: the assistant would create a Focus Gallery exhibition, contribute to rotations in the Wielgus Gallery, and work on interpretation for the Wielgus Gallery. Some of this work would span all world areas—Africa, Oceania, and Indigenous Americas—and we anticipate opportunities to tailor some work to the world area within the AOA collection that aligns with the assistant’s geographic research areas. The assistant would work closely with the curator on each of these projects, especially interpretation that is one of curator’s priorities for the Wielgus Gallery and will include researching approaches to decolonization and revising gallery labels. The assistant could also work on other departmental projects including provenance research, community partnerships, and programming that will also support interpretation goals and future work with the Wielgus Gallery.
• Curatorial (American and European Art) -- The GA will be introduced to curatorial practice and will learn how to apply art historical scholarship to projects oriented towards the public. He or she will support daily operations in the department of European and American Art, will assist with research and exhibition projects, and will have the opportunity to pursue research projects in their area of art historical interest. Conduct research on the collection, in particular creating and updating curatorial files. In TMS, work on updating the provenance and exhibition history fields, as well as writing visual descriptions (alt-text) for ADA compliance. Research and write two Collections Online feature essays. Conduct research on potential new acquisitions and prepare new curatorial files for new acquisitions. Respond to research inquiries from scholars and the public. Conduct research related to forthcoming exhibitions, as needed. Work with paintings conservator to organize and manage collection survey and other areas of research.
• Conservation – The current project aims to gain insight into the physical and chemical properties of the as yet uninvestigated Morton C. Bradley, JR. Pigment Collection, housed in the Center for Conservation. Throughout the course of research and analysis, each pigment in the collection will be catalogued in its current historic housing, and a portion of each pigment will receive new housing in glass jars for public viewing. (The applicant should be a graduate student currently studying material sciences. Experience with analytical techniques such as Polarized Light Microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Raman, and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy preferred. A graduate student or undergraduate student interested in Conservation may also apply.)
•  Product Development and Visual Merchandising – The assistant will participate in developing product, managing inventory, fulfilling orders when necessary, and assisting with the day-to-day operations of the newly renovated Eskenazi Museum of Art café and gift shop. Working with the Director of Creative Services and other department staff, the position will coordinate gift shop operations to achieve financial and branding objectives in alignment with the broader Eskenazi Museum of Art vision, with primary focuses on product development, inventory, visual merchandising, customer service, and retail best practices. This position will serve as a member of the museum’s product development team, offering creative feedback and suggestions, and assisting with the coordination of procuring products and preparing them for sale in the gift shop. The graduate assistant will create and maintain gift shop displays, restock merchandise as necessary, fulfill orders when necessary, and organize back stock. This position will support the execution of the gift shop’s sales and operations, providing the highest level of guest experience to ensure a welcoming environment. The person in this position will act as an ambassador for the museum, maintaining current knowledge of the museum’s collection, exhibitions, and education program, and how they relate to merchandise. This position is responsible for proactively anticipating and addressing guests’ needs, responding to requests and addressing complaints. With support from the University Experiences Manager, the person in this position will also research and facilitate a project that explores audience engagement with the café.

Compensation: Graduate assistant opportunities include a stipend, fee remission, and enrollment in IU’s student appointee medical and dental plans.

Eligibility:
All Indiana University graduate students with applicable skills and committed to active learning through direct engagement with art from Eskenazi Museum of Art’s wide-ranging collection are eligible to apply. Applicants must be enrolled full time for the 2021-22 academic year. Further, applicants must be capable of attending bi-weekly in-person meetings on Friday afternoons in both the fall and spring semesters of the 2021-22 year. Documented background in the area in which you are applying is strongly preferred.

Application Procedure:
Complete an online application and upload a cover letter and resume / cv at
http://bit.ly/iu-art-ga-app
Previous applicants are welcome to re-apply. All appointments are subject to budget confirmation. All potential candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for graduate work study at the Office of Student Financial Assistance.

Deadline for applications:

February 28, 2021, 5 p.m.

For more information, contact Christopher Nunn at chnunn@indiana.edu.