At The Huntington, we believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices working together will enable us to support and promote the appreciation of the humanities, the arts, and botanical science. The Huntington is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, disability, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal law.
The HuntingtonFounded in 1919, The Huntington is a collections-based research and educational institution open to the public, housing world-class library, art, and botanical collections. Its mission is to support research and promote education in the arts, humanities, and botanical science and to display and interpret its extraordinary resources for diverse audiences.
The CultureHere we are committed to the highest of standards in all that we do – from preserving and protecting the collections, to exhibitions, educational and scholarly programming, visitor and reader services, and beyond. Achieving excellence across these pursuits requires a diversity of perspectives, expertise, experience, and methodologies.
At The Huntington, our organizational Culture is shaped by the following core values: Intellectual curiosity, Collaboration, Stewardship, Belonging, and Integrity.
Intellectual Curiosity: Knowledge, lifelong learning, and a spirit of inquiry are at the core of our mission and organizational culture.
Collaboration: Teamwork and a collaborative attitude are important at all levels of The Huntington. We foster relationships internally among our departments and externally with organizations throughout the community.
Stewardship: We are committed to the care and development of our collections, our financial and physical resources, our staff, and our community.
Belonging: We strive to attract and maintain a workforce of individuals with diverse talents, backgrounds, and perspectives. Our organizational culture promotes a sense of welcome, inclusion, and connection.
Integrity: We value respect and honesty, working to fulfill our mission with honor and ethical principles.
About the Role
The Preparator is a member of the institution’s Preparation Department, under the Registration and Collection Management Department. This position is integral in the consistent planning and implementation of the Institution’s schedule of special exhibitions, permanent collection rotations, and collections care. This position is part of a team of preparatory staff. The position’s primary responsibility is to assist in all handling, display preparations, installation, packing, and storage and care of artworks according to museum standards. This position will also assist with tasks including, but not limited to, organizing supplies, general maintenance and upkeep of all gallery spaces and preparatory facilities, and maintaining lighting in galleries. Reports to Head of Preparations.
This is an on-call position, with no set weekly hours.
Essential Duties
Assists with the installation/de-installation of exhibitions, gallery rotations, and collection rehousing projects, with colleagues in the Registration, Exhibitions, and Preservation department. Duties will include, but are not limited to:
Receiving, unpacking and, packing artworks
Matting and framing artworks
Hanging and placement of artwork
Performing carpentry work such as retrofitting crates and making or modifying pedestals
Spackling and painting
Handling artworks on loan and permanent collections
Lighting exhibitions
Creating or modifying mounts i.e., book cradles, buildups, slants
Drive art preparation vehicles to transport art on and off campus, i.e., return loans to local lenders, LAX airport runs.
Assists in the monitoring and maintenance of special exhibitions once opened to the public, to ensure the gallery space remains clean, well-lit, and all audio-visual components are functioning, from the opening to the closing of the exhibition.
Assists with maintenance of regular gallery dusting and cleaning as scheduled.
Works with Registration and Collections Management colleagues to transport art between collections storage facilities and galleries, and to off-site locations for framing, photography, loan return/pickup, etc.
Candidate Requirements and Experience
At least two years of experience in preparation, construction, collections management, and installation in a public gallery or museum setting.
Familiarity with standard industry materials, processes, equipment, and safety protocols.
Good working knowledge of installation methods required; mounting, matting, framing, woodworking and/or metalworking skills a plus.
Experience using heavy equipment, including scissor-lift, gantry, pallet jack, table lift, required.
Must have safe driving record.
Demonstrated knowledge of art-handling procedures for two- and three-dimensional objects in various materials, sizes, and weights, including the rigging and movement of large-scale objects.
Knowledge of museum-quality packing, crating, and framing.
Must be able to lift 50 pounds.
Conduct self in a professional manner and establish positive working relationships with museum staff, representatives from other arts institutions, consultants, artists, and vendors
Other Desirable Qualifications:
Ability to plan, prioritize, multi-task, and meet deadlines
Ability to ensure adherence to the institution’s brand in all activities
Facility with word processing, Excel, Outlook/Gmail
Proven solutions-oriented, diplomatic problem solver and true team player
Excellent interpersonal and verbal communication skills
Working Conditions
Gallery, workshop, and office settings. Most of the work will be indoors, but there is some occasional outdoor work.
Prolonged periods of standing, bending, sitting, and stooping.
Lifting and carrying up to 50 pounds.
Compensation & Benefits
We provide competitive compensation, generous benefits and perks for all eligible employees including:
Pay Rate: $27.00/hr.
Discounts for staff in The Huntington Store and restaurants.
Access to the Museums Council pass, which grants free admission to various museums and cultural institutions.
Free passes each month to welcome family and friends to visit the grounds.
The Application Process
Please submit a cover letter and CV/resume as a single PDF attachment.
You will have the opportunity to submit additional documents on the “My Experience” section of the application
Top Skills
What We Do
Huntington Bancshares Incorporated is a $175 billion asset regional bank holding company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 1866, The Huntington National Bank and its affiliates provide consumers, small and middle‐market businesses, corporations, municipalities, and other organizations with a comprehensive suite of banking, payments, wealth management, and risk management products and services. Huntington operates more than 1,200 branches in 12 states, with certain businesses operating in extended geographies. Visit Huntington.com for more information.
