Fielding Curatorial Research Associate

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.

Founded 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.

Here 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

Reporting to the Chief Curator of American Art, the Fielding Curatorial Research Associate will provide research and administrative support for the Jonathan and Karin Fielding Collection of American Folk Art. This collection includes a wide variety of media, including early American paintings, furniture, decorative objects, textiles, metalwork, ceramics, glass, basketry, and tools, dating from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries. The collection is currently displayed in eight galleries in the Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art at The Huntington. The position will have regular contact with staff at all levels, as well as contact with external stakeholders and the public. As a full-time member of the American Art department within the Art Museum, the position will also be engaged with general activities of an active curatorial department.

S/he/they will demonstrate a background of working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds, using a welcoming, inclusive, and accessible approach.

Essential Duties

• Provides research support related to objects in the Jonathan and Karin Fielding Collection, including Huntington collection objects, current loans, and potential new loans and gifts.

• Assists with new installations in the Fielding Galleries of American Folk Art, including the incorporation of new acquisitions and ongoing rotations of light-sensitive material.

• Participates in development of interpretive materials in the galleries, including label copy and initial exhibition designs, as well as ongoing education and public programming initiatives.

• Assists curators in initial checklist development, maintenance, and correspondence, and shares updates pertaining to objects with Registrars, Exhibition Coordinator, Designers and other key stakeholders.

• Requests and helps to track special collection material in support of the galleries; works closely with the Museum and Library Registrars and other staff as applicable.

• Consults and reviews materials related to exhibition evaluation, website and digital initiatives, and any press and marketing materials.

• Communicates with a wide range of stakeholders and participants by phone, email, and Zoom/Teams.

• As needed, performs general clerical duties related to the Fielding collection and the American Art department, such as filing, copying, calendaring meetings, creating meeting minutes and other duties as assigned.

• May perform other related duties as assigned.

Candidate Requirements and Experience

Knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Understanding of scholarly research and bibliographic tools.

• Knowledge of museum exhibitions, including current implementation and interpretation practices.

• Proficient computer knowledge working with administrative applications and systems for image and database management. Ability to learn the basic operations of the Art Museum’s TMS (The Museum System) and Library’s Aeon collections management software.

• Highly organized and able to work to deadlines.

• Strong written and oral communication skills.

Preferred:

• BA, BS or MA required. Advanced Humanities degree in relevant field highly preferred.

• A minimum of 2 years of experience in curatorial/academic positions, or equivalent experience dealing with historical objects.

• Prior exhibition and research assistant experience highly preferred.

• Experience working successfully in collaborative project teams.

Working Conditions  

• Normal office environment; high amount of work at desk on computer. Shared office space.

Compensation & Benefits 

We provide competitive compensation, generous benefits and perks for all eligible employees including: 

• Pay Range: $30.00- $33.00. Commensurate with experience.

• Medical, Dental, Vision  

• 403(b) retirement plan and matching retirement plan with an outstanding employer match 

• Hybrid remote work schedule available for applicable positions 

• Considerable paid time off, including annual leave, sick leave, and holidays 

• Discounts for staff in The Huntington Store and restaurants 

• 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.