Description:
The Museum Assistant is a student position at Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA). The Museum Assistant will serve on the front desk in the Visitor Experience department with assistance to other departments such as learning, collections, exhibitions, development, and marketing when applicable. The position is an entry-level position that requires a collaborative, dynamic group of peers that are instrumental in helping SUMA achieve its mission to “foster engagement and experiential learning for students of Southern Utah University, as well as communities across the region through its permanent collections, diverse exhibitions, and participatory experiences”. While being on the front desk is a large portion of this position, Museum Assistants will also assist in all areas of the museum, including Learning and Engagement, Collections, Exhibitions, Development, and Marketing, gaining knowledge and experience in how SUMA operates. The ideal Museum Assistant will be hands-on, collaborative, energetic, and possess a positive, friendly attitude.
Responsibilities:
FRONT DESK
- Meet and greet visitors
- Gather visitor demographics
- Process transactions and complete daily cash/credit reconciliation
- Provide information on current and upcoming exhibitions and programming
- Answer phone calls
- Assist with events
- Answer questions and give directions to tourists
- Responsible for the physical appearance of the Front Desk and Gift Shop
- Monitor galleries, ensuring safety of displayed works
- Engage in conversations with visitors on works of art currently on exhibition
- Gather economic data
- Offer member benefit information
- Manage gallery backpacks
LEARNING & ENGAGEMENT
- Assist with tours and public programming/events
- Assist with leading school tours with the support of L+E team members
- Assist with SUMA Sidekicks program
- Access and update database of members and distribute prizes as earned
- Assist with Sidekicks events and tabling
- Assist with offsite STEAM nights 1-2 times per semester
MARKETING
- Assist with poster and brochure distributions
- Assist with content creation when applicable
COLLECTIONS & EXHIBITIONS
- Assist with preparations for upcoming exhibitions, including painting, patching, moving walls, etc after completing mandatory object handling training
- Assist with the de-installation and installation of artwork in the gallery and on-campus
- Oversee aspects of gallery rotations as assigned by Exhibitions Manager
- Assist with object condition reporting
- Assist with artwork pick-up and drop-off
- Assist in Collection storage space reorganization as needed
FINANCE & DEVELOPMENT
- Assist the administration team during SUMA’s Annual Art Auction
- Provide support with Google Sheets as needed
Qualifications:
- Welcoming demeanor.
- Dependable
- Punctual
- Excellent communication skills
- Enthusiastic
- General knowledge of Microsoft Office suite, Google Drive and miscellaneous office equipment, and basic math skills.
Some heavy lifting may be required. Must be able/willing to work some nights and weekends. Must be able to work over the summer and during finals week.
Preferred qualifications:
- An interest in the arts.
- Experience working in a retail setting.
- Experience interacting with the public or in customer service.
- Ability to speak a language in addition to English.