The Registrar will play a key role in a growing department at a pivotal moment for Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center. In spring 2020, Oklahoma Contemporary inaugurated a new 4.6-acre campus in downtown Oklahoma City featuring a state-of-the-art, 54,000 square foot building designed by architect Rand Elliott. The center includes galleries, performance spaces, classrooms, studios, a community lounge, café, outdoor sculpture areas and an adjacent Studio School. With this and a successfully completed $30 million Capital Campaign, Oklahoma Contemporary is poised to expand its exhibition program and dramatically increase its audience to 100,000 visitors annually.
The Registrar will lead exhibition-related logistics for loans and commissioned artworks and projects. This involves negotiation of contracts, securing loan agreements and arranging for packing/crating, shipping/transportation, insurance coverage, customs clearance, courier arrangements and incoming and outgoing condition reports. The Registrar participates in exhibition installations and ensures best practices are observed in art handling. The Registrar monitors conditions in galleries and assists with the upkeep of art storage. Reporting to the Exhibitions Manager, the Registrar will work closely with full-time and part-time colleagues and will play an instrumental part in Oklahoma Contemporary’s organization-wide effort to attain American Alliance of Museums (AAM) Accreditation, part of its commitment to best practices within the field.
Essential Job Functions
Administration
- Oversee administration of exhibition documents, including loan agreements, insurance certificates, and packing and shipping arrangements.
- Communicate with lenders and coordinate insurance.
- Execute detailed condition reports for outgoing and incoming exhibition loans.
- Secure image rights and reproductions, including sourcing for rights and reproduction, tracking photo credits, entering metadata and maintaining image database.
- Work with curatorial staff in maintaining accurate and complete exhibition and loan files, in paper and online.
Logistics
- Coordinate and communicate packing, crating, transport and installation requirements with lenders, transport companies and staff.
- Take detailed packing notes and condition reports for incoming and outgoing works and crates.
- Oversee load-out and delivery of crates and artworks, ensuring clear labeling and appropriate conditions.
- Coordinate Oklahoma Contemporary-organized traveling exhibitions.
Financial
- Work with Exhibitions Manager to develop and monitor logistics of exhibition budgets.
- Monitor purchase orders and vendor invoices.
- Book travel.
Maintenance and Safety
- Monitor galleries and outdoor installations; track climate and humidity levels and update lenders of conditions upon request.
- Work alongside the installation crew to install/deinstall exhibitions, supervise the handling of objects, coordinate the movement of crates and artworks, and ensure safety of staff and artworks at all times.
- Mentor and train installation crew with best art-handling practices and condition reporting.
Skills and Background
Education and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in art history, museum studies, fine arts or field related to collections management and registration.
- Two to five years' experience within Registrar department of an art museum or institution.
Knowledge
- Must have knowledge of AAM and ARCS registration standards.
- Working knowledge of conservation principles.
- Broad knowledge of, and experience with, contemporary art.
Skills
- Highly organized and detail-oriented.
- Motivated project manager.
- Conscientious about meeting deadlines and observing best practices.
- Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel.
- Fluency in Spanish and/or Vietnamese is a plus.
Oklahoma Contemporary values, respects and encourages applications from candidates who typically do not see themselves represented in the museum field. A successful candidate has many of the qualities listed in our job postings, and the desire and capacity to learn the rest on the job. If much, but not all, of a job posting describes you, then we welcome your application. Oklahoma Contemporary believes that diversity is a strength and strives for our organization to reflect the voices of various communities.
Salary
- $45,000-$55,000, commensurate with experience.
- Excellent benefits package includes health care, dental, vision and a 403b matching plan.
- Professional development opportunities as available.
Limitations and Disclaimer
The above job description is meant to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for the position.
Other Requirements and Working Conditions
- Use of a car (legally registered and insured for daily use) required
- Use of a computer/monitor, telephone and copier daily
- Willingness to work evenings and weekends
- Team environment with frequent group meeting participation
- Physical requirements: Lifting/Carrying - heavy work may include routine lifting of a maximum weight of 50 lbs; combination of sitting, standing, walking, and driving on a frequent basis
To Apply
Submit a cover letter, resume or CV and a list of three professional references here. References will not be contacted without candidate’s consent.
Review of applications will begin immediately. Applications due by May 31. Only those candidates selected for interview will be contacted.
Inclusion
Oklahoma Contemporary strives to demonstrate leadership by modeling excellence and best practices for inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility. We believe in the power of human creativity and value the opportunities for connection and learning that exist when cultures and communities come together in collaboration and understanding.
We commit to championing policies and practices that value diversity, foster cultural equity and create an accessible and inclusive environment. Oklahoma Contemporary does not discriminate based on race/ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, citizenship status or religion. We recognize our strengths lie in the broad range of people who contribute their time and talents to our mission and are dedicated to creating a safe, inclusive place for them to explore creativity.
About Oklahoma Contemporary
Oklahoma Contemporary is an inclusive center for the arts where people of all ages and backgrounds can experience art, encounter new ideas and ignite their creative potential. Through visual art exhibitions, performances, public programs, community-building initiatives, outdoor installations and special events, Oklahoma Contemporary creates opportunities for everyone to come together in celebration of contemporary culture and artistic expression. With year-round classes and seasonal youth camps across multiple disciplines, the arts center’s education programs encourage youth and adults to express their ideas across a variety of media and learn new skills. Oklahoma Contemporary believes that art is for everyone and places accessibility and education at the center of all programming. Admission to exhibitions is always free. Oklahoma Contemporary is a regional 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1989 by businessman and philanthropist Christian Keesee and Kirkpatrick Foundation Director Marilyn Myers.
About Oklahoma City
In its fourth decade of an enormously successful urban renewal plan, Oklahoma City is in a period of exciting growth. This growth has spurred developments in the city’s recreation and nightlife, with the construction of new parks, bike trails, restaurants, breweries and bars. In the urban core, commercial centers have been developed, revitalizing residential neighborhoods with charming yet affordable historic homes. The construction of Oklahoma Contemporary’s new building represents a significant commitment on the part of the city and its inhabitants to a new era in contemporary culture.
