Registrar, Established Gallery

We are seeking an experienced full-time Registrar to join a gallery in New York. The ideal candidate will have an extensive background in coordinating domestic and international shipments and a thorough understanding of framing procedures and standards. This individual must possess strong and comprehensive American art history knowledge and have experience working with historical material. This Registrar will need to have the ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment while remaining highly organized and meeting deadlines.

The Registrar will oversee the following duties that include but are not limited to:

Shipping

• Arrange for the safe transportation of artworks to and from the gallery, our storage facility, art fairs, clients, and loan destinations
• Create shipping and proforma invoices
• Obtain shipping costs and estimates, thorough knowledge of customs laws and regulations
• Advise clients on packing and shipping; provide installation instructions
• Coordinate crating and shipping to and from lenders, consignors/consignees, artist studios, storage spaces, and museum and exhibition loans including international institutions
• Maintain and develop a strong network of quality shippers; ability to negotiate best pricing and ensure invoices are in line with estimates; facilitate smooth and timely deliveries

Framing

• Facilitate all framing needs
• In collaboration with the gallery owner, design frames within specific gallery and artist standards and effectively communicate orders to framer
• Conduct inspection on all frames and ensure that finished product meets standards and frame order
• Maintain a rigorous schedule, meeting tight deadlines for all framing needs
• Maintain a detailed framing spreadsheet, tracking work in progress
• Assist with daily transfer of artworks to and from gallery to framers
• Schedule weekly framing meetings and maintain ongoing relationship with framers
• Ensure that all artwork labels are recorded, preserved, and affixed to each artwork
• Maintain historical records of all frames for future reference
• Maintain expense allocation spreadsheets
• Database management
• Update artwork records with locations and transportation history
• Log all framing details; attach all documents to inventory record
• Prepare and send via email to staff at the end of each day, an incoming/outgoing inventory report reflecting all art in transit for that day
• At the end of each week, prepare and send via email to staff a report listing new inventory for the work week along with individualized instructions for conservation and framing
• Assist with conducting regular audits of inventory in storage both in the gallery and in off-site storage locations

Qualifications:

• BA, MA, or MFA in art history, studio art, museum studies, or related field required
• Experience in a fine art gallery, museum, or equivalent with thorough knowledge of inventory management systems
• Extremely detail oriented and capable of prioritizing and executing multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment
• Strong administrative skills
• Strong aesthetic awareness
• Domestic and international shipping experience required
• Thorough knowledge of Museum standards for packing, crating, handling, installing, and housing artworks
• Familiarity with security measures and loss-prevention techniques
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; aptitude for quick learning, problem solving and teamwork, as well as informed on contemporary issues and artistic concerns
• Professional appearance and demeanour