Photography Asset Assistant (YCW)

Reporting to the Registrar, the Photography Asset Assistant will photograph artworks and archival collections, and edit and processes digital assets.

Objectives

The goal of this project is to sort, catalogue, rehouse, and upload a portion of the WAG’s boxes of unprocessed archives. These records include information pertaining to past exhibition, artists in the collection, curator and other staff correspondences, and collection artworks.

The organization of the archival material will be a significant asset to the community as part of the ongoing history of one of Canada’s prominent art galleries. Records relating to some of WAG-Qaumajuq’s groundbreaking exhibitions, such as Insurgence/Resurgence, which was the largest Indigenous art exhibition by an Indigenous curator and Winnipeg Now, which featured Winnipeg’s leading contemporary artists of various mediums, would then be accessible and visible to researchers, students, and staff.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Attend an initial orientation at the WAG
• Receive training in art and archival handling and safety, and museum best practices
• Become familiar with the WAG’s archival holdings, storage, tracking systems, and database
• Maintain and augment the archival tracking records
• Assist with administrative tasks, such as minor photo editing and research requests
• Assessing and weeding archival records to Gallery criteria
• Obtaining copyright permissions or copyright research as necessary
• Organizing records to RAD standard
• Rehousing archives to archival best practices
• Creating finding aids for fonds and collections
• Physically moving archival materials to new locations
• Aiding with research (internal and external) requests
• Configure these finding aids into AtoM (Access to Memory) entries completed to the Manitoba Archives Information Network (MAIN) website.

Job Requirements & Assets

• Completion of at least one year of university or college, in archival studies, history, art history, cultural studies, or a related field of study;
• Exceptional attention to detail and organization;
• Able to physically lift up to 30 lbs;
• Ability to handle delicate and fragile items;
• Capable of working independently, and as part of a team;
• Under 30 years of age and returning to school on a full-time basis in fall 2022;
• Experience working with archives, library, galleries, or museums is an asset;
• Knowledge of, and interest in, archival practice is an asset.

Duration: Four days a week, June-August. $17/hr.