Cataloguer, American Art

CMW Ltd Company; New York (NY); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental & Vision care

401(k) plan with matching

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Generous paid time off

Fitness reimbursement

Annual discretionary bonus

Commuter benefits

Job summary

Christie's in New York seeks a Cataloguer, American Art to support the continued excellence of its American Art department. You will research provenance, measure and catalogue property for public and private sales, write catalogue essays, and coordinate with curators, conservators and external experts.

The role requires a Bachelor's in fine arts (Master's preferred), strong research skills and superb client service. Expect an active auction calendar and close collaboration with internal teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in the fine or decorative art category preferred or equivalent work experience.
• Master's degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Research property for bibliography, provenance and exhibition history using libraries, databases, the internet and outside experts.
• Physically catalogue property for public and private sales, including measuring, condition and media assessment.
• Write and prepare catalogue essays.
• Assist with documents for consignments and proposals.
• Coordinate restoration and framing with outside experts and internal stakeholders.
• Act as liaison between department and experts to communicate effectively.
• Flag authenticity concerns and condition issues promptly to specialists.
• Proof all cataloguing with specialists before final proof.
• Prepare property for hilling sessions and amend catalogue sheets accordingly.
• Send out special interest letters to market upcoming auctions.
• Prepare condition reports and forward to clients upon request.
• Assist clients in galleries during previews and sale weeks and be main contact for property questions.

Skills

Typing skills

Communication skills

Multitasking

Client service

Calm under pressure

Education

Bachelor's degree in fine or decorative art

Master's degree

Job description

Cataloguer, American Art

The Company

Christie's, the world's largest Art Business, is an incredibly exciting & enriching place to start or continue your career. Whether you work within one of our Specialist Art Departments or in our more Operational focused teams we are all working together with one common goal in mind: to continue the success of this 250 year old company, steeped in history, bringing constant innovation whilst not forgetting our age old values; Passionate Expertise, Exceptional Client Service, Teamwork, Integrity, Business Judgement & Innovation. . Colleagues across all departments are truly passionate about what they do and it is constantly inspiring to work with industry leaders across all segments of the business.

Why this role matters

As the market-leading auction house for American Art, Christie's is uniquely positioned to shape the future of the category and expand its leadership in an evolving and increasingly competitive market. As Cataloguer, American Art, you will play a critical role in delivering the continued excellence of one of the industry's most respected departments.

How you'll make an impact

• Research property for bibliography, provenance and exhibition history using libraries, on-line databases, the internet, and outside experts (such as curators, dealers, publishers, etc.).
• Physically catalogue property for public and private sales including measuring property, assessing condition and media used, paired with research methods listed above.
• Write and prepare catalogue essays.
• Assist business-getters in preparing documents for potential consignments (e.g. proposals).
• Coordinate restoration and framing serving as primary liaison with outside experts and internal stakeholders.
• Act as liaison between department and experts to communicate effectively in a timely fashion.
• Flag any authenticity concerns and condition issues in timely manner to appropriate specialist.
• Proof all cataloguing with specialists before submitting final proof to Catalogue Production.
• Prepare property for hilling sessions (meetings to determine value, condition and marketability of property); and amend catalogue sheets after hilling sessions.
• Send out special interest letters to market each upcoming auction, as assigned.
• Prepare condition reports in the system and forward to clients upon request.
• Assist clients in galleries during preview weekend and sale week and act as main point of contact for any questions related to the property within the sale both internally and externally.
• Maintain department library and research materials.
• Assist with catalogue production where needed.
• Coordinate photography, restoration, copyright approval.
• Serve as primary liaison with outside experts.
• Maintain sale images in media library (monitor progress, liaise with photo studio on missing images, deadline constraints).
• Participate in Telephone Bidding with clients during the auction.
• Business Getting.
• Assistance with appraisals, including conducting research to support insurance appraisal documents - liaison between Trust & Estates & department.
• Other duties as assigned by Manager.

What you will bring to the team

• Bachelor's degree in the fine or decorative art category preferred, or equivalent work experience
• Master's degree preferred
• Minimum 2 years paid experience in the Arts
• Knowledge of E-mail, Spreadsheet, Word Processing and Presentation software (Microsoft Office preferred)
• Ability to learn Christie's systems including COS, JDE, intranet and website.
• Strong typing skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including superior written and spoken communication
• Superior client service skills
• Ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• Demonstrated ability to multi-task and prioritize
• Strong follow-up skills with attention to detail

What's great about working for us

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental and Vision care plans for employees and dependents (On average, Christie's pays 80% of total premiums)
• 401(k) Savings Plan - Christie's provides a matching contribution up to 5% (subject to IRS limits)
• Life Insurance - 3x base salary up to $400k (100% paid by Christie's)
• Disability Insurance (100% paid by Christie's)
• Generous time-off and leave policies; including 100% Paid Family Leave up to 16 weeks.
• Fitness Reimbursement Program: reimbursement of eligible fitness fees and memberships up to $600 per year
• Annual Discretionary Performance Bonus Plan
• Commuter Benefits - Pre-tax money towards your daily commute with a Christie's contribution of $21 per month
• Back Up Child & E