Preparator/ Fabricator

MountainOne; North Adams, Northern (MA, KY); Hybrid; USD 40,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

MASS MoCA is seeking a dedicated Preparator/Fabricator for a full-time hourly position (40 hours/week) to join our installation/fabrication staff. The candidate should be a team player who helps meet deadlines and supports ambitious exhibitions.

The role involves art handling, construction, and custom fabrication ranging from woodworking to metalworking, in a museum setting, with an emphasis on safety and collaboration with registrars and artists.

Qualifications

• Art handling and installation experience is preferred.
• Ability to work in a team to meet deadlines.
• Skills in fabrication, including woodworking and metalworking.

Responsibilities

• Unload/load trucks, handle art safely with registrars.
• Perform construction and manual labor for exhibition installation.
• Assemble large and complex artworks with a team.
• Engage in custom fabrication across materials and processes.
• Maintain safe, tidy spaces and positive rapport with colleagues and artists.

Skills

Art handling

Team collaboration

Fabrication skills

Woodworking

Metalworking

Job description

Description

The Preparator/Fabricator is a full-time hourly position, 40 hours per week that will work alongside the installation/fabrication staff. The ideal candidate will be a team player, who will work to achieve deadlines collaboratively.

About the Museum

MASS MoCA is a vibrant non-collecting art museum with approximately 300,000 square feet of exhibition space. Half of that space is dedicated to rotating 10-month exhibitions of which we present 4 to 6 large-scale exhibitions per year, along with smaller projects. The additional space is dedicated to long‑term exhibitions in conjunction with artists, estates, and collections that run from 10 months to 25 years. MASS MoCA frequently works directly with artists on the fabrication of new commissions and large scale site specific installations.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Art handling, including unloading and loading trucks, packing and unpacking fine art works, and working with registrars to safely install art.
• Construction and manual labor, including light demolition, moving large objects with material handling equipment (excluding forklifts), painting, sanding, cleaning and other tasks related to exhibition installation in a museum environment.
• Working with a team to assemble large and complex artworks.
• Custom fabrication based on skill and experience, ranging from woodworking to metalworking, sculptural processes, etc.
• Maintaining a positive rapport with colleagues and artists through challenging and complex installations.
• Maintaining safe working spaces through clear communication and tidiness.