Registrar

Wrightwood 659; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Job summary

Wrightwood 659 seeks a full-time Curatorial Assistant to join our team, reporting to the Executive Director. The role supports preparation and execution of major loan exhibitions, with a focus on organization, writing, and collaboration with curators, lenders, and partners.

The ideal candidate holds a Master’s in Modern/Contemporary Art or equivalent, with 1–2 years museum experience, strong writing and communication skills, and proficiency in MS Office.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in art history required; Master’s preferred.
• 1–2 years of art historical or museum experience.
• Competent to work in basic curatorial functions.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Reading fluency in at least one foreign language is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assist with exhibition prep, installation and deinstallation.
• Coordinate with curators, lenders and partners; write labels and didactics.
• Manage curatorial workflows, timelines and cross-team communication.
• Prepare loan requests; maintain lender communications.
• Line-edit catalogue copy and bibliographies; coordinate with authors.
• Prepare in-gallery didactics, digital interactives and online content.
• Liaise with graphic designers for brochures, labels and ads.
• Research topics for tours, educator training, and content.
• Lead curatorial tours on exhibition topics.
• Create photologs and manage image permissions with marketing.
• Organize public programming; draft speaker agreements and remarks.
• Write/edit content for marketing materials and newsletters.

Skills

Public speaking

Editing/writing

Communication

Multitasking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Art History

Master's degree in Modern/Contemporary Art (preferred)

Tools

MS Word

MS Excel

MS PowerPoint

Outlook

Job description

Wrightwood 659 is a contemporary exhibition space dedicated to architecture and socially engaged art.A full list of past exhibitions can be found at www.wrightwood659.org.

We are seeking a full-time Curatorial Assistant to join our team, reporting directly to the Executive Director. The Curatorial Assistant assists with and contributes to all aspects of the preparation and implementation of major loan exhibitions. The ideal candidate would have a Master of Arts degree in Modern/Contemporary Art and be a highly organized, efficient multitasker.

Major Job Responsibilities

• Assist with exhibition preparation, installation, and deinstallation.
• Work collaboratively with outside curators, lenders, and partner institutions to facilitate exhibition planning, including, but not limited to, assembling checklists and assisting with writing labels, didactics, and other interpretative materials.
• Coordinate with internal and external staff to manage curatorial task workflows, track project timelines, and ensure effective communication across teams to support the successful planning and execution of the exhibition.
• In collaboration with the registrarial team and outside curators, prepare and track loan requests; maintain communication with lenders.
• Prepare, line-edit, and proofread catalogue copy and bibliographies; work with outside authors and publishers.
• Prepare, line-edit, and proofread in-gallery didactic materials, digital interactives, and online resources.
• Liaise with outside graphic designers on the creation of exhibition assets, including brochures, labels/didactics, advertisements, and other materials.
• Conduct research on exhibition topics in preparation for public tours, educator training, and need for original written content.
• Lead curatorial tours on exhibition-related topics.
• Create and update photologs; prepare and track image requests and permissions; coordinate sharing of images and credit lines with marketing team.
• Propose and organize public programming for each exhibition; prepare speaker agreements; and draft introductory remarks.
• Write and edit content for marketing materials, education ephemera, and weekly newsletter.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in art history required or equivalent professional experience; Master's degree preferred.
• 1-2 years of art historical or museum experience.
• Competent to work in basic curatorial functions.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Reading fluency in at least one foreign language is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Prefer Master of Arts degree in Modern/Contemporary Art.
• Highly organized, efficient, able to work independently, multitask, and meet fixed deadlines.
• Excellent organizational, writing, editing, and communication skills; attention to detail.
• Strong public speaking and presentation skills.

Hours and Compensation

• Tuesday to Saturday, when exhibitions are open to the public; and Monday to Friday when between exhibitions. This is an in-person position.
• The successful candidate will occasionally need to work additional hours and/or work an adjusted schedule to accommodate evening and weekend public programs,
• Highly competitive salary starting at $55,000 to $65,000, commensurate with the level of experience along with benefits to include medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, retirement savings plan and paid time off (sick days and vacation days).

Weareanequalopportunityemployerwithaprogressive,LGBTQfriendlyenvironment.