Registrar for Exhibitions

The Cleveland Museum of Art; Cleveland (OH); On-site; USD 65,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free museum admission for employee

Store discounts

Restaurant discounts

401(k) with company match

Paid Time Off

Job summary

The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) in Cleveland, OH, invites applications for a Registrar for Exhibitions. The role oversees planning, coordination, and logistics of exhibition loans, including transportation, contracts, insurance, and installation schedules.

Collaboration with curatorial, design, facilities, and security is essential. Required are 7–10 years of registration experience, a bachelor’s (master’s preferred), and a valid driver’s license.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in art, art history, museum studies, arts administration, or closely related field is required.
• 7–10 years of verifiable art museum registration experience required.
• A valid driver’s license is required.
• Experience managing people and complex projects.
• Proficiency with collections management systems and MS Office Suite.

Responsibilities

• Manages loan contracts and liaises with lenders and internal teams.
• Coordinates incoming/outgoing loan shipments and related documentation.
• Oversees art installations and deinstallations for exhibitions.
• Coordinates insurance, indemnity, and regulatory requirements for loans.
• Maintains budgets for art transportation and related costs.

Skills

Communication skills

People management

Project management

MS Office

Collections management systems

Driver's license

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

MS Outlook

MS Teams

Excel

Word

Job description

Location: Cleveland MOA, 11150 East Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA

The Registrar for Exhibitions oversees the planning, coordination, and logistical implementation of exhibition loans to the CMA, together with the Senior Exhibitions Registrar. This role is responsible for the planning and management of art transportation logistics, loan contracts, insurance coverage, art installation schedule and in‑gallery implementation. It also covers the art transportation and insurance portions of the exhibition budget, collaborating with exhibitions, curatorial, design, facilities, and security departments and maintaining productive, collegial relationships.

Requirements and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree, and preferably a Master’s degree, from an accredited college or university in art, art history, museum studies, arts administration, or a closely related field is required.
• 7‑10 years of verifiable art museum registration experience required.
• A valid driver’s license.
• Experience managing people and complex projects.
• Proven proficiency working with collections management systems and Microsoft Office Suite (MS Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel).
• Excellent communication, judgement and negotiation skills desired.
• Skilled in the sensitive handling of works of art, including the packing, crating, and transportation of objects.
• Proficient in best practices in museum registration.
• Familiarity with basic conservation concepts, procedures, and terms.
• Familiarity with laws pertaining to ownership, custody, transfer, and disposition of art objects; tax laws relating to charitable donations; cultural property laws; customs restrictions; repatriation issues; judicial seizures; copyright laws; insurance laws; and fine arts insurance practices.
• Creative and flexible mindset for problem‑solving.
• Aptitude for system and workflow creation and implementation.
• Ability and willingness to be self‑directed and work as part of a team.
• Positive attitude and adaptability with shifting priorities.
• Proven ability to work effectively and timely on a wide variety of deadline‑driven projects concurrently, with concern for the tasks assigned and the goals of the Department.
• Capacity and organizational ability to excel in a fast‑paced, diverse, multi‑tasked environment.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with colleagues, volunteers, and interns and the ability to effectively represent the Museum to outside professionals, lenders, and members of the artistic community.

Responsibilities

• Manages loan contracts for works lent to CMA, communicates, disseminates, and implements lender requirements internally and with other borrowers, and establishes collegial relationships with lenders.
• Manages incoming and outgoing loan shipments, including internal notifications, scheduling, documentation, preparation of all incoming and outgoing documentation for each loan, and coordinating courier arrangements.
• Manages art installations and deinstallations for exhibitions, including scheduling, staff coordination, and ensuring a safe working environment in collaboration with curatorial, design, security, and exhibitions departments.
• Ensures all loans receive the same level of care as CMA collections objects, coordinates condition examinations with Conservation staff, documents crating, packing, mounts, installation, location and other relevant details for exhibition loans and permanent collection works, oversees loan art movement and maintains accurate records.
• Maintains productive relationships with art handling, crating, shipping, and customs providers and knowledge of best practices in each area.
• Maintains knowledge of fine arts insurance and U.S. Indemnity regulations and policies; knowledge of export license, customs regulations, and security; experience with museum-based collections management systems.
• Couriers works of art to and from outside institutions as needed.
• Secures and coordinates insurance for loans, issuing certificates of insurance to lenders.
• Secures U.S. Government Indemnity for necessary loans and ensures all regulations are followed; prepares and submits application to the National Endowment for the Arts, Arts & Artifacts Indemnity Program.
• Secures Immunity from Judicial Seizure as needed for loans entering the United States; prepares and submits application to the U.S. State Department.
• Responsible for the art transportation portion of exhibition budgets, providing cost estimates for shipping, crating, courier, insurance, and other loan‑related costs, and tracking all costs with accurate fiscal records.
• Performs special projects as assigned by Director of Collections Management.

Salary Range $65,000 – $70,000 Application Material Please submit a resume, cover letter, and 3 professional references Full‑time Benefits include

• Free, unlimited admission to select Cleveland Museum of Art ticketed exhibitions (two adult member tickets per visit, subject to availability)
• 50% off admission to select ticketed exhibitions for members' guests
• Free admission to select ticketed exhibitions for unlimited children, 17 and younger, when accompanied by a member
• Priority registration and discounts for museum art classes for adults and children
• 20% discount in the museum store
• 25% discount in the museum restaurant and café
• Annual subscription to Cleveland Art members magazine
• Free Garage Parking
• Your employment relationship with the museum qualifies you for free or discounted admissions to other cultural institutions such as the Natural History Museum, Botanical Gardens, The Cleveland Zoo, etc.
• Medical
• Vision
• Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance
• Voluntary Life
• Short Term Disability
• Long Term Disability
• HSA
• FSA
• 401(k) with company match
• Critical Illness Insurance
• ID Theft
• Legal Services
• Pet Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Time Off

Equal Opportunity Employer

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.