Research Assistant, Walther Collection Exhibition

THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF AR; New York (NY); On-site; USD 96,432,000 - 104,698,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

403(b) retirement plan with employer 3

Generous paid time off

Staff museum benefits

Subsidized staff cafeteria

Council pass for free admissions

Staff discounts

Job summary

The Metropolitan Museum of Art seeks a Research Assistant to support the upcoming Walther Collection exhibition (Fall 2028). You will assist with research, loan paperwork, and exhibition administration across curatorial and editorial teams.

Responsibilities include bibliographic research, catalogue editing, rights management, and collaboration with Design and Registrars to prepare the show. Strong writing and organizational skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Art History or related field; MA preferred.
• Strong background in history of photography, media and performance, visual and cultural studies, and/or global approaches to modern and contemporary art.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced environment and meet deadlines.
• Knowledge of German, Mandarin, Portuguese, or French is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Assist with limited loan paperwork, programming coordination, and artist correspondence.
• Conduct in-depth bibliographic and provenance research; compile exhibition history for the Walther Collection show.
• Assist with exhibition catalogue organization, editing texts, securing images and rights, and captions.
• Maintain exhibition checklist in The Museum System (TMS) and object files; process agreements; coordinate with registrars.
• Coordinate with registrars to obtain installation requirements in TMS; organize cross-department meetings.
• Support Curator in exhibition design across schematic and DD phases with Design Department.
• Assist with interpretive materials, gallery labels, images, captions, rights, and digital content.
• Assist with grant applications and fundraising, as needed.
• Assist with exhibition web page and promotional materials; coordinate related programs and talks.
• Lead gallery tours and coordinate installation/deinstallation; provide database support for Walther rotations.

Skills

Photography history

Independent research

Collaboration

Verbal communication

Deadline awareness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Art History

MA preferred

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Teams

Adobe Acrobat Pro

Adobe Photoshop

TMS (The Museum System)

Job description

The Metropolitan Museum of Art seeks a Research Assistant to support the upcoming Walther Collection exhibition (Fall 2028). You will assist with research, loan paperwork, and exhibition administration across curatorial and editorial teams.

Responsibilities include bibliographic research, catalogue editing, rights management, and collaboration with Design and Registrars to prepare the show. Strong writing and organizational skills are essential.