Senior Exhibition Lead & Fabrication Specialist

Virginia Commonwealth University; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 62,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Tuition benefits

Career development

Job summary

Virginia Commonwealth University invites applications for the Senior Preparator position at the Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA). The role oversees planning, design, fabrication, installation, and maintenance of exhibitions and commissions, ensuring safety and adherence to museum standards.

You will lead a team of art handlers, preparators, and fabricators, collaborate with curators and artists, and manage budgets, schedules, and facilities related to exhibition production at VCU's ICA in

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Studio Art, Architecture, or a related field.
• Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in museum exhibition preparation, exhibition design, or art fabrication.
• Demonstrated experience leading exhibition installations and supervising technical staff.
• Strong woodworking, fabrication, and finish carpentry skills.
• Experience with audiovisual systems and media-based artworks.
• Proficiency with design and drafting software (Adobe CreativeSuite, SketchUp, Vectorworks, AutoCAD, or similar).
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and safely operate shop equipment, ladders, scaffolding, and lifts.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning, scheduling, and execution of all exhibition installations, commissions, and gallery rotations.
• Develop and maintain positive working relationships with artists, curators, vendors, and institutional partners.
• Coordinate and manage the daily activities of preparators and contractors.
• Assign installation schedules and oversee workflow across multiple projects.
• Provide technical guidance and training to installation staff.
• Foster a collaborative and safety-focused work environment.
• Hires, Supervises, and Manages a team of Art Handlers, Preparators, and Fabricators to develop and install Installations.
• Collaborate with curators, artists, and external partners to develop exhibition concepts and technical plans.
• Evaluate project feasibility, budgets, schedules, and installation requirements for exhibitions and commissions.
• Develop production timelines and coordinate exhibition implementation from concept through deinstallation.
• Prepare technical drawings, layouts, and installation plans.
• Design exhibition layouts that support curatorial goals while maintaining visitor accessibility and safety.
• Oversee or fabricate exhibition furniture, display systems, mounts, pedestals, walls, and custom components.
• Manage outside fabricators and contractors when specialized production is required.
• Maintain workshop equipment and ensure safe fabrication practices.
• Lead all artwork handling, packing, transportation, installation, and deinstallation.
• Ensure proper care and preservation of artworks following museum best practices.
• Support incoming and outgoing artwork logistics.
• Plan, install, maintain, and troubleshoot audiovisual equipment for exhibitions.
• Coordinate with artists and vendors on specialized media installations.
• Manage software, hardware, projectors, monitors, sound systems, and interactive technologies as needed.
• Oversee the maintenance and presentation of galleries, workshops and storage areas.
• Monitor environmental and facility conditions affecting working areas.
• Manage exhibition production budgets with the Director of Exhibitions and Program Alignment.
• Source materials and equipment while maintaining cost-effective purchasing practices.
• Track expenditures and maintain production documentation.
• Coordinate rentals and vendor contracts.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Art handling

Safety compliance

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Studio Art/Architecture

Tools

Adobe CreativeSuite

SketchUp

Vectorworks

AutoCAD

Job description

Virginia Commonwealth University invites applications for the Senior Preparator position at the Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA). The role oversees planning, design, fabrication, installation, and maintenance of exhibitions and commissions, ensuring safety and adherence to museum standards.

You will lead a team of art handlers, preparators, and fabricators, collaborate with curators and artists, and manage budgets, schedules, and facilities related to exhibition production at VCU's ICA in