MAAM Museum Attendant

Job Description:

Compensation: $15/hour

The Museum Attendant (MA) position empowers emerging artists at Mass Art to become confident and engaged makers, designers, citizens, and professionals through experience in a museum environment.

The MA initiative at Mass Art Art Museum (MAAM) is rooted in Mass Art's mission and values and is essential to transforming Mass Art's culture and community as a space to experience works by visionary artists at the forefront of contemporary art. As a teaching museum, we are committed to educating and empowering the next generation of artists?both on our campus and throughout the world.

All MAs will be expected to uphold Mass Art's missions and values as we work together to make MAAM an equitable place to work, learn, live, and make.

The Museum Attendant at MAAM is the primary public-facing, front-line Museum representative and strives to create a welcoming and positive visitor experience for all Museum visitors. The primary responsibilities of the Museum Attendant are to:

• Safeguard the artwork on view by proactively and courteously enforcing museum rules
• Provide superior customer service in a welcoming and informative environment for visitors of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.

Museum Attendants are required to work a minimum of 6-8 hours per week (Thursday-Sunday) during the museum's regular exhibition cycles, in addition to mandatory monthly training.

ELIGIBILITY

The Museum Attendant program is open to undergraduate students al candidates for the Museum Attendant position are students who will be in their sophomore or junior year at the start of the  academic year and who are responsible, reliable, and willing to learn. This position involves frequent interaction with the public; interpersonal communication skills are key.

This paid position is open to all students, regardless of work study eligibility; work study and non-work study eligible students are encouraged to apply.

Thursday evening availability is preferred, but not required.

Additional Responsibilities:
In the course of a typical shift, Museum Attendants are responsible for the following (but not limited to):

• Providing superior customer service
• Opening and closing the Museum on days MAAM is open to the public
• Preparing the exhibitions for public engagement, including turning on and off displays
• Basic gallery maintenance including cleaning and preventive conservation
• Staffing the admissions desk; registering visitors using the Museums ticket reservation system, proactively and warmly welcoming Museum visitors; preparing visitors for successful Museum experiences
• Monitoring Museum gallery, programming, and public spaces; proactively enforcing museum rules (such as no touching of art, no water bottles in galleries, no flash photography) and COVID-19 policies (masks required inside MAAM)
• Working to support special events at MAAM such as public Museum programs (Twilight at MAAM, Make with MAAM, MAAM Talks, etc.)

Learning Outcomes, Skills to be Gained, and Additional Benefits
Over the course of the Museum Attendants time at MAAM, the MA will gain valuable hands-on professional experience and transferable skills in Boston's only free museum of contemporary art, preparing them for future work in museums or related spaces within the arts and culture field. Specifically, Museum Attendants will be well versed in the following:

• Superior customer service skills including developing solutions to visitors' issues and creating a welcoming, friendly, and engaging museum experience
• Museum best practices and standards including courteously enforcing museum rules and maintaining gallery spaces
• Experience thriving in team setting, working closely with a cohort of more than 13+ Museum Attendants
• Basic transferable professional skills such as time management/managing a work schedule, balancing multiple commitments as a busy college student, verbal and interpersonal communication
• Experience working in a professional setting as an integral part of a small, dynamic museum team

Additional Museum Attendant benefits include:

• Structured orientation and onboarding program that prepares individuals to successfully execute the duties of a Museum Attendant
• Ongoing year-long training in the field of museum studies, facilitated by MAAM professional staff and other professionals in the Museum field
• Access to the Museum's Student Recharge Area
• Potential to pursue additional paid opportunities at MAAM, including leading museum events and programs for the public with support from MAAM staff

Requirements:

• The Museum Attendant program is open to undergraduate students at Mass Art.
• Successful candidates for the Museum Attendant position are responsible, reliable, and willing to continually learn throughout the year.
• Art Education and Art History majors, as well as students with an interest in museum work and community engagement are strongly encouraged to apply.

Additional Information:

Please note Mass Art:

• Does not support employment-based visa sponsorship or non-student exchange…