Registrar - Exhibitions

Summary

MoMA PS1 champions how art and artists are at the intersection of the social, cultural, and political issues of their time. Providing audiences with the agency to ask questions, access to knowledge, and a forum for public debate, PS1 has offered insight into artists’ diverse worldviews for more than 45 years. Founded in 1976 by Alanna Heiss, the institution was a defining force in the alternative space movement in New York, transforming a 19th‑century public schoolhouse in Long Island City into a site for artistic experimentation and creativity.

With an annual budget of approximately $12M, PS1 has been a member of New York City’s Cultural Institutions Group (CIG) since 1982, and an affiliate of The Museum of Modern Art since 2000.

We recognize that a successful candidate will meet many of the requirements listed on this job description but may not meet 100% of the qualifications. If much of this job description describes you, we encourage you to apply for this role.

This position reports to the Senior Registrar, Exhibitions, and works collaboratively across all museum departments including Program Production, Curatorial, External Affairs, Visitor Engagement, Security, Operations, and Administration, as well as with lenders, conservators, artists, couriers, and other artistic collaborators. The Registrar works closely with one Assistant Registrar as well as regularly scheduled contract Registrars. In collaboration with the Assistant Installation Manager, the Registrar guides a team of seasonal gallery installation staff.

• Coordinate and manage logistical arrangements pertaining to transportation, customs clearance, booking transports and requesting/comparing shipping estimates, packing, and courier needs for borrowed artworks.
• Develop registration budgets by creating initial estimates, processing and tracking expenses, and reporting regularly on budgets related to exhibitions.
• Issue loan agreements and review/negotiate lender terms and requirements of agreements in collaboration with the Director of Program Production, Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs, MoMA Legal team and insurance agent.
• Plan install and deinstall schedules in collaboration with the Program Production team; consider staffing levels for art handler needs, contract registrar assignments, artists on-site, couriers, conservators, shipping deadlines and curatorial priorities.
• Adhere to the industry’s best practices for art handling, movement, installation, storage, condition reporting, data management, packing and shipping.
• Create and maintain all condition report documents and images.
• Work across museum departments to implement security protocols and floor plans as they pertain to art object safety; communicate and educate staff on art safety; maintain and distribute reference photos of each exhibition to share with front‑line staff.
• Liaise with relevant departments to help maintain the incoming and outgoing shipping schedule for the museum.
• Function as the on‑site and off‑site storage liaison and maintain inventories, exhibition data, coordinate deliveries, track insurance values, and issue COIs for artwork on and off‑site.
• Collaborate with MoMA’s CEMS team to customize templates for MoMA PS1.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• Minimum of 4 years relevant experience managing exhibitions with responsibility for logistical arrangements pertaining to packing, transportation, customs clearance, and courier needs, for complex exhibitions involving foreign and domestic loans.
• Attention to detail, with ability to prioritize and manage time effectively, multitask, and meet deadlines in a fast‑paced environment with frequently changing deadlines.
• Experience developing, managing and overseeing registration budgets.
• Knowledge of standard museum loan and registration practices and understanding of fine arts insurance.
• Experience with art handling, transportation, and knowledge of best practices.
• Familiarity with exhibition…