What are the responsibilities and job description for the Temporary Preparator for Art & Art History Dept. position at Berea College?
Please note that references provided at the time of application for staff positions will not be contacted until the applicant has been offered the position.
Description
Reporting to the Director of the Doris Ulmann Galleries, this temporary, two-month grant-funded position will directly support the physical and logistical aspects of upcoming exhibitions at the College’s art museum, with work to be carried out over the summer months (June-July 2026). The Preparator will support all aspects of exhibition installation and preparing artworks for display; fine art packing and unpacking; and designing and constructing displays, mounts, and crates. The person in this role will meet regularly and work closely with the Director and the Galleries staff, including students, to ensure the successful and safe implementation of exhibitions leading up to the start of the 2026-2027 academic year.
On Campus Housing may be available for this position. More details will be available during the interview process. Applications will be accepted through April 27, 2026. Application review will begin April 27, 2026 with interviews to follow. This position is expected to begin June 1, 2026 and end July 31, 2026.
Your Key Responsibilities
Education required to ensure success in this position:
Located where the Bluegrass Region meets the Cumberland Mountains, the town of Berea (pop. 16,000) lies forty miles south of Lexington and is approximately two hours from Cincinnati, Louisville, and Knoxville. More information about Berea College is available at www.berea.edu.
Berea College, in light of its mission in the tradition of impartial love and social equality, welcomes all people of the earth to learn and work here.
Berea College is always looking for talented, self-motivated individuals to join our team. If you think you are ready to be a part of an exciting team, then we encourage you to continue with this applicant friendly, online job application!
Berea College is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.
This position is not eligible for benefits, however, Berea College still offers unique position opportunities you can read more about below.
Our Unique Culture
Berea College strives to be a place where people with various Christian interpretations, different religious traditions, and no religious traditions work together in support of Berea's Great Commitments.
Over the past century, various leaders of the College have applied the College’s inclusive scriptural foundation and spirit to their expanding world and welcomed those whose beliefs were consistent with the Christian gospel of impartial love. Therefore, Berea College today affirms its inclusive Christian tradition even as it respects the traditions of Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus, as well as other faiths, and those holding no religious beliefs. We strive not to ignore our differences, but rather seek to understand each other honestly and respectfully, and together create a climate where anyone can openly discuss what they believe without fear of sanction. To that end, all persons who are willing to share in the spirit and the work of the Great Commitments as shaped by its preamble are welcome to study, to teach, and to work at Berea
Labor Supervision
In support of Berea College’s great commitments, staff and faculty serve as labor supervisors. Our fourth great commitment, The Dignity of Labor, promotes learning and serving in community through the student Labor Program, honoring the dignity and utility of all work, mental and manual, and taking pride in work well done. Student Labor Supervision includes scheduling, assigning, and approving student work, developing students' workplace acumen, and providing tangible work experience. To learn more about the labor program office please see the following link Labor Program Office.
Description
Reporting to the Director of the Doris Ulmann Galleries, this temporary, two-month grant-funded position will directly support the physical and logistical aspects of upcoming exhibitions at the College’s art museum, with work to be carried out over the summer months (June-July 2026). The Preparator will support all aspects of exhibition installation and preparing artworks for display; fine art packing and unpacking; and designing and constructing displays, mounts, and crates. The person in this role will meet regularly and work closely with the Director and the Galleries staff, including students, to ensure the successful and safe implementation of exhibitions leading up to the start of the 2026-2027 academic year.
On Campus Housing may be available for this position. More details will be available during the interview process. Applications will be accepted through April 27, 2026. Application review will begin April 27, 2026 with interviews to follow. This position is expected to begin June 1, 2026 and end July 31, 2026.
Your Key Responsibilities
- Facilitates the installation of exhibitions of artworks from the permanent collection and artworks on loan, including moving, hanging, and displaying artworks and artifacts, in accordance with museum industry standards and conservation best practices.
- Prepares galleries for exhibition (e.g. preparing gallery walls and/or pedestals for display, lighting, vinyl application, installing multimedia equipment for video or other intermedia artwork).
- Designs and fabricates custom mounts, displays, pedestals, and interactive exhibition components.
- Prepares artworks for display, including professional matting and framing of two-dimensional artwork.
- Supports collections maintenance related to proper collections care and safety, in accordance with museum standards (e.g. designing and building storage units, etc., for collections care).
- Maintains inventory of tools, equipment, and supplies for exhibition preparation and submits requests for supplies and materials as needed.
- Works with the Galleries staff to install artworks that may in some cases exceed 40 lbs.
- Undertakes general maintenance and care of collections storage spaces.
- Prepares artworks for transport in accordance with museum standards, including building crates as needed.
- Assists with transportation of artworks as needed (incoming/outgoing loans, artwork deliveries, conservation, etc.).
- Operates, cleans, and maintains tools and equipment.
- Maintains a clean, organized, and safe workspace in the 3D Shop in the Traylor Art Building.
- Coordinates with Galleries staff and campus partners to design and carry out installation timelines for all exhibitions projects in support of the established exhibition schedule.
Education required to ensure success in this position:
- Bachelor’s degree required
- Relevant experience may substitute for some education
- Minimum of two years experience in carpentry, artwork handling, mount making, and exhibition installation
- Minimum of two years experience working in museums and/or galleries to plan and realize technical aspects of exhibitions
- Knowledge of studio art, museum work, art history and/or other related
- Knowledge of and ability to maintain OSHA standards
- Art handling and project management skills
- Ability to work with care and extreme attention to detail
- Expertise in usage of hand tools, power tools, and lifts safely according to industry standards
- Ability to multitask, prioritize, and work under tight schedules and fixed deadlines
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively on a small team
- Creative problem solving
- Valid Driver’s License
- Ability to comfortably and safely lift up to 50lbs.
- Ability to lift, carry, move, and install artwork safely at various heights
- Ability to climb stairs and ladders
- Work is completed mostly in a temperature-controlled museum, studio, and/or workshop setting but may include some time in outdoor weather.
Located where the Bluegrass Region meets the Cumberland Mountains, the town of Berea (pop. 16,000) lies forty miles south of Lexington and is approximately two hours from Cincinnati, Louisville, and Knoxville. More information about Berea College is available at www.berea.edu.
Berea College, in light of its mission in the tradition of impartial love and social equality, welcomes all people of the earth to learn and work here.
Berea College is always looking for talented, self-motivated individuals to join our team. If you think you are ready to be a part of an exciting team, then we encourage you to continue with this applicant friendly, online job application!
Berea College is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.
This position is not eligible for benefits, however, Berea College still offers unique position opportunities you can read more about below.
Our Unique Culture
Berea College strives to be a place where people with various Christian interpretations, different religious traditions, and no religious traditions work together in support of Berea's Great Commitments.
Over the past century, various leaders of the College have applied the College’s inclusive scriptural foundation and spirit to their expanding world and welcomed those whose beliefs were consistent with the Christian gospel of impartial love. Therefore, Berea College today affirms its inclusive Christian tradition even as it respects the traditions of Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus, as well as other faiths, and those holding no religious beliefs. We strive not to ignore our differences, but rather seek to understand each other honestly and respectfully, and together create a climate where anyone can openly discuss what they believe without fear of sanction. To that end, all persons who are willing to share in the spirit and the work of the Great Commitments as shaped by its preamble are welcome to study, to teach, and to work at Berea
Labor Supervision
In support of Berea College’s great commitments, staff and faculty serve as labor supervisors. Our fourth great commitment, The Dignity of Labor, promotes learning and serving in community through the student Labor Program, honoring the dignity and utility of all work, mental and manual, and taking pride in work well done. Student Labor Supervision includes scheduling, assigning, and approving student work, developing students' workplace acumen, and providing tangible work experience. To learn more about the labor program office please see the following link Labor Program Office.