Conservator (Paintings)
Summary
Preserves and restores paintings in the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s collection, conducts condition assessments, and educates the public on conservation practices.
The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo. This position is located in Curatorial Office, Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM), Undersecretary for Museums and Culture. SAAM shares the stories of our nation through American art and craft to inspire reflection, spark dialogue, and build connections.
The Conservator will monitor the condition of and treat works of art in the SAAM collection as well as educate the public on the importance of conservation. In this position, you will: Perform independent technical examinations of works of art submitted to the lab to determine their condition, including the kind and extent of deterioration and treatment needed. Perform extremely delicate treatments and operations on fragile artworks. Investigate and monitor potential hazards in museum spaces resulting from unfavorable environmental conditions, human neglect, or carelessness. Provide expertise on climate control, light intensity, storage, and handling. Provide information and advice to the public while performing treatments. Partner with other organizations in organizing programs and educational opportunities. Demonstrate conservation techniques for interactive kiosks and on-line videos. APPLICATION LIMIT STATEMENT: ATTENTION: Due to the large number of qualified applicants for positions of this type, this job announcement will close at 11:59 pm Eastern Time on either: (A) The closing date listed above or (B) The date that 200 applications are received; whichever occurs first. If the announcement closes on the date that 200 applications are received, all applications submitted by 11:59pm that day will be given consideration, including those in excess of 200. We encourage applicants to apply as soon as possible to ensure their applications are submitted before the announcement closes. We will not consider applications which are late due to the announcement closing once the above number of applications is reached.
Conditions of Employment Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions on OPM website.