Museum Registrar

About Guild Hall

Guild Hall is a multidisciplinary cultural institution in East Hampton, founded in 1931 and recognized as the creative center of the East End. It brings together a museum, performing arts, and education under one roof, with a mission to make the arts accessible, spark conversation, and encourage creativity. The organization has a long exhibition history featuring major artists across modern and contemporary art, and its permanent collection includes more than 2,400 works with a strong regional emphasis. Guild Hall is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

The institution is currently in a major revitalization phase, including a $29 million facility-wide improvement project. Renovations have enhanced accessibility and program delivery, with the museum reopening in summer 2023 and the final theater phase completed in July 2024.

Role Summary

Guild Hall is seeking a Museum Registrar to support its active exhibition schedule and to oversee care, documentation, movement, and display of artworks in the exhibitions, permanent collection, and archive. This role is well suited to someone who is highly organized, precise, collaborative, and comfortable communicating with artists, collectors, lenders, contractors, and internal teams.

The registrar will handle registration work, shipping, insurance, condition reporting, and related correspondence. In addition, the role manages permanent collection records, artist files, digitization, and the development of a storage and management system for institutional archives, including photographs, printed ephemera, and memorabilia from Guild Hall’s 90-year history.

Key Responsibilities

Exhibition registration

• Coordinate transportation for artworks by working with artists, lenders, shippers, and Guild Hall’s curatorial, facilities, and security teams.
• Administer insurance, loan paperwork, transportation agreements, and other related contracts while ensuring all terms are followed.
• Collect, compare, and review transport and vendor quotes for accuracy, value, and budget alignment.
• Confirm that exhibitions meet Guild Hall’s standards, lender expectations, museum best practices, and conservation guidelines.
• Oversee installation and de-installation processes, including packing, unpacking, condition checks, and coordination of handlers, movers, conservators, framers, and other vendors.
• Keep complete records for incoming loans, including condition reports, location information, and exhibition files.
• Track the condition of works in display and storage, arrange inspections and maintenance, and escalate conservation concerns when needed.
• Manage exhibition tours, outgoing loans, facility reports, and related records.
• Prepare documentation and correspondence for review and regulatory bodies, including the East Hampton Design Review Board, when required.
• Monitor budgets, process invoices, and maintain financial records for assigned duties.
• Stay informed about AAM standards and current museum practice.

Permanent collection and archive

• Act as collection manager and maintain the collection database with accurate information on acquisitions, locations, photography, research, exhibition history, bibliography, and label text.
• Handle outgoing loan activity, including requests, borrower communication, shipping, storage coordination, and documentation.
• Document new acquisitions properly, assign accession numbers, and keep records consistent with museum standards.
• Build and improve collection management, file organization, metadata, and tagging systems that align with best practices and finding aids.
• Support preservation of the permanent collection through condition review, conservation coordination, framing oversight, appraisals, photography, and digitization.
• Maintain the permanent collection website and assist with research requests related to the collection and archive.
• Coordinate rights and reproduction requests with the Museum Director.
• Work with the Fine Arts Insurance Company, off-site storage vendors, the East Hampton Library, and other collection partners.
• Create practical solutions for organizing and storing archival materials such as photographs, slides, playbills, printed ephemera, and digital media.
• Maintain correspondence files and historical records tied to exhibitions, collections, and archives.
• Respond to public questions about exhibitions, acquisitions, donations, proposals, and the collection when needed.
• Track museum furniture, fixtures, AV equipment, and art-handling spaces, ensuring inventory and secure storage.
• Communicate with the Museum Advisory Committee and help advance collection access, revenue opportunities, traveling exhibitions, and related programming.

Qualifications

The right candidate will be collaborative, highly attentive to detail, and motivated by the care and presentation of artworks within an interdisciplinary setting. A strong alignment with Guild Hall’s mission and its emphasis on creativity, joy, and play is important.

Education and experience

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in art history, museum studies, or a related discipline.
• At least 3 years of relevant experience in an art museum or gallery setting.
• Background in a nonprofit arts organization preferred.
• Working knowledge of collection management systems preferred.
• Understanding of current museum methods and professional best practices.

Skills and performance

• Strong written and verbal communication abilities.
• Solid research, troubleshooting, and project coordination skills.
• Excellent attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple priorities and work to deadlines.
• Experience with art handling, installation, and collection care preferred.
• Comfort working collaboratively in a team environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office; Adobe Creative Suite is an advantage.
• Experience using collection management software such as Argus.

Compensation and benefits

The salary starts at $60,000 per year and may increase based on experience and qualifications. Benefits include employer-paid health, disability, and life insurance, 22 days of paid time off in the first year, a 403(b) plan, and FSA options.

Equal opportunity statement

Guild Hall encourages applicants who meet many, though not necessarily all, of the requirements to apply. The organization is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, national origin, ethnic origin, citizenship status, disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. Reasonable accommodations are available for qualified individuals with disabilities.

Application instructions

Submit a resume and cover letter together as a single PDF to Melanie Crader at the email provided by the organization.