Costume and Textile Conservator

The Academy Museum is seeking a full-time costume and textile conservator. The Academy currently runs an active conservation program focused on the care of objects and textiles. The Museum currently houses approximately 750 costumes in its permanent collection and cares for an extensive number of costumes on loan to the museum for exhibitions in its four floors of galleries. The costume and textile conservator will be responsible for the preservation, conservation, research and installation of all costumes in the museum’s permanent collection, as well as all incoming and outgoing costume loans. They will advise on new acquisitions, the selection of costumes for exhibition, and work with the collections team to develop safe handling and storage solutions for long-term preservation. One of the primary roles of the position will involve the preparation of costumes for display and photography, including treatment and documentation. The conservator will play a central role in the management of the mannequin inventory, ordering new mannequins and forms for exhibitions, mounting/dressing all costumes for display, and leading costume installations. They will work closely with the museum’s collections, exhibitions and curatorial teams and directly with lenders and film industry costume designers. This position reports to the Senior Objects Conservator.Duties and Responsibilities:Adhere to conservation best practices (such as the Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice of the American Institute for the Conservation of Artistic and Historic Works (AIC)).Assess the condition of costumes to determine storage, treatment, and exhibition needs.Perform conservation treatment on costumes at an advanced level in a museum setting as part of the maintenance of the Academy’s permanent collection, and to prepare them for exhibitions and outgoing loans.Advise on the long-term storage, preservation needs, and transport of costumes in the permanent and loaned collections.Responsible for preparing all costumes for exhibition, including creating custom mounts for mannequins, dress forms and making invisible forms.Develop exhibition guidelines regarding textiles on display to include exhibit environmental parameters and mount and case specifications.Responsible for the management of the mannequin and dress form collection, including keeping mannequin records updated in the museum database, and the coordination of packing and transport of mannequins between Academy buildings.Maintain accurate, retrievable, and searchable records in databases and files (shared drives, Airtable, etc).Manage the sourcing and ordering of mannequins, dress forms, and all costume mounting for multiple exhibitions.Manage the sourcing and ordering of textile conservation supplies.Develop, advise and assist with budgets related to the museum’s textile/costume exhibition and permanent collection programs.Work as an essential member of the conservation team to develop broader conservation initiatives, guidelines, protocols and workflows.Participate in the development of outreach and engagement initiatives with staff, and the public and/or artists to foster relationships that support the long-term care and display of works in the collection.Communicate with a wide range of audiences on conservation and preservation practices for textile and costume materials.Develop concepts, materials, and opportunities to teach, train or publish for the conservation community as needed.Aim to achieve sustainability, excellence, impact, and relevance for the whole organization.Work closely with other conservation and collections staff to establish procedures, priorities, and projects.Work with interns, temp staff and exhibition installation team to share knowledge on proper costume care, handling, and installation practices.Qualifications and Requirements:MA, MS or CAS from a recognized art conservation program or a MA from a fashion and textile studies program with demonstrated conservation treatment skills.Knowledge and demonstrated skills in the conservation treatment of costume collections, with an interest in modern fashion and costume for film.Knowledge of current collection management practices for textile and costume collections.Knowledge of conservation documentation photography, or a willingness to learn.Knowledge of garment construction.Highly skilled at mounting costumes on mannequins and dress forms for display using the most up-to-date museum practices, and able to provide a portfolio of images.Skilled at making invisible forms for the display of costumes.Knowledge of museum theory and exhibition planning for costumes, including setting light level and other display standards for textiles.Knowledge of fabrics for the purposes of material identification. Experience with microscopy and analytical tools for fiber analysis and identification highly desired. The lab has a reflected and transmitted light microscope, FTIR and other analytical equipment for material analysis.The ability to work independently and demonstrate excellent time management and organizational skills.The willingness to mentor and teach conservation interns and art installation staff.Excellent communication and collaboration skills.Strong problem-solving skills.Ability to create, manage, and reconcile budgets, revenue projections, and workplans.Willingness to travel locally to assess costumes, and to travel as part of courier trips and surveys. On average, the conservator may travel out of state 1-2 times a year.Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility, inclusion, and representation in professional, personal, or community settings.Physical Requirements:Ability to remain in a stationary position for prolonged periods.Move and transport up to 40 lbs.If hired, we require all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, unless a medical or religious accommodation is needed as determined on a case-by-case basis.The expected base salary for this role is $80,000. The actual base pay offered will be determined by factors such as experience, skills, training, location, certifications, education, and other factors permitted by law. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis.Our Benefits:Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision.PTO and Sick Time401(k)Full-Time/Part-Time: Full-TimePosition: Costume and Textile ConservatorLocation: Los AngelesAbout the Organization: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a global community of more than 10,000 of the most accomplished artists, filmmakers and executives working in film. In addition to celebrating and recognizing excellence in filmmaking through the Oscars, the Academy supports a wide range of initiatives to promote the art and science of the movies, including public programming, educational outreach and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.EOE Statement: The Academy is committed to equal opportunity in employment and to creating and valuing diversity in its workforce. Maintaining a diverse workforce is important to the Academy. The Academy enforces a strict policy that prohibits discrimination in hiring, training, compensation, promotion, transfer, or termination, whether on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation or genetic information. This includes a workplace that is free of all forms of harassment. Also, to help foster diversity, the Academy uses programs that ensure fairness of opportunity, pay, and growth to all applicants and employees. Every employee of the Academy is required to follow this policy and to preserve the Academy’s commitment to diversity.This position is currently accepting applications.

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