Curatorial Research Assistant (African Arts)

University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) 

The Curatorial Research Assistant (African Arts) will focus primarily on support to the Assistant Curator of African Art for the Museum’s forthcoming publication Ghana 1957, to be published in summer 2027.

In this role the research assistant provides practical support in all areas of image sourcing and digital asset management including creating and maintaining a Google spreadsheet of image requests and payments, organizing publication-ready image files for use by designer and other UMMA colleagues, sourcing hi-resolution images for publication, communicating with image providers and copyright holders to secure necessary permissions to reproduce, and coordinating new photography with public and private lenders, and photographers in Ghana. Additional responsibilities will include collection research, data entry, and collection interpretations, reporting directly to the Assistant Curator of African Art.

Prior museum experience is not required, but successful applicants should have taken at least one advanced-level (300 or higher) art history or research-focused humanities course by the start of employment. Ideal candidates will also have strong organizational skills and the ability to compose professional emails.

Please upload a resume and 1-page cover letter as one file.