BMRC Graduate Assistant

The Art Institute of Chicago (111 S Michigan Ave, Chicago) is one of the oldest and largest museums in the United States. Founded in 1879, the Art Institute houses an extraordinary collection of objects from across places, cultures, and time and serves as a place of active learning for all—dedicated to investigation, innovation, education, and dialogue—and continually aspiring to greater public service and civic engagement. The Ryerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives holds a renowned collection of materials connected to architecture, urban planning, and design in Chicago and the greater Midwest.

Project Summary:

The Black Metropolis Graduate Assistant (BMGA) will help initiate a new research focus at the museum on the history of Black architects and designers in the Midwest. This project will contribute to the growth of the Ryerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives to better represent the full range of work that advanced American architecture and design, with the potential to shape future exhibition projects, publications, and programs inside and outside of AIC. The BMGA will help lay the foundation for further collection development, focusing first on Chicago and then expanding to the Midwest.

Working alongside the incoming Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Curatorial Fellow in Architecture and Design for African American Architecture and Design in Chicago, the BMGA will:

· Develop a research guide for Black Chicago-area architects and designers towards a roadmap for collection development, which might take the form of a resource map, resume for individuals and projects, annotated bibliography, list of relevant holdings in institutions, list of living relatives, and more.

· Organize convening(s) to examine key figures, themes, and conceptual frameworks for this research, and to consider the legacies of historical work on the contemporary architects, designers, and artists in the city 

· Create a framework for collecting oral histories, which might include developing a list of possible interviewees, exploring methodologies, and consulting specialists across disciplinary perspectives.

· Engage with Black Metropolis Research Consortium (BMRC) member institutions, other institutions, architects, designers, and scholars working on these topics. The BMGA will also join the cohort of interns and fellows supported by the Academic Engagement and Research department and will be encouraged to attend programs with other emerging scholars and museum staff covering a wide range of museum activities.

Desired Skills/Characteristics:

· Strong Interest in collections management

· Detail-oriented mindset and demonstrated organizational skills

· Demonstrated capacity for analytical work

· Some knowledge of art/art history and an interest in Chicago and Midwest history, art, design, and architecture

· Experience conducting research in archives or special collections

Other requirements:

The BMGA should anticipate travel to Chicago-area collections. They will have periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer and must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time. They will often operate a computer and other office productivity machinery such as scanners and printers, phone and email. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, ability to adjust focus, and the ability to sustain prolonged visual concentration.