About the Mesoamerica Center
The Mesoamerica Center is an interdisciplinary organization within the Department of Art and Art History of the College of Fine Arts. The Center aims to facilitate knowledge, learning and understanding about the ancient indigenous cultures and peoples of what is now Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador through education, research and exchange. The Center aims to foster communication among many academic units on campus, highlighting the interdisciplinary strengths of faculty and students at UT-Austin. The Mesoamerica Center’s primary focus is on the arts, language, and archeology of Mesoamerican civilization.
The Mesoamerica Center oversees The Mesoamerica Meetings, a premier academic conference and symposium on Mesoamerican culture, and Casa Herrera, a research and teaching facility in the heart of the city of Antigua, Guatemala.
Overview
- 10 weeks from mid-June to end of August (June 17-August 20)
- Pay: $14/hour
- Hours: 10/week
- Days/Times: Thursdays and Fridays 10 am -3:30 pm
- Mode: In-person on the UT campus (ART building) most weeks, with some remote/online components.
Reports to the curator of the Art and Art History Collection (AAHC) Dr. Astrid Runggaldier, Assistant Director of the Mesoamerica Center and Associate Professor of Instruction, Department of Art and Art History.
Responsibilities
Assist with various collection management tasks associated with the deinstallation of the Blanton Museum AncientAmericas gallery including:
- rehousing of artworks from the ancient cultures of the Andes
- rehousing of related objects in new culture-based instead of collector-based storage system
- updating collection database records
- cross-checking records between AAHC inventory, DASe, and ArtStor
- strategizing for future displays in the FAL and other campus partners
- communication (email, in-person visits, Zoom meetings) with other campus partners
Eligibility and Selection Criteria
- Open to students currently enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin or graduating Spring 2021.
- Applicants who are familiar with the Art and Art History Collection (cultural content; inventory/database system;provenance records) are strongly encouraged to apply. Familiarity with the AAHC is defined as having fulfilled one of the following:
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- completed either ARH 347K “Art and Archaeology of Ancient Peru”; ARH 322 “Issues in Exhibitions and Collections:Textile Arts of the Indigenous Americas”; ARH 322 “Issues in Exhibitions and Collections: The Decolonized Museum”
- completed a Connecting Experience with the AAHC for the Museum Studies BDP
- been a volunteer in the ART Building lab for the AAHC
- Priority will be given to students majoring or minoring in Art History, and students who are currently in the Museum Studies BDP (from any major) or have been accepted into the program. Opportunity can fulfill Museum Studies BDP Connecting Experience requirements.
Required Qualifications
- Good organizational skills, and excellent attention to detail in the following: accurate input of data; checking for mistakes; and maintaining record of tasks for archival documentation
- Familiarity with Microsoft Excel; effective email communication skills
- Ability to lift and move boxes, and ability to follow instructions carefully as concerns the handling and care of ancient and fragile objects
Preferred Qualifications
- Working knowledge of the AAHC
- Ability to use DASe and ArtStor image databases
How to Apply
- Deadline: end-of-business (5 pm CST) on Friday May 21, 2021. Applicants will be notified starting May 26, 2021
- Please submit a letter of interest and current resumé to Dr. Astrid Runggaldier by emailing astrid@austin.utexas.edu
- The letter of interest should clearly address why you are interested in this opportunity, how completing this experience would make a positive impact on your program of study, and how you meet the requirements of the position.
- Priority will be given to students majoring or minoring in Art History, and students who are currently in the Museum Studies BDP (from any major) or have been accepted into the program