Curatorial Assistant Guelph Museums

When you join the City of Guelph you join a team of over 2000 employees who deliver services the community relies on every day. Together we are bringing to life Guelphs vision of an inclusive connected and prosperous city where we look after each other and our environment. As a single tier municipality we offer a variety of occupations and career specialities within our organization. Guided by the goals and objectives of the Future Guelph: Strategic Plan and committed to the Corporate Values of integrity service inclusion wellness and learning the candidate will aid in the achievement of the Community Vision for an inclusive connected prosperous city.

About Guelph Museums

Guelph Museums (Guelph Ontario) consists of three heritage sites Guelph Civic Museum McCrae House and Locomotive 6167 through which we explore our local histories in the form of exhibitions online access educational programming and community events.

The place we call Guelph has served as traditional lands and a place of refuge for many peoples over time including the Attiwonderonk and the Haudenosaunee. This land is held as the treaty lands and territory with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Guelph lies directly adjacent to the Haldimand Tract and is part of a longestablished traditional hunting ground for the Six Nations of the Grand River. Many First Nations Inuit and Mtis peoples from across Turtle Island call Guelph home today.

As a centre of learning Guelph Museums is a trusted source for understanding our cultural past; however as a colonial institution we have contributed to the marginalization of Black Indigenous and People of Colour and their communities. Now and forward Guelph Museums is centering the voices of peoples historically silenced in colonial spaces.

In 2025 we are committed to projects that strengthen and build relationships and are embedded in rigorous research consultation and collaboration. We aim to create safer and braver spaces for truth telling attract and connect with diverse audiences deepen visitor engagement and embrace innovative leadingedge museum practices and technologies. These guiding principles inform all that we do at Guelph Museums and as such extend to the incumbent in the Curatorial Assistant position described below.

Resumes are being accepted for the position of Curatorial Assistant at Guelph Museums within the Culture and Recreation Department of Public Services. Reporting to the Curator Museums & Culture the Curatorial Assistant will contribute to collection management objectives in preparation for the renovation of the City Gallery including the decommission of artifacts from the existing display and the preparation of artifacts for display in the new Gathering Gallery within the Guelph Civic Museum. This marks the first time in more than 12 years that Guelph Museums has fully revisioned and renovated the semipermanent galleries (encompassing the entirety of the 3rd floor). The new Gathering Gallery will be publicly unveiled in June 2026.

Key duties and responsibilities

• Decommission of approx. 165 artifacts from the City Gallery:
  
  • Updating records to current museological standards
  • Incorporating exhibition text into the collection records
  • Conducting new research to update exhibition narratives where required
  • Completing condition assessment and photodocumentation of artifacts.
• Preparation of approx. 150 artifacts for the new Gathering Gallery:
  
  • Updating records to current museological standards;
  • New photography (where required);
  • Incorporating current research;
  • Conducting new scholarship (from recent exhibition development) into the records;
  • Crossreferencing to ensure associated records (for artifacts not on display) are also updated to standard.
• Identify and resolve errors/misunderstandings in historical data:
  
  • Address inaccuracies and/or problematic language in the catalogue records.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and requirements

• Enrollment in one of the following postsecondary programs of study: History Art History Studio Art or Other Humanities/Social Sciences 3rd or 4th year undergraduatelevel) Collections Conservation and Management 1st year collegelevel) or Applied Museum Studies 1st or 2nd year collegelevel).
• Strong organizational skills good computer skills digital programming skills and some experience in research.
• Data entry skills and experience with PastPerfect (or other data management systems) are considered assets.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Must be registered with Young Canada Works:
• Must meet eligibility requirements as determined by Young Canada Works:
  
  • are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident or have refugee status in Canada (nonCanadians holding temporary work visas or awaiting permanent resident status are not eligible);
  • are legally entitled to work in Canada (have a valid social insurance number);
  • are between 16 and 30 years of age inclusively at the start of employment; and
  • are a high school college CEGEP or university student.

Hours of work
35 hours per week usually Monday to Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. (must be available some weekends and evenings). This is a fixed term contract from May 12 2025 until August 29 2025.

Pay/Salary
$18.90 $22.23 per hour

How to apply
Interested candidates can submit their application by April 18 2025 to more information please contact: (subject line: Curatorial Assistant YCW)

The City of Guelph is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where employees feel welcome valued and engaged. Our employment policies strictly prohibit all forms of discrimination on any of the grounds in relevant laws. All employment practices are solely based on individual merit qualifications and organizations needs at the time. In keeping with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act we are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals in our job application procedures. If you need an accommodation in order to participate in the hiring process you may contact us to make your needs known in advance.

Personal information collected through the recruitment process will be used solely to determine eligibility for employment. We thank all candidates in advance; however only those being considered for an interview will be contacted.