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Associate Preparator

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

This job is no longer accepting applications

See open jobs at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.See open jobs similar to "Associate Preparator" Hello West Michigan.

Operations

Grand Rapids, MI, USA

Posted on Jun 2, 2026
Position: Associate Preparator
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Job Id: 834
# of Openings: 1
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
Assistant Preparator

Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Schedule: Full-Time, Hourly | Occasional evenings and weekends required
Department: Collections & Exhibitions
Reports To: Manager of Collections & Exhibitions Preparation

Be Part of a World-Class Art Experience
At Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, art, nature, and culture come together to create one of the world’s premier sculpture park and museum experiences. As an Assistant Preparator, you’ll play a hands-on role in bringing exhibitions to life while helping care for a renowned permanent collection.

Whether you’re assisting with exhibition installations, helping move and mount artwork, preparing galleries, or supporting collections care, your work will directly contribute to experiences enjoyed by millions of guests each year. This is an exceptional opportunity for someone looking to build a career in museum exhibitions, collections, fabrication, or preparator work while learning alongside experienced museum professionals.


Why This Role Matters
The Assistant Preparator provides critical support to the Collections & Exhibitions team by helping prepare, install, document, maintain, and safely care for artworks and exhibitions. This role ensures galleries, exhibitions, storage spaces, and collection objects are maintained to professional museum standards while supporting the successful execution of temporary exhibitions and permanent collection displays.

Through hands-on learning and collaboration, the Assistant Preparator helps preserve and present art in ways that inspire learning, curiosity, and engagement for our guests.


What You’ll Do
Exhibition Installation & Gallery Preparation
  • Assist with gallery preparation, including wall preparation, painting support, lighting assistance, and exhibition setup.
  • Support exhibition installation and deinstallation projects, including object movement, unpacking, and packing.
  • Help position artwork, exhibition furniture, and display components according to museum standards.
Collections Care & Artwork Handling
  • Assist with the care, handling, movement, and storage of collection objects and temporary loans.
  • Support routine cleaning, monitoring, and condition reporting for permanent collection objects.
  • Follow established museum handling procedures to ensure the safe stewardship of artworks.
Fabrication & Display Support
  • Assist with the fabrication and installation of display cases, mounts, exhibition furniture, and display components.
  • Learn and safely operate hand tools, power tools, and exhibition equipment under supervision.
  • Support the construction and preparation of exhibition materials and installations.
Collections Documentation & Organization
  • Assist with documenting installations, object placement, and condition reporting.
  • Support data entry and updates within the collections management system.
  • Help maintain organized storage areas, inventories, supplies, tools, and materials.
Department Operations & Team Support
  • Assist with labeling, inventory checks, material preparation, and other exhibition-related administrative tasks.
  • Support volunteer and internship activities as directed by museum staff.
  • Participate in meetings, training opportunities, and departmental projects while building professional museum experience.

What You Bring
  • Valid US Driver's License
  • Ability to obtain lift certification upon hire.
  • Strong attention to detail and ability to follow written and verbal instructions.
  • Ability to work collaboratively on a team-oriented environment
  • Familiarity with Microsoft Office applications and Adobe Acrobat Pro
  • Basic familiarity with hand tools and an interest in learning museum preparation techniques.
  • Education: High school diploma or equivalent, required.
  • Preferred: Coursework in Art History, Studio Art, Museum Studies, or a related field. Previous experience in a museum, gallery, fabrication, installation, construction, or related hands-on environment. Prior exposure to collections management systems (EmbARK or similar).

What Makes This Opportunity Unique
  • Gain hands-on museum experience working alongside experienced preparators and collections professionals
  • Contribute to the installation and care of an internationally recognized art collection
  • Learn museum standards for exhibition preparation, collections care, and conservation practices
  • Develop technical skills related to fabrication, art handling, installation, and collections management
  • Build a strong foundation for a career in museums, galleries, exhibitions, collections, or cultural institutions.

Our Values
We look for team members who embody:
  • Welcoming: Fostering joy and an inclusive and accessible environment for everyone.
  • Excellence: Approaching all we do with world-class intentionalism.
  • Innovation: Embracing the future to create unique and engaging experiences in art, culture and nature with a commitment to creativity.
  • Integrity: Operating with honesty, transparency and accountability throughout the organization.
  • Stewardship: Preserving and enhancing our community, physical, cultural, and financial resources for current and future generations.

If you enjoy working with your hands, learning new technical skills, solving practical problems, supporting creative projects, and helping bring exhibitions and artwork to life, we’d love to hear from you.

Working Conditions: This role works across galleries, collection storage areas, workshops, offices, greenhouses, and outdoor exhibition spaces. Work regularly involves moving throughout museum facilities, handling objects and materials, and supporting exhibition projects in a variety of environments. Employees may work in changing weather conditions, including heat, cold, humidity, rain, snow, and direct sunlight. The position may involve exposure to tools, equipment, loud noise, dust, hazardous materials, and other conditions commonly associated with museum preparation and installation work.

Physical Requirements: The Assistant Preparator must be able to stand, walk, bend, reach, climb, and move throughout galleries, storage spaces, and exhibition areas for extended periods. This position requires frequent lifting and carrying of materials and equipment, including regularly moving up to 20 pounds, frequently moving up to 50 pounds, and occasionally assisting with the movement of heavier objects utilizing proper equipment and team lifting practices. The role requires the ability to climb ladders, safely use hand and power tools, operate lifts after certification, and perform detailed visual work while handling artwork, exhibition components, and collection materials.

As part of our onboarding process, all new hires are required to complete our background check.
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
We believe in fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.

Apply for this Position

This job is no longer accepting applications

See open jobs at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.See open jobs similar to "Associate Preparator" Hello West Michigan.
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