Curatorial Assistant – Guelph Museums

Why Guelph

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 Guelph’s 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.

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, leading-edge 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.

Position Overview

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 re-visioned and renovated the semi-permanent 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 photo-documentation 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;
  • Cross-referencing 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 post-secondary programs of study: History, Art History, Studio Art, or Other Humanities/Social Sciences (3rd or 4th year undergraduate-level), Collections Conservation and Management (1st year college-level), or Applied Museum Studies (1st or 2nd year college-level).
• 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;
  • are legally entitled to work in Canada;
  • 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 work35 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 applyInterested candidates can submit their application by April 18, 2025, to Young Canada Works.

For more information, please contact: dawn.owen@guelph.ca (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 organization's 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.