Job Description | Gallery Host
Division | Learning & Engagement
Department | Visitor Experience
Reporting Relationship | Coordinator, Visitor Experience
About The Newark Museum of Art:
We acknowledge the traditional homelands of the Lenape, also known as the Delaware, upon which The Newark Museum of Art resides.
We welcome everyone with inclusive experiences that spark curiosity and foster community.
Founded in 1909 and located in New Jersey, The Newark Museum of Art (NMOA) is the state's largest museum and ranks twelfth nationally in terms of collection size. Global and diasporic, the collection includes more than 130,000 artworks, as well as significant holdings of science and natural history. From the ancient world to the art of today, NMOA boasts exceptional quality and depth in the Arts of Global Africa; Arts of Global Asia, featuring a renown Tibetan collection and Buddhist altar; Arts of the Americas, with particular strength in Native American art; Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean, and Decorative Arts.
Visitor-and community-centered, NMOA responds to the evolving needs and interests of the diverse publics it serves by offering exhibitions, programming, a research library, paid internships, and local and global partnerships. A four-acre campus includes the National Historic Landmark Ballantine House (1885); the Ward Carriage House (1868); the Old Stone School House (1784); and the Alice Ransom Dreyfuss Memorial Garden. NMOA has launched an era of transformation to create an engaged citizenry by reimagining the role of the art museum for the 21st century.
Job Summary:
The Gallery Host supports daily operations across the Welcome Center, Coat Check, and Galleries, serving as a key member of the Visitor Experience team. Gallery Hosts create a warm, inclusive, and engaging environment for members, visitors, donors, and stakeholders by delivering genuine, high-quality service. Through active visitor engagement and a professional, positive demeanor, Gallery Hosts enthusiastically promote the Museum, its programs, and services while ensuring an exceptional on-site experience.
Work Schedule: This position is a part-time, onsite role. The Museum’s operating hours are Thursday – Sunday, 12pm - 5 pm, and candidates must be available to work those days and hours.
Responsibilities:
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Serve as the Museum representative in galleries. Greet and welcome all visitors.
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Monitor public activities in galleries. Ensure visitors adhere to Museum policies, paying particular attention to the safety of the collection and of others.
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Engage visitors in a professional, friendly, and positive manner. Answer questions regarding wayfinding, the collection, on-site facilities and services, programs and events, and more.
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Take ownership of visitor queries and respond with friendly, genuine attention and follow through as needed.
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Maintain sufficient knowledge of Museum’s history, collections, special exhibitions, and visitor policies.
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Remain alert and immediately report anything unusual or out of place. Notify the Manager immediately of any issues that require attention.
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Attend daily morning briefings, all-staff meetings, and periodic trainings.
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Monitor and replace any gallery materials as needed.
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Perform other duties as assigned.
Knowledge, Skills, and Attributes:
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Welcoming, positive attitude with creative thinking and a willingness to learn and grow
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Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage with individuals from diverse backgrounds
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Demonstrated computer proficiency, including experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Outlook)
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Comfortable working with large and varied audiences, including seniors, children, and individuals with special needs
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Customer service experience preferred
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Interest in the arts a plus
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Available to work at least four (4) days per week, Thursday–Sunday, from 12:00pm – 5pm.
Working Conditions/Physical Demands:
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Ability to remain in a stationary position for extended periods of time, move about, and access and operate computer equipment
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Ability to occasionally lift and move up to fifteen (15) pounds
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Ability to move throughout the Museum’s galleries, offices, facilities, and meeting spaces to engage with visitors, staff, trustees, and partners
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Ability to navigate accessible public and administrative areas of the Museum, including use of elevators
Rate: $15.92/hourly
The Newark Museum of Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Upholding this commitment, we prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type and afford equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. This commitment applies to all aspects of employment, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, training, promotion, placement, transfer, layoff, recall, leaves of absence, and termination.
We embrace a culture of inclusive excellence, ensuring that people of all backgrounds, identities, or abilities are empowered to explore, learn, contribute, and engage with the arts. Since its founding in 1909, the Museum has been grounded in the belief that art and learning are for everyone. The Museum reaffirms its dedication to this inclusive vision, which has shaped its aspirations, actions, and policies for over a century. More information on the Newark Museum of Art's commitment to a culture of inclusive excellence can be found here.
The Newark Museum of Art is dedicated to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As an integral part of this commitment, reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants and employees to support them in performing the essential functions of their roles, unless doing so would cause undue hardship on the organization. For inquiries regarding reasonable accommodation, please contact
[email protected].
