Stephen Sprouse Archives Fellowship

Opportunity Title: Stephen Sprouse Archives Fellowship

Reports To: Interim Director of Library & Archives

Salary/Hourly: Hourly

Position Type: Full Time, temporary 6 months

Hourly Rate: $24/hour

Detailed Description

The Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields seeks applicants for the Stephen Sprouse Archives Fellowship. This temporary, six-month position within the Archives and Library is ideal for early career professionals and current or recent graduate students specializing in archival science. The Fellow reports to the Interim Director of the Library & Archives, and works closely with the Librarian, Registration, and Education Department to organize and digitize the Sprouse Papers.

This role facilitates access to the Sprouse Papers by assisting in the development and implementation of digital tools and works collaboratively with staff across Newfields to achieve project goals. The Fellow also supports Library projects and may contribute to the development of programs and publications that feature the museum’s archival holdings.

About the Stephen Sprouse Papers: Stephen Sprouse was a groundbreaking fashion designer active from the early 1980s through his death in 2004. He collaborated with Andy Warhol, NASA, Target, and Louis Vuitton, to name just a few examples of his influence. Newfields acquired the Stephen Sprouse fashion collection, including his archives, from the Sprouse family in 2018-2019, and mounted an exhibition in 2022. The archival collection measures approximately 76 linear feet and contains an array of formats, from paper to Polaroids, fabric samples and patterns, and magnetic media. Sprouse used Polaroid film as his primary means of documenting his work and muses, and there are over 5,000 prints in the collection that need to be processed.

Responsibilities

• Using the existing inventories, the fellow will:
• Assess and organize archival materials into a coherent, research ready arrangement manner, in consultation with the Interim Director of Library & Archives and Curatorial.
• Rehouse materials into acid-free folders or appropriate storage containers, with guidance from Conservation staff as needed.
• Develop a comprehensive finding aid and descriptive metadata to support scholarly and public access.
• Digitize select materials, time permitting, and generate associated metadata.
• Collaborate with staff to upload digitized materials into Newfields’ digital asset management system.
• Participate in team meetings and cross-departmental check-ins to share updates and align on institutional priorities.
• Support day-to-day operations of the Stout Reference Library, including reference services, collection maintenance, and public engagement as appropriate.
• Supports Library and Learning Innovation projects at Newfields and may contribute to the development of programs and publications that feature the museum’s archival holdings.
• Must be available to work onsite and some weekends and evenings.

Required Skills

• Knowledge of current archival standards and best practices.
• Familiarity with archival management systems such as ArchivesSpace.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Proven ability to organize and synthesize information, making logical connections between materials.
• Ability to collaborate with team members in a timely and effective manner.

Education and/or Experience

• Master’s degree in Library or Archival Science, History, Museum Studies, or Art History – preferred.
• Demonstrated experience through coursework or internships.
• Knowledge of fashion design, trends, and terminology a plus.

Physical Demands of the Work Environment

The physical demands and work environmental characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk or hear; taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the position. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.