ABOUT THE WALTERS ART MUSEUM
The Walters Art Museum is among America’s most distinctive museums, forging connections between people and art from cultures around the world and spanning seven millennia. Located in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood, the Walters is free for all. The museum’s campus includes five historic buildings and 36,000 art objects.
Today, the Walters serves Baltimore and Maryland by embracing its role as educator and storyteller, using the collection as a vehicle of knowledge and cultural expression to support learning, dialogue, and community engagement. The museum is committed to public education, offering essential programs that help people to connect art to their lives. The Walters Visitor Promise aligns staff and volunteers across the museum to preserve and share the works in our care for future generations, partner with communities, and create welcoming, accessible experiences for visitors. The museum offers challenging and creative work opportunities by promoting collaboration, teamwork, and a culture that celebrates the diversity and inclusion of all.
Overview of Role
The Gallery Officer provides a safe and secure environment for all visitors and staff, as well as the art collection, by monitoring the activities in the museum. The Gallery Officer will report hazards such as fire, theft, vandalism, trespassing, disorderly conduct, etc., maintain order, and enforce the policies and procedures of the Walters Art Museum.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Develop and maintain a strong knowledge of the art collection, the building structure and floorplans, and the museum’s policies and procedures.
- Uphold the Museum’s Visitor Promise by ensuring that the Museum is safe, welcoming, and accessible, through work that includes but is not limited to the following activities:
- Patrolling throughout the museum, monitoring the activity of visitors and staff to ensure compliance with its policies and to ensure a safe and secure environment in accordance with the Visitor Promise;
- Checking for fire and safety hazards, vandalism, suspicious activity, and improper behavior;
- Reporting all incidents to the security supervisor, and
- Responding to safety and security threats and hazardous situations as directed.
- Inspect the art at various times during the shift and report any unusual circumstances.
- Prepare written reports of damage and unsafe conditions.
- Prepare the galleries for daily operations each morning and report operations issues and damage to the supervisor. Close the galleries at the end of the day, ensuring no visitors remain inside the museum.
- Maintain a positive work relationship with Conservation, Registrars, and Collections Technicians to ensure the safekeeping of the art.
- Remain alert and attentive to the needs of visitors and staff; ensure that the museum is free from danger, risk, or otherwise hazardous situations.
- Interact with the visitors by providing information, facilitating special needs situations as necessary, and implementing museum procedures.
- Answer telephone and radio transmissions; monitor the activity in and around the museum to ensure safety, and alert the security supervisor to areas in need of special attention; place emergency calls as directed to fire, police and other emergency agencies; and serve as the communications hub for the museum.
- Respond to the special needs of the hard of hearing, persons with mental or physical challenges, or visually challenged visitors or staff.
- Maintain a working knowledge of the policies and procedures regarding service animals, unattended children, armed visitors (law enforcement) and ensure that all support equipment (elevators, lifts, etc.) are in working properly.
- Learn the Walters art collection and the layout of the buildings, including the location of specific galleries.
- Work special events as needed; monitor the event activities and enforce the Special Events policy when necessary.
- All other duties as assigned.
