EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Full-time, Exempt
POSITION TITLE: Exhibitions Installer
REPORTS TO: Curator and Director of Exhibitions
SALARY AND BENEFITS: $40,000. Additional benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance, and paid time off.
ANTICIPATED START: TBD August, 2026
WHO WE ARE: The Mattress Factory is a contemporary art museum on the Northside of Pittsburgh, founded in 1977. We feature site-specific installations created by artists in residence from around the world.
JOB DESCRIPTION: The Mattress Factory’s Exhibitions Department is seeking applications for an Exhibitions Installer. Under the review of the Director of Exhibitions, they work closely with exhibiting artists assisting with setup, fabrication and space preparation responsibilities related to the installation and de-installation of exhibitions.
QUALIFICATIONS:
· Minimum 2-years of experience working with artists, exhibits, museums, or other visual arts production-related organizations.
· Experience framing walls and hanging drywall.
· Basic electrical and plumbing skills.
- Must be comfortable safely working with a wide variety of hand tools, power tools and workshop equipment.
· Ability to manage time and organize tasks efficiently, and to be able to self-motivate and work autonomously.
· Commitment to superior workmanship and a safe, orderly work environment.
· Strong communication skills and thorough attention to detail.
- A valid driver’s license.
- Ability to maintain effective working relationships internally and externally, which includes demonstrating a courteous and professional demeanor and presence at all times.
- While performing the duties of this job, employee is regularly required to stand, walk, and sit; extended periods of walking and moderate physical activity required. Use hands to feel and manipulate tools and materials and reach with hands and arms. Employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:
· Assist artists with production, fabrication, and installation of exhibitions.
· Follow all safe workplace practices.
· Provide fabrication, assembly and carpentry support for exhibit components using a range of materials and tools.
· Prepare galleries and exhibition spaces, including, but not limited to, painting, wall framing, drywall installation, and general carpentry.
· Troubleshoot and repair technical, structural, or cosmetic problems as requested.
· Clean and return galleries to pre-installation condition.
· General maintenance and cleaning of temporary and permanent artworks.
· Make supply runs as needed.
· Other duties as assigned.
The Mattress Factory is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse staff that is committed to teaching and working in a multicultural environment. Mattress Factory does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, veteran status, ancestry, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, employment policies, scholarship programs, and other Mattress Factory administered programs and activities. All of our employees’ points of view are key to our success, and inclusion is everyone’s responsibility.
MATTRESS FACTORY IS A LEADING CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM AND INTERNATIONAL RESIDENCY.
Mattress Factory has pioneered the development of alternative art forms through site-specific installations, video, and performance art.
Our commitment to supporting artists’ vision and creative growth is at the heart of the Mattress Factory. We were founded in 1977 by the tenacious sculptor, designer, and visionary Barbara Luderowski, as a “for artists by artists” community. Barbara emphasized the need to provide artists with resources, space, and time to experiment and take risks.
We define quality through the process of making, not just the product. We value and actively invest in the creative journey. Artists live in residence at Mattress Factory for weeks or months while they create something completely new. This approach promotes experimentation, creative growth, and spontaneity.
The unparalleled support that artists receive from Mattress Factory, while working in residence, often results in the production of extraordinary artwork that propels the artist’s career and significantly impacts the field of contemporary art. Mattress Factory exhibitions present new works by critically-acclaimed regional, national and international artists and the museum’s exhibitions appear in publications like The New York Times, Art in America, Art Asian/Pacific, and the Wall Street Journal, among many others.
MISSION
Mattress Factory is an artist-centered museum, international residency program and renowned producer and presenter of installation art. We say “yes” to artists, offering time and space to dream and realize projects in our hometown, Pittsburgh, PA. We invite audiences from around the world and around the corner to step inside, immerse and connect with the artistic process.
We are forward-thinking, ambitious and flexible. Through open-ended collaborations, we work with artists at all stages of their careers to develop, produce and present site-specific installations, events and education programs. Responsive to the changing needs of artists and our communities, we facilitate opportunities for artists and audiences to challenge themselves and assume the risk that comes with making and encountering art.
We believe making art is an essential part of civic and cultural life. Leading by example, we set new standards for supporting artists, engaging audiences and mentoring the next generation of arts professionals. Together, we take a leap into the unknown, rallying to the artist’s vision and going the extra mile to make art happen.