New Museum of Contemporary Art Reviews

Pros

Good pay excellent coworkers nice long breaks

Cons

Boss was a little stressful

Pros

I was lucky to have a lovely team of coworkers. I left because I didn't feel like my job aligned with my goals anymore.

Cons

Scale of administration was sometimes grueling.

Pros

Got to work on some exciting projects

Cons

Little compensation for fellows (not to mention interns were unpaid)

Pros

If you like art you'll be fine

Cons

Benefits are not good, environment not so good..

Pros

Great art, and the opportunity to be around it often.

Cons

Exploitative, manipulative work environment, with little to no opportunities for growth or advancement

Pros

Working with like-minded people in the arts, access to a broad arts community, networking opportunities.

Cons

No support for staff from upper management, union-busting activities, low pay, less-than desirable benefits, very little room/encouragement for growth.

Pros

By normal abysmal labor treatment standards, the New Museum is fine. We made the approximate "living wage" of ~$15/hr (no benefits), had a few sick days, and no one harassed me while I was there. Separate from labor issues, I had fun working there. The shows were cool and my coworkers were nice.

Cons

Most of the time I worked there, I was led to believe that I was a "temporary" employee. There were literally times when we didn't know if we would have a job the next week. Also, when the show was popular, for multiple months, they asked us to work 5-6 days a week (40+ hours), and though we got overtime pay, we didn't get benefits. And it was our hard work that translated directly into the Museum raking in tons of $$$ from that show. For all its "radical" posturing, the New Museum's "upstairs" people (execs, curators, etc) are old money bourgeois, and the security guards are working class, and I'm pretty sure did not have full time jobs with benefits, even though they definitely worked full time there. The upstairs people barely pretend that they all work at the same place, even though those same security guards have worked there for years. That's mostly why I'm giving 2 stars aggregate. I really have no words for how infuriating and hypocritical that is.

Pros

Great exhibitions, bookstore is a gem, co-workers were cool and intelligent, shoppers were interesting. I didn't stay at this position for long because of various life circumstances, however it was a positive experience. I felt respected and was trained to do my job properly by patient managers. Hours were fair, pay was reasonable.

Cons

Staff in other departments was not friendly and looked down on book shop staff. I didn't see room for advancement into higher level positions, which was a minus as I took the job hoping it would turn into something more in the future.

Pros

Many of the perks of working at an art museum: surrounded by new art work, able to attend openings, and free admission to other museums! Staff is generally nice and friendly, and the museum tends to attract a knowledgeable and passionate crowd.

Cons

Pay is not great, and benefits are nearly nonexistent for part time staff. In my former role, I was in customer service, which can be both very rewarding and very frustrating. The mood around the workplace often changed depending on the success of the current show.

Pros

The Museum is in a great location - close to a lot of amazing restaurants and shops. The exhibitions are also incredible.

Cons

The New Museum wants to be a large institution (like LACMA or MoMA) but doesn't have the resources or budget. There are too many ideas with no thought on how those ideas will be executed.