Digital Archives Specialist, Paper & Slides (Summer Contract)

Position

Digital Archives Specialist, Paper & Slides (Summer Contract) (term-position)

Location

Washington , DC USA

Application Date

May 25, 2026

Job Link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EiQPIgIzBw8XdoIDJLV0EAi59im5xE0V/view?usp=drivesdk

Job Contact

info@wpadc.org

Digital Archives Specialist, Paper & Slides

Washington Project for the Arts (wpadc.org)

Contract: $1600/mo, 4 months (mid-June – mid-Oct)

Hourly Commitment: estimated 10-12 hours per week average; flexible

The Role

The Digital Archives Specialist will support the first phase of WPA’s “Excavation Site: Washington Project for the Arts (Excavating a History of Experimental Art in the District),” by surveying a portion of WPA’s material archive, establishing inventory protocols, collaborating on a public archiving installation, and providing expertise and training in digitizing documents, photos, and slides for processing into WPA’s new digital archive: https://archive.wpadc.org

Specific Expectations

• survey a key portion of WPA’s physical archival holdings (approximately 200 boxes,1990s-2010s: includes paper, slides, VHS, etc.)
• establish inventory protocols for organizing these materials to be digitized and processed
• recommend a strategy for setting archival priorities and a timeline for completing individual phases of the overall project
• as part of a public installation, set up flatbed station for digitizing paper and slides where visitors can observe the archival process in action (advise on any additional equipment or supplies that will be needed)
• coordinate with our Digital Archivist to design a workflow for preparing newly digitized materials for processing into WPA’s digital archive: https://archive.wpadc.org
• train three gallery attendants to operate scanning system, and manage and organize digital files following in-house directory structure and best practices for data management.
• be available to answer emergent questions regarding systems and workflow
• be present at least once a week on site during public hours (beginning mid-July, Wed – Fri 12-6pm) to participate in archiving process; supervise the system and perform quality control checks; reassess timeline and priorities; and provide additional training as needed
• participate in an interview about your work on the project

Timeline

mid-June – mid-July: preparation and planning

• survey archive holdings
• plan systems and workflow
• train assistants

mid-July – mid-Oct: Phase 1 opens to the public

• support digitization efforts
• maintain systems
• monitor progress

Project Description

“Excavation Site: Washington Project for the Arts (Excavating a History of Experimental Art in the District)” will transform WPA’s Project Space (1350 Connecticut Ave. NW) into a live archiving workshop and exhibition space that will be open to visitors to explore the organization’s history of supporting trailblazing art in the District and observe how that history is being archived by WPA.

The project will unfold in two phases. Phase 1 (July – Oct) will focus on flatbed digitizing of documents, photos, and slides. Phase 2 (Nov – Feb) will focus on digitizing audio-visual materials (VHS, audio cassettes, and other time-based media formats). All materials are sourced from the physical archives of WPA’s first five decades of programmatic material (stored in over 200 banker’s boxes offsite) and, once digitized, will be processed into the organization’s newly launched digital archive, which is publicly accessible: https://archive.wpadc.org.

“Excavation Site: WPA” is organized in tandem with WPA’s 50th Anniversary season, coinciding with a period of organizational reflection as we consider WPA’s past, present, and future as a laboratory for experimental art in the District.

Funding to support digitization of WPA’s material archives is provided by the DC Commission for the Arts & Humanities.

Note: The concept for this project is partially inspired by XFR STN (2013) at the New Museum.