Full Circle

Comparing my knowledge of museums at the end of the end of this course to the beginning of the the semester – I have learned so much more than I ever thought I would about museums. I learned a great deal about the educational aspect of museums, what it takes to run a museum and how complicated everything truly is surrounding museums today. There is not one specific thing that I can say that has not surprised me or made me think. I have always walked into museums and taken for granted that the pieces on the wall belong to the museum and no one else. I could not have been more wrong. We have examined everything from the broad topic of museums, to exhibitions and even specific pieces (in terms of acquisition, donation, gifts, etc.). I have learned so much more about the intricacies and “behind the scenes” scenarios in museums. I never gave a second thought to collections as a whole, let alone the massive storage facilities that some museums must have. The registrar’s position that we discussed over the course of multiple classes was of great interest to me. I cannot believe how much a registrar must know and all that they do.

The public side of the museum is also interesting. By public I mean, those seeking donations and those staffed as docents. Museums all over go through a roller coaster of financial security, but these people are integral for keeping museums afloat. The specific way they work with people throughout the years is amazing and I’m sure is the best way to do things. Being a past docent, I knew what that took. But I never thought about the people who gather all the training materials, make the schedules and ensure the public is truly getting the most out of the exhibits and all the environment has to offer is incredibly important…

Overall, this course has helped me really understand and realize the extent and intricacies that exist in the museum world. This has really renewed my respect for the staff and volunteers of museums.

 

3 thoughts on “Full Circle

  1. It might be only a small part of what you mentioned, but a fascinating one to me — I had never really thought about the storage facilities that museums need to have, especially in big museums where they have thousands upon thousands of items to carefully store away. This interests me particularly because of my background in chemistry and desire to become involved in conservation. The careful controls on these facilities from pest mitigation to humidity and light levels are all extremely important in doing as little harm to the pieces as possible, and must be SO carefully monitored. That’s a big job, and definitely one that’s behind the scenes and not considered unless you understand how a museum’s organization works.

  2. I would definitely agree with you about how this class has familiarized us with “behind the scenes” scenarios in museum. I thought “behind the scenes” is such a great term to describe the internal operating systems of museums as they seem very hidden to the public.

  3. It always surprises me how little people know about the inner workings of museums. Whenever I talk to friends about working in museums, they seem to think that curating is the only job that exists. As it turns out, there are SO many jobs within museums! They have to be run just like any other organization! Really enjoy thinking about the relationship between museums and the public.

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