(FUN)DRAISING RETROSPECTIVE: 1.5 YEARS OF INTERVIEWS

(Fun)draising | Samantha Summers

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This is my penultimate column of 2019, and thus it marks 1.5 years of me writing the (Fun)draising column. Rather than feature another interview this month, I decided to sit back and reflect a bit on what I have learned about fundraising over the past 16 months. (Don’t worry, I have some amazing interviews lined up for later this month and for 2020.)

A quote adorns the wall of the Textile Museum's collection space. "Who is worthy of memory?" -Desmond Miller.
Photo courtesy of Samantha Summers.

I started (Fun)draising knowing nothing at all about the art of fundraising. In fact, I didn’t even realize I was interested in this field as a career. I went to my first Musings meeting, was told it was essentially the only column available, and so I took it. Knowing nothing about fundraising, I decided the best way to tackle this would be to feature the words of those who do know something about fundraising. Surely that would be a better use of readers’ time than the ramblings of someone who knew nothing about the field.


Armed with all of the confidence of someone who did not understand this field very well, I set out to meet with anyone and everyone who was involved in the financial side of museums. I sent emails with abandon. I have met with Executive Directors, COOs, Directors, curators, and even high-profile donors. I have met with people who, now that I understand the field better, I am shocked ever took the time to meet with me. Which brings me to the first thing I have learned about fundraising through writing this column: this is a field of incredibly friendly people. You cannot be successful in fundraising (or I think a more accurate term, development) unless you are excellent at meeting with people and building and maintaining relationships with them.

The Art Gallery of Hamilton in downtown Hamilton. (Source.)

I would characterize the average development professional as passionate, driven, and incredibly warm. They are all deeply invested in the educational and social programming at their institutions, and work hard to ensure that other departments have the support they need to achieve their goals. My favourite question to ask my interviewees is what they think is the most exciting thing achieved through fundraising since they joined their institutions. Almost every single person I have spoken to has discussed providing the support for educational programming, supporting marginalized communities, and supporting their institution’s involvement in the local community.

I have learned that the root of development work is education; teaching potential donors about the importance of the work your institution does and showing them how they can support that mission. This can take many forms, from throwing major events like galas to meeting with people for coffee and a chat. As an aside, if you hate coffee, this might not be the field for you.

Friday Night Live, an event hosted at the ROM in which the museum becomes a club. Drink and dance with your favourite dinos! Source.

I have learned a lot of practical things writing this column, like the ideal ratio of funding from various sources to which major corporations tend to support what kind of philanthropy (any literacy initiatives coming up? Talk to TD). I have learned tips for how to make “The Ask” (for money) to major donors and smaller donors alike. I have learned that the financial side of museums requires just as much passion and heart as the more artistic side.


I get the impression at the Faculty of Information that we prefer to avoid talking about the financial side of museums, or to think of them as less our business than what might be more cultural concerns. It isn’t easy to marry ambitions of social justice and curating conversations with the capitalist reality in which museums exist, so we tend to sweep those realities under the rug. While there is a half-year course offered about fundraising and project management, and the Ethics, Management, and Leadership course usually includes an assignment involving a spreadsheet, we really don’t talk about money in a practical way during our museum studies courses here. The overwhelming impression this gives is that we are museum professionals, interested in tough conversations and changing the world, and the money side of things will be sorted out by the cold capitalists working in accounting and development.

A gift of custom Caxton Cicero stationary given to donors who helped the Fisher purchase the Caxton. Photo courtesy of Samantha Summers.

I think that this is a grave injustice to the field of development. This is not only an important field and one that everybody working in museums should have some understanding of, but also one that engages with some of museology’s biggest questions today in a very unique way. I hope that my column has introduced readers to this fascinating field, challenged our understandings of development, and provided some insight into this extremely important aspect of running a museum.


Here’s to another 16 months!

FIVE JOB TITLES YOU MAY NOT HAVE CONSIDERED WITH YOUR MMSt DEGREE

ALUMNI CHECK-IN

BY: EMILY WELSH

Welcome to this season's final edition of Alumni Check-In! I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight five of our alumni whose job titles represent positions which may be unique or often overlooked by those considering what they may like to do with their own MMSt degrees. Where can our degree take us?


FIVE JOB TITLES YOU MAY NOT HAVE CONSIDERED

1. Registrar and Project Organizer, Archaeological Excavation

Alum: Kapua Iao
MMSt: 2010
Employer: Gournia Excavation Project

Since 2010, Kapua has worked as Registrar and Project Organizer for the Gournia Excavation Project. The Gournia Excavation Project by the University at Buffalo in New York studies the Late Bronze Age Minoan site present at Gournia, Crete. Kapua's responsibilities include organizing the project's personnel, budget and resources; creating collections procedures (accessioning, cataloging, handling); supervising and instructing summer collections volunteers; building and maintaining the databases; and acting as liaison to scholars and the public.

2. Heritage Information Analyst

Alum: Heather Dunn
MMSt: 1995
Employer: Canadian Heritage Information Network

Since 1996, Heather has worked with the Canadian Heritage Information Network under the title of Heritage Information Analyst. In this role, Heather has had the opportunity to work on a variety of interesting projects including working as co-editor on the Nomenclature 4.0 Museum Classification System and leading national working groups assessing, developing and implementing documentation standards for museum collections. Heather's work with metadata, taxonomies and open data projects is contributing to the interchange of museum information. 

3. Development Officer, Annual Giving

Alum: Meaghan Duffy
MMSt: 2009
Employer: Toronto Symphony Orchestra  

Since 2017, Meaghan has been employed in the Development & Donor Relations Department at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Previously, Meaghan worked as Development and Marketing Administrative Assistant & Direct Response Coordinator at the Canadian Cancer Society.

It is important to remember that with your MMSt degree you are not bound to careers in strictly defined heritage organizations! Your skills are valuable to many organizations and you should follow your heart to where you best fit in!

Remember to think outside of the box and always follow your heart. Source.

4. Service Design Lead

Alum: Stephanie Nemcsok
MMSt: 2008
Employer: Calgary Public Library 

Since 2016, Stephanie has been employed as one of the Calgary Public Library's Service Design Leads. The Calgary Public Library describes their responsibilities as follows:

"Service Design Leads design, develop and evaluate a range of system-wide Library programs and services in the following key areas: civic and digital literacy, early literacy, and services for Indigenous communities, newcomers, children, teens, and readers."

If you would like to learn more about this job's role in the shifting vision of the library, you can check out this expired job posting.

5. President and CEO

Alum: Shelley Falconer 
MMSt: 1994
Employer: Art Gallery of Hamilton 

Shelley has been the President and CEO of the Art Gallery of Hamilton since November 2014. After graduating from the MMSt program in 1994, Shelley's career has moved through a variety of positions including Director of Exhibitions and Programs at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Adjunct Faculty at the University of Toronto, and CEO of Cultural Asset Management Group.

Don't limit yourself in your hopes and dreams for your career after receiving a MMSt degree! If upper management is your dream, or if you have another dream position, aim for it and set yourself up for success. Never stop believing!

"Don't let your dreams be dreams." Source.

 If you are interested in learning more about where the MMSt degree has taken our alumni, check out this interactive map which pinpoints alumni we have discovered around the globe.

The interactive alumni map was created by this column's creator, Kate Seally.

Best of luck with all of your own career aspirations!

WOMEN IN DIALOGUE: REFLECTIONS FROM THE WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP PANEL

WEEKEND EDITION

BY: AMY INTRATOR AND KATHLEEN LEW

Full crowd at MUSSA's Women in Leadership Panel. Photo courtesy of Charlotte Gagnier. 

This Friday, the Museum Studies Student Association (MUSSA) hosted its first ever Women in Leadership panel at the iSchool. The panel was made up of four women with vastly different leadership experience in museums. The panelists were Gäetane Verna (Director of the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery), Shelley Falconer (President and CEO of the Art Gallery of Hamilton), Dara Solomon (Executive Director of the Ontario Jewish Archives), and Gracia Dyer Jalea (Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Toronto Ward Museum). The panelists engaged in an insightful and inspirational dialogue about the challenges, successes, and future of museum work. The iSchool was the perfect location to host this panel, as currently, 87% of Museum Studies and CRO students identify as female. In today’s special Weekend Edition, Kathleen Lew (She’s My Muse) and Amy Intrator (Beyond Tradition) are continuing the dialogue and reflecting on the panel.

Source.

KL: Before we dive into the panel content, let’s take a moment and appreciate how cool it is to hear a group of powerful women speak collectively about a field that many of us are pursuing. We can gain so much from hearing leaders build on each other’s ideas, creating a conversational approach to women's’ leadership. 

AI: I loved that the panel really felt like a dialogue. There wasn’t one woman explaining what it meant to be successful in the field, instead we got to hear about so many different perspectives on what it means to be a woman in a leadership position. That being said, despite all the differences between the speakers’ experiences, I was so amazed that all four women seemed to find common ground in a lot of their challenges in the field. 

Shelley Falconer quoting Tina Fey. Photo Courtesy of Charlotte Gagnier. 

KL: Yeah I agree, dialogue is crucial when grappling with critical issues in our field. Women are complex individuals, and change cannot come from just one voice. We need many intersectional insights to better support all women in the museum field. I think it is really important that the panel made space for different perspectives, and I’m glad we can carry the conversation over to Musings.

There are a lot of women in our field but a lot of sexism too” - Shelley Falconer, President and CEO of the @TheAGH #MuseWomenTO

— Musings MMSt (@musingsmmst) February 9, 2018

AI: Absolutely! Every one of the four panelists talked about the importance of dialogue and collaboration with other professionals. Falconer even mentioned that in her experience, women tend to be more collaborative than men in the workplace. The women all attributed their successes, in part, to their support networks, but that being said, they also spoke passionately about the need to make space for yourself when support isn’t readily available.

KL: Another great example is when Jalea spoke eloquently about the values of the Ward Museum, an institution that strives to make space for those who are marginalized from dominant histories. With this work, Jalea realized that advocating and making space for herself as a professional is important as well. Jalea did not see the position that she wanted in the museum field, so she co-founded a museum, making her own opportunities. Verna had similar points when she spoke about negotiating salary. Verna was informed and confident in the facts of what she would bring to the institution, and she was not afraid to ask directly for what she deserved.

“Don’t be afraid to create an opportunity for yourself” -Gracia Dyer Jalea, co-founder and Executive Director of @TOWardMuseum #MuseWomenTO pic.twitter.com/5U54GvEsmg

— Musings MMSt (@musingsmmst) February 9, 2018

AI: The similarities between Jalea and Verna’s experiences are amazing! Although the women were advocating for themselves in such different settings, there is so much overlap in how they dealt with being underestimated and undervalued. There were a lot of sympathetic nods and laughs between panelists throughout the panel! Overall, I got the impression that these women shared the opinion that being a woman in no way undermines their ability to be a strong leader. In fact, a lot of the anecdotes seemed to prove that challenges like motherhood actually strengthened these women as leaders, like Jalea’s statement that she is more attuned to her work because of her children. Talk about empowering!

Gäetane Verna (left) and Gracia Dyer Jalea (right). Photo Courtesy of Charlotte Gagnier. 

Gracia @TOWardMuseum & Gaetane @ThePowerPlantTO leadership requires compassion& empathy, also fairness

— Cara Krmpotich (@MMStCara) February 9, 2018

KL: Another sympathetic nod (and sassy snap) moment was Verna’s powerful reminder that men do not constantly justify their actions the way that women tend to in professional settings. If men do not apologize for their ideas, than why should we? Verna decided she was only going to apologize when she was at fault, rather than feeling she needed to prove her intelligence to her colleagues. This statement really resonated with my own tendencies, as gendered power often makes me feel the need to apologize for asserting my voice. Great advice was flowing freely on Friday, what else can we gain as emerging professionals from the conversation?

If you don’t ask the answer will always be no #DontNeedToJustifyYourself #WomenInLeadership #MUSSA @ischool_TO @MUSSAToronto @ThePowerPlantTO

— Leore Zecharia (@leorezecharia) February 9, 2018

AI: The panelists shared so much valuable advice for young professionals entering the field. The speakers left me thinking about the importance of professionalism, entrepreneurship, and risk-taking in the museum field today.

Time for some Q&A! How can young professionals make their way in the museum field? “Be entrepreneurial” - Shelley Falconer #MuseWomenTO

— Musings MMSt (@musingsmmst) February 9, 2018

Dara Solomon reminds young professionals about the value of face-to-face dialogue #MuseWomenTO

— Musings MMSt (@musingsmmst) February 9, 2018

Gaëtane Verna encourages young professionals to step out of the 416 and find opportunities that meet their goals #MuseWomenTO

— Musings MMSt (@musingsmmst) February 9, 2018

KL: It all starts with a dialogue, but what’s next? The four panelists had some great insights for the future of the museum sector, and I can't wait to see what they continue to accomplish. I think this panel was a great start to future conversations about women's leadership at the Master of Museum Studies program. I hope MUSSA will have more great panels, because our future careers can be positively shaped by the insights of accomplished professionals.

With that, let’s continue the dialogue beyond the panel (and blog post), and turn words into action at the museum.

Women in Leadership panelists and Serena Ypelaar (left), Musings Editor-in-Chief, as moderator. Photo Courtesy of Charlotte Gagnier.

MMSt DAY TRIPPERS PART II: HAMILTON

WEEKEND EDITION

BY: GUEST MMSt BLOGGER KATHLEEN VAHEY

It’s me again with another recap of a MMSt day trip! This past Friday, November 10th, iSchool students, as well as a few guests from the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, hopped on a bus to Hamilton. The day started off with an unconventional tour of Dundurn National Historic Site where trip participants learned about the interpretation strategies employed there. (Side note: there were free shortbread cookies, made in the historic kitchen, for us to try! DELICIOUS.)

Trip participants were greeted warmly at Dundurn NHS despite the cold! Photo courtesy of Kathleen Vahey.

After Dundurn, our trusty bus driver took us to the nearby Hamilton Civic Museums offsite collections storage facility where we learned about the facility, the recent collections management work, and conservation going on there. They recently had high-density storage shelving installed and the collections management geek in me gawked over the push button controls!

At the offsite collections storage facility! Photo courtesy of Kathleen Vahey.

For the next adventure, we met at the Art Gallery of Hamilton (AGH) and discussed the institution's history of collecting and their new collection and exhibition Carving Home: the Chedoke Collection of Inuit Art (if you haven’t seen this exhibition, I would highly recommend it – also, chat with a trip participant about the interesting dynamics of this collection). We also received a curatorial talk on the Shelley Niro: 1779 exhibition.

It was an engaging and delightful day, despite the cold weather. Take a look at the highlights written by trip participants:

"I was very interested to learn about the history and issues in the acquisition process of the AGH collection, as well as learning about their newest acquisitions: Inuit art from the Hamilton Hospital!" - Laetitia Dandavino-Tardif, MMSt student 

Tobi Bruce, Senior Curator of Canadian Historical Art, gives
insight on the Art Gallery of Hamilton's collection practices.
Photo courtesy of Kathleen Vahey.

"It was wonderful to have a different kind of access to museum professionals, and being given a behind-the-scenes tour and information not normally shared with the public. These trips are fantastic in bringing us closer to collections and making connections with Ontario museum professionals." - Lucy Beale, MMSt student 

"An amazing process around the Inuit collection. Will definitely be watching it closely." - William Ellis, University of the Western Cape

"Fantastic experience in Hamilton. Interesting processes and engagements. Excited to see the issues unravel." - Sam Longford, University of the Western Cape

"Hamilton heritage institutions are open and interesting in many ways. The trip was worth it. Thanks to the organizers. 2017 heritage studies class rocks." - Luvuyo Nduzo, University of the Western Cape

At the Art Gallery of Hamilton. Photo courtesy
of Kathleen Vahey.

"Thank you for arranging this very interesting field trip. It is really encouraging and inspiring hearing the Canadian museums' dedication to changing their collections, making them more inclusive and addressing past injustices." - Kristy Stone, University of the Western Cape 

"I really loved Dundurn. It was gorgeous and so interesting to get a combination of a regular tour and a kind of meta-tour with discussion of the tour process and practice themselves. The Art Gallery was great too, so interesting to see the thoughtful way they're handling the delicate Inuit collections." - Emily Williams, MMSt student

"So grateful for the opportunity not only to visit some interesting institutions and spend time with their resident experts, but also to have a chance to speak with and listen to my international museum studies colleagues! Thank you!" - Fiona Ashley, UK Museum Studies graduate 

Photo courtesy of Kathleen Vahey.

I would like to extend a sincere thank you to: Franca Hicks, Victoria Bick, and Janet Kronick at Dundurn NHS; Roberta Sealy at the storage facility; and Tobi Bruce and Melissa Bennett at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, for hosting iSchool students and guests at their institutions and for being so willing and eager to share some industry secrets, advice, and strategies with us.

I would also like to thank Prof. Cara Krmpotich for accompanying us and for bringing along iSchool guests and museum professionals from South Africa on the trip. Their questions and conversations greatly enhanced the tours and we hope they enjoyed their time in Hamilton. Lastly, I’d like to thank all the students who joined me on this trip. A lot of planning goes into organizing these trips, but they wouldn’t happen without you. Thank you for being excellent representatives of the Faculty of Information. Keep your eye out for information on the third and final day trip in February!

MMSt 2017 INTERNSHIPS: PART ONE

INTERNSHIP CHECK-IN

BY: TABITHA CHAN

Hi everyone! Welcome to the first internship check-in post of 2017. Since my internship at the Art Gallery of Ontario is coming to a close, I am very excited to be able to learn about other students' experiences through this column. I'd like to feature as many students as possible this summer to share the wide range of internship roles and institutions. Let's get started!

Today's post features:

Aurora Cacioppo: Art Gallery of Hamilton - Hamilton, ON
Kelly Manikoth: Open Studio - Toronto, ON
Christopher Shackleton: Elgin County Museum - St. Thomas, ON
Leore Zecharia: Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre - North York, ON

Describe what a typical day is like for you at your institution. What are some of your main duties and responsibilities?

Aurora: I usually come into work and get settled in at my desk in the library by making myself some tea and booting up my laptop. Right now we are prepping for an upcoming exhibition featuring a new acquisition to AGH’s permanent collection. It includes soapstone carvings made by Inuit patients that were being treated for tuberculosis at Hamilton Mountain Sanatorium. My responsibilities for the first half of my internship will consist of researching the history of tuberculosis in Canada, sanatoria in Hamilton, and Inuit patients that were admitted there. I will also be using this research to help with the didactics and programming for the exhibition. This allows me to practice my research skills and learn about my hometown’s history at the same time. For the second half of my internship, I’ll be researching and preparing a grant proposal. I've attended a few curatorial meetings with Tobi [Bruce, Director of Exhibitions and Collections and Senior Curator at AGH], including an acquisition meeting. Tobi and two other curators presented new artwork to the Acquisitions Committee in hopes for a motion to add it to AGH's collection! It was so exciting. These meetings are giving me insight on how the gallery functions. I am learning about AGH's working environment (which is very supportive and encouraging), I am keeping informed about all of the gallery's programming, and I am able to see how Shelley Falconer, President & CEO of AGH and MMSt alumna, is making sure things run smoothly. So far, so very good!

Kelly: So far, every single day at my internship has been different! I started my placement at a very busy time in the gallery; in the span of three weeks there have been three major events and an opening. As an intern, I helped out any way I could; from assigning inventory/accession to new prints entering the gallery, archiving new prints, priming walls, building shelves, unpacking and installing artworks for exhibitions, presenting and photographing prints for clients, running errands (i.e. rushing to the hardware store when we ran out of screws the day of an opening!), writing and setting up labels, cleaning and prepping the gallery for events, such as setting up food and photographing openings.

Chris: As far as I can tell, there really is no typical day here! We’ve had quite a mixed bag of tasks so far, with one day dedicated to being a filming location for The Nature of Things with Dr. David Suzuki, and another spent delivering a 180kg cube of mud from the wall of a historic house, in exchange for a disassembled carriage! Our museum acts as the centre of a modified heritage network, so we wear many hats as advocates for heritage across the county. I generally assist visitors when they arrive and throughout their time in the museum, and between tours I will work on a variety of projects and assist with inquiries, research, or documentation.

Leore: Right now I am doing a lot of research for school programs during Holocaust Education Week, so my days mainly consist of research. As a small institution, I am also running sessions for New Dimensions in Testimony and filling in where I am needed.

Aurora taking a selfie with Alex Colville's Horse and Train - a special work in AGH's permanent collection!

What is something you have learned in your first few weeks of your internship?

Aurora: I’ve learned that things move extremely fast, and there are always a number of events, exhibitions, and lots of programming on the go. Being able to juggle many things at once is important to master. Being organized and having connections is extremely beneficial because it allows for outsourcing information, delegating tasks, and collecting experience or contributions from other professionals. I’ve learned that a team that works well together is essential for the success of an institution.

Kelly: I learned the importance of being versatile and flexible within your skillset. In a small artist-run centre, one person has multiple roles, for example my supervisor is the Print Sales and Archive Manager, so she has two roles in one. Being well equipped with computer skills, financial knowledge, technical skills such as using power tools all while staying caught up with trends in the contemporary art world will get you very far. I also learned the value of time management and prioritising tasks (something that the first year of grad school has also helped me learn!).

Chris: I’ve learned that sometimes the power of a local history legend completely overshadows the narrative presented by the facts as we know them!

Leore: What I have learned so far is that while there are school groups and the public in and out every day, for us it is more behind the scenes work while volunteer museum educators are guiding the groups.

Kelly at Open Studio's Member's Ink Silent Auction Event with her supervisor Astrid

What is something that has surprised you about museums that you did not know before working in a real one?

Aurora: Sometimes special guests come visit! On May 12, Ethan Hawke came to visit AGH. He is currently filming a movie in Hamilton about Maud Lewis and he wanted a tour of the vaults and to see some of Maud’s work that is featured in AGH’s permanent collection. After his tour, he came up to the office floor and said "Hi"!

Kelly: Something that surprised me is how tight knit the Toronto arts community is. Everyone knows and supports one another by attending events, openings and exchanging art within the network of Canadian artists.

Chris: I was surprised with the number of other institutions that utilise the Elgin County Museum for advice, resources, and expertise.

Leore: What is surprising is that there are so few Holocaust museums and education centres in Canada, and we are essentially the only one in Ontario. There are so many people who don’t even know we exist, but for those who do, we have school groups come from all over Ontario.

Chris with the Elgin County Museum's brand-new Jumbo the Elephant display. 

What are you most looking forward to in your internship? What excites you about your internship?

Aurora: I am most excited about getting to know my community through the art gallery! I grew up in Hamilton, and I am proud to be interning at such an awesome institution that is so close to home! I am also very excited to learn about the role of the curatorial team in the preparation for exhibitions, as well as understanding what day-to-day life is within a mid-sized institution like the AGH. I’ve had experience in a smaller gallery, and it is interesting to see how the dynamic has shifted and the responsibilities have been delegated. I’m also extremely excited to be contributing to the research preparation for an important exhibition for our city's history (Carving Home, opens June 27).

Kelly: The most exciting aspect of being at Open Studio for me is handling prints and then meeting the artists who created the artwork! The studio is located right beside the gallery, so when I admire a work on display or in inventory, I can go next door and meet the artist who created the piece or watch them work on new pieces.

Chris: I’m most looking forward to a special guest we have coming into the museum this week, whose name I can’t reveal! We also have several loans coming in and out, and I’m kind of excited to see what the handover and paperwork process is like! Every day so far has been an adventure, with a number of incredible people and objects crossing my path. I’m always excited when I answer the phone and hear the words “I have some stuff here I think you might want,” because I invariably imagine the rarest and most desirable objects I can.

Leore: What I am most looking forward to is helping with the preparations for Holocaust Education Week in November.

Leore taking a selfie with her lovely official nametag!

What do you hope to accomplish while you are at your internship?

Aurora: I hope to gain an understanding of how a mid-size institution works in terms of back-end preparation, installation of an exhibition, striking the exhibition, programming, and more. I am interested in leadership positions and their impact on institutions like the AGH, and I am hoping to learn from the working dynamics here. I am also hoping to develop my research and communication skills.

Kelly: During my time at Open Studio, I hope that I can get more people interested in contemporary art by local artists. This can be by letting people know of upcoming events and openings, sharing artwork on social media, and creating intriguing exhibitions.

Chris: I hope to build a network of experts in local heritage and tourism marketing who I can consult in the future. For our upcoming Expo 67 and Centennial exhibit, I’ll be sourcing and coordinating loans of souvenirs and photographs from the community, so I’m trying to put together a cohesive collection of pieces to tell an interesting and engaging story about how those two events impacted Elgin County.

Leore: What I hope to accomplish is creating a program from start to finish.

What’s your passion?

Aurora: My passion is storytelling. I love learning about history and people and objects and places through stories. Museums and art galleries present these stories, and that is why I am so thrilled to be pursuing a career in this profession.

Kelly: My passion is to connect communities together through fine art, as well as creating my own artwork.

Chris: My passion is improving the experience of the visitor to the museum, whether they’re a casual tourist or an expert researcher. Using that as my goal focuses my choices when I accession materials, write and research displays, or provide tours, because I try to put myself in the shoes of anyone who may be affected by my work. Thinking about the usefulness and outcomes of my work also serves as an excellent motivator when tasks seem unappealing or daunting.

Leore: My whole life I went to Jewish overnight camp where as I grew up I started to realize more and more the importance of the informal education I got from there, and the power it has when complemented with formal education. If I could stay at camp for the rest of my life, I would, but unfortunately that is not a realistic dream. I have always wanted to work in museums, and during my undergrad, I realized that I would be able combine my love of museums with my passion for the informal education system. As well, I want to continue on the path of Jewish collective memory. So, that would be my passion.

Thank you to Aurora, Kelly, Chris and Leore for your honest responses. Check back in two weeks for Part Two of the internship check-in series!