ALUMNI CHECK-IN ORIGINS: KATE SEALLY

ALUMNI CHECK-IN

BY: EMILY WELSH

Welcome to the 2018 edition of Alumni Check-In, everyone! I'm excited to be connecting with alumni far and wide and providing you all with a glimpse into the wonderfully diverse opportunities that await graduates of the Master of Museum Studies program.

To begin the year, our first check-in is with recent alumnus and creator of this column, Kate Seally!

Kate graduated from the MMSt program in 2017, and previously with a BA (Honours) in History from the University of Ottawa in 2014. She currently works at the Canadian Museums Association (CMA) as a Young Canada Works (YCW) Program Officer. On behalf of Canadian Heritage, the CMA distributes YCW funding to qualified Canadian institutions for hiring summer students and interns; in her role, Kate's duties include screening funding applications, receiving and approving (or rejecting) forms, sending funding decisions, contracts and payments, and acting as the main point of contact for employers with questions about the YCW program.

Kate Seally, '17 MMSt Graduate, currently works as a Young Canada Works Program Officer for the Canadian Museums Association. Here, Kate takes a selfie during a recent work trip to Montréal! Photo courtesy of Kate Seally.

In her past experience, Kate has had the opportunity to work at a variety of museums. She got her first taste in high school, working as a summer student at the Canadian Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa. Before starting the MMSt program, Kate worked at Billings Estate National Historic Site, Ottawa, where she worked on, and confirmed her love of, program planning and delivery. Recognizing her passion for front-of-house/programming activities, Kate made the conscious decision to branch out and take a behind-the-scenes internship at the Bytown Museum in Ottawa for the MMSt course. During her time there, Kate worked on the museum's 100th anniversary exhibition, Bytown Museum: A Century of Community, completing research, label writing and collections work.  


Kate kindly answered the following interview questions for us here at Musings:

Q: What is your favourite memory from your time in the MMSt program?

A: This might sound bad but I think my favourite memories from the program are the times I spent hanging out in the Inforum, or on the fifth floor getting to know my classmates and complaining about the workload! But seriously, I think the best part about the program was meeting and learning from museum professionals – whether through the lectures organized by the faculty, the classes taught by current museum professionals, or through all the networking opportunities and events.

Kate says, "Don’t forget to a) Occasionally do things that scare you and b) Always present at the iSchool student conference! For me that killed two birds with one stone." Here, she shows off her conference nametag. Photo courtesy of Kate Seally.

Q: What course or subject matter has been of most use to you in your current role?

A: I don’t think I can pin any one down exactly! I’d say the skills I use every day are ones I honed and practiced in all my classes; effective oral and written communication. A lot of my job consists of writing effective professional emails as well as lots of talking on the phone. I hope one day I can use some of the other things I learned (especially the program planning and interpretation knowledge!) in my job, but for now I’m quite happy.


Q: What advice would you give to museum professionals entering the sector today?

A: Experience, experience, experience! A lot of the job postings I’m seeing are asking for at least 3 years of experience, which for an entry-level person is impossible! If you can supplement your time in the program with applicable work experiences (summer jobs, internships) as well as volunteer opportunities (at the ROM while at school, etc.) I think you can go a long way towards making yourself more attractive to employers. 

I’d also say that you should have a hard think about what you need out of a job before you even consider applying for it. During my undergrad co-op work terms, I really got to try lots of different things (customer service, event planning, research, writing) and decide which I loved and which I didn’t. Now when I look at a job posting, I think about how good the fit will be for me. BUT I will add – sometimes you need to make it to the interview stage (when you can hear more about the job) before deciding about the fit.

Kate worked at the Billings Estate National Historic Site in Ottawa before starting the MMSt program, and she continued to work there occasionally during her time in the program. Now back in Ottawa, Kate picks up occasional shifts when she can! Photo courtesy of Kate Seally.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your work?

A: Honestly, I love all the interaction with my clients! I would be so bored if I had a job where I sat in a quiet corner with nobody to talk to. At CMA I get to work with a great bunch of 20-somethings as well as frequently interact with all my clients. Young Canada Works (like any grant) can be hard to navigate and I find it very satisfying to answer peoples’ questions and help them solve their problems. If I do end up working in a museum (and not “museum adjacent” as I like to say I am now!) I would definitely want to work somewhere I had a lot of opportunities to interact with others, whether co-workers or visitors.


Many thanks to Kate for taking the time to speak about her experiences and work. I wish her all the best in her future endeavours!

ALUMNI CHECK-IN: JENNA ROSE

ALUMNI CHECK-IN

BY: KATE SEALLY

Welcome to my final instalment of Alumni Check-in! Today we are chatting with Jenna Rose, who currently works at Canada’s National Ballet School here in Toronto.

When did you graduate?
I graduated in 2012.

What did you enjoy most about the Master of Museum Studies (MMSt) program?

The program provides so many opportunities to connect with museum professionals in Toronto. Between the Internship Class, Exhibition Course, Museum and Their Publics, and generosity of the professors in introducing students to colleagues, there is no shortage of opportunities to gain valuable professional (and general life) experience.

Where are you now?
I now work at Canada’s National Ballet School as the Manager of Strategic Initiatives. I project manage our Sharing Dance Program (the flagship community outreach initiative of the School) which means I get to do a bit of everything: fundraising (especially grants), community outreach, partner development and stewardship, event planning, budgeting, a bit of communications, and of course dancing. I really love my job!

The 2017 Sharing Dance routine. Learn it and dance on June 2! 

Does your degree serve you well in your current job? 
Yes – 100%! Arts and culture institutions are all trying to do the same thing – engage communities, provide an enriching and rewarding experience for communities, foster dialogue and collaboration. Instead of trying to engage visitors in a collection, we at NBS try to engage as many people in Canada in healthy and fun dance activities. There are many, many parallels.

Do you have any advice for current MMSt students?
Take deep breaths – I know it is nearing the end of the term and things are stressful, so take a deep breath :)
I advise you all to keep an open mind about the program, and your career path. Amazing opportunities may come up when you least expect it, in places you least expect.

Is there anything you wish you had done while you were in the program?
Spent more time exploring the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library – I never made the time and I wish I did.

Who would you like to see featured in this column next?
It would be neat to hear from a grad from the '70s or '80s before it became the program we are most familiar with today. It would be interesting to hear what has changed and what remains the same.

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Thank you to Jenna for agreeing to participate! Please post any questions for her in the comments below and I will be sure to pass them on.

I look forward to seeing where the next editor of this column takes us, stay tuned!

ALUMNI CHECK-IN: AMANDA BURROWS

ALUMNI CHECK-IN

BY: KATE SEALLY

This week we are checking in with Amanda Burrows (aka @BurrowsAmanda on Twitter), who finished the MMSt program in 2008 and is now living in Vancouver. Comment down below with any additional questions for Amanda, and I will pass them on!

When did you graduate from the Master in Museum Studies program?

I graduated in 2008, and I was one of the first to finish after the program came to be under the umbrella of the Faculty of Information.

What did you enjoy most about the program?

My favourite and most rewarding experience while in the program was my internship. I was lucky enough to work in the Guggenheim’s human resources department. I helped out with the Young Patrons program and led workshops for other interns. This experience combined my background in human resources with museums. Beyond the internship, I also really liked the program’s combination of theory and practice. I learned some really important practical skills in the management course, for example, but I also wrestled with some interesting questions raised by the theories that support museum work. I was also extremely lucky to be taught by Cheryl Meszaros in my second year and she is a great advocate for the reconciliation of theory and practice.*

The Vancouver skyline. Source. 

Where are you now?

Nowadays I work in philanthropy and fundraising. I run my own company, Philanthropy Aide, and I also work as a fundraising trainer for Social Venture Partners.

How did you get there?

After graduating from the program, I got a job at the Art Gallery of Ontario. They had just re-opened after the Frank Gehry renovation and it was an exhilarating time to be there. Then I worked at the Vancouver Opera for six-and-a-half years, in their development department. While museums are my first love, it was also nice to be able to visit them once again as a visitor and not as a museum professional.

Is there anything you wish you had done while you were in the program or while you were in Toronto?

No.

Who would you like to see featured in this column next?

Diana McNally (MMSt ’08) and Monica Carota (MMSt ’08)

*Dr Meszaros sadly passed away in 2009.

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Well that's it for this week, folks! If you missed my last post, check it out here. Thank you so much to Amanda for participating and I'll see you in a few weeks with my last Alumni Check-In of the season!

ALUMNI CHECK-IN: JASON HARVEY

ALUMNI CHECK-IN

BY: KATE SEALLY

This week we are privileged to be able to speak to Jason Harvey, a graduate from the MMSt program. Comment down below if you have any more questions for Jason, and I'll be sure to pass them on!

When did you graduate? 

I finished the Master of Museum Studies program in 2012.

Where are you now? 

Billings Estate National Historic Site, Ottawa ON. Source. 

I am currently working as an Education and Interpretation Programs Officer with the City of Ottawa. I work with four of the City's museums, Pinhey’s Point Historic Site,Billings Estate National Historic Site, Nepean Museum, and Fairfields Heritage House. 

Does the MMSt program serve you well in your current job? (ie. do you feel like you are applying what you learned in your everyday work?) 

Yes, definitely! Day to day, I lead a multi-disciplinary team that develops and delivers cultural products to the public. The work is always changing – while responsible for an historic house museum, I can also find myself managing events at City Hall, contributing to corporate initiatives, interpretive planning, directing staff workflow, setting budgets, or running hiring competitions. It is a varied position, and it definitely keeps things interesting and fresh.

The MMSt program’s strong foundation in museological theory, coupled with hands-on, practical opportunities, serves me very well in my everyday work. Depending on the situation or task, I can draw upon a baseline of knowledge, as well as practical skills developed in the program. One project that I’m currently working on is the development of an evaluation tool to measure the effectiveness of our programming initiatives. This tool, once it’s ready to launch, will hopefully help us make conscious and responsible decisions in regards to the programming we decide to offer at the historic sites. To develop this, I am relying heavily on my experience in the MMSt program, especially what I learned in the Museums and Their Publics course.

What did you enjoy most about the MMSt program? 

The excellent balance of academic with professional experiences. The internship was definitely the highlight of the program; I was fortunate enough to intern at the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture. I feel that my experiences working alongside the Museums and Heritage Advisors, coupled with the network and transferable skills I developed, have gone a long way to ensuring that I am gainfully employed! Other stand-out experiences include working with the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto as a part of the Museums and Indigenous Communities Course, as well as many, many hours spent in the Thomson Collection of European Works of Art at the AGO during Museums and Their Publics.

Is there anything you wish you had done while you were in the program or while you were in Toronto? 

When I was a student in the MMSt program I was lucky enough to be able to find paid museum work as an interpreter at Spadina Museum. However, I definitely regret not finding the time to volunteer at another museum or cultural institution. It’s so important to get involved and meet as many people as possible! Whether it’s through working or volunteering, you should try to find ways to improve your footing in the world. Obviously you need to maintain a healthy work/life balance, but you should really try and find the time to get involved.

Do you have any advice for current MMSt students?

Think strategically when selecting your internship. Where do you want to be in 10 to 15 years? What are the skills you will need to get there? Who might be able to mentor you along the way? While interning in a very niche position might be a fun and engaging experience, be sure to consider long-term career goals, and push your comfort level in order to develop new abilities.

As a supervisor who interviews recent graduates – start thinking about how you will posture yourself for that first post-MMSt job. While the MMSt program is excellent for developing the hard, professional skills demanded in the workplace, be sure to think about and exercise your soft and transferable skills. Learn how to communicate your work ethic, accountability, and self-management abilities to future employers, with concrete workplace examples and experiences to back them up.

Finally, if you are at all interested in working for the government, start brushing up on your French as soon as possible. Even a little French can go a long way to helping you stand out from the other candidates.

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Well that's it for this week, folks! Thank you so much to Jason for participating and for beta-testing my interview questions. I'll see you in the New Year, with a new and exciting Alumni Check-In post! 

ALUMNI CHECK-IN

ALUMNI CHECK-IN

BY: KATE SEALLY

Welcome to this brand new Musings column! The inspiration for this column struck me when I was sitting in on a meeting discussing how the iSchool has trouble staying in touch with their alumni. I thought, what better way to get back in touch with alumni than to feature them in a Musings column?!

This first column will be an introduction to some of the MMSt alumni that are out there making us proud. In the upcoming installments, I will be speaking to alumni and picking their brains about how they got where they are today. 

While I can be a little bit of a luddite when it comes to technology, I did figure out how to create a map with Google where I could ‘pin’ alumni based on their current work location. Check out the map below, or at this link. I will continue to update this map throughout the year, as I meet and discover new alumni. And if you know any alumni, please let me know so I can add them to the map!




As you can see, our alumni are spread across Canada, the U.S., and even the world. They are also working in a diversity of fields – some are in museums, but many are in the broader field of arts, culture, and heritage.

Jason Harvey (MMSt 2012). Source.

What’s incredible about our program is that it provides us with skills that are transferable to many different sectors and jobs. As you click through the alumni featured in the map, you'll see that they work as professors, collections managers, consultants, educators, executive directors, curators, and so many more.The possibilities really are endless!

In next month’s column we’ll be hearing from Jason Harvey (MMSt 2012), a grad who currently works at a national historic site in the City of Ottawa portfolio of museums.

In the meantime, check out all the alumni ‘pinned’ to the map, follow them (and me!) on Twitter, and let me know who else is out there!

WHAT'S HAPPENING WEDNESDAY: AUGUST EDITION

WHAT'S HAPPENING WEDNESDAY

BY: KATE SEALLY

Welcome to the last summer instalment of What’s Happening Wednesday! I hope you’ve been able to attend some of the events, but if not then this is your last chance! There are some great finds below, including a film screening, an exhibit of paintings of Leonardo DiCaprio, and an exhibit curated by two MMSt students.

Source. 

1. The BSM’s Inuit Film Series - Ghost Noise

The Bata Shoe Museum presents Ghost Noise as part of their ongoing Inuit Film Series. This film leads the audience into the magical world of third generation Inuit artist, Shuvinai Ashoona whose drawings reflect personal experience, Inuit mythology and the Arctic landscape. More info here.

• Where: Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor Street W., Toronto ON
• When: August 11 at 6:00 pm 
• Cost: Included with Pay-What-You-Can admission

Black Cat, Lauren Nurse, stone lithography on Japanese paper, 2010, 20" x 30", 1/4. Source.  

2. Open Studio's Summer Salon

This exhibit, on from August 5 to 19, is co-curated by Bridget Collings and Brenna Pladsen, two second year MMSt students who interned at Open Studio this summer. The exhibit will feature a selection of original prints by significant Canadian artists. Be sure to come out and support Bridget and Brenna at the opening reception on August 6 from 2 to 4 pm. More info here.

• Where: Open Studio, 401 Richmond Street West, Suite 104, Toronto, ON 
• When: Opening reception Saturday, August 6, 2 to 4 pm 
• Cost: Free!

Just a taste of what the exhibit includes! Source. 

3. Draw Me Like One of Your French Girls at Steam Whistle Brewery 

This exhibit is a slightly tongue in cheek collection of paintings and drawings of Leonardo DiCaprio throughout his career. Be sure to catch it in Steam Whistle’s exhibition space before August 31! More info here.

• Where: Steam Whistle Brewing, 255 Bremner Blvd Toronto, ON 
• When: Opening Reception August 3rd, 7-11pm 
• Cost: Free! 

Well that's all for this month, folks. Remember to leave me a comment with a new event happening near you, or reach out to me on Twitter! See you in September!

WHAT'S HAPPENING WEDNESDAY: JULY EDITION

WHAT'S HAPPENING WEDNESDAY

BY: KATE SEALLY

The view from my imaginary cottage. Source.

Welcome to the July edition of What's Happening Wednesday! I hope y'all have been enjoying summer and that some of you have had a chance to vacation, perhaps at a cottage with a view.
Enjoy the following collection of events, and luckily most of them are indoors, so you'll be safe from the humidity!

 1. Anarchist Workshop for the Maker Community

This satellite event of the Toronto Maker Festival is an interactive evening at Colborne Lodge in High Park. Colborne Lodge's original owner, John George Howard, was a 19th century Toronto architect, surveyor, city builder, early adopter and all around tinkerer.

Colborne Lodge will have all its doors open to welcome the maker (and museum) community. So come explore and decide if you think John Howard really was Toronto's original maker! Light refreshments will be served.

• Where: Colborne Lodge, High Park, Toronto
• When: Wednesday, July 13 from 6 pm to 8 pm
• Cost: $10 + HST / person. Tickets here.

The Toronto Maker Festival is on until July 17 at various locations! Source.

2. ROM Daytime: Chihuly, Art in Context 

The ROM is running several interesting events in the coming weeks, so it was difficult to choose just one! (check out the events I didn’t choose here and here).

Happening June 30th, this ROM Daytime event will put Dale Chihuly’s magical glass art into context. Diane Charbonneau, Guest Curator of the ROM's Chihuly exhibition and Curator at The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, will discuss the work of this celebrated and boundary-breaking artist. Following the lecture, refreshments will be served before participants are invited to visit the exhibition.

The event is included with admission, but RSVP here.

• Where: Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario
• When: Thursday June 30, 11:00 am to 1:15 pm
• Cost: included in ROM admission (so free for OMA members!). RSVP recommended

Source.

3. AGO Curator’s Talk: Andrew Hunter on Lawren Harris and The Ward

Join Andrew Hunter, the AGO’s Curator of Canadian Art, as he explores the Toronto of Lawren Harris. Toronto, in the 1910s as today, was a city of great diversity and dense urban growth. Harris painted often in St. John’s Ward, a downtown neighbourhood full of peoples of a variety of cultures.

Like the ROM, the AGO has several other exciting events coming up. Check them out here, here, and here.

• Where: Art Gallery of Ontario, Jackman Hall
• When: Friday July 15, at 6 pm
• Cost: Members $12, Public $15, Students $10

Yoga in the Galleria Italia! Another great AGO event. Source.

4. Honourable Mentions from our MMSt Interns:

1. Downton Downtown in downtown Hamilton (via Claudia Palermo, intern at Hamilton's  Tourism and Culture Division)
2. Ottawa Storytellers at the Bytown Museum (via yours truly, intern at the Bytown Museum) 

Well that's all for this month, folks. Remember to leave me a comment with a new event happening near you, or reach out to me on Twitter! Have a wonderful week, and happy Canada Day!

WHAT'S HAPPENING WEDNESDAY: JUNE EDITION

WHAT'S HAPPENING WEDNESDAY

BY: KATE SEALLY

Welcome to the second What’s Happening Wednesday of the summer, folks! Three Museum Studies students are in Ottawa for the summer, so this month I am featuring an event in our nation’s capital. If you want to know what our interns are up to this summer, don’t forget to check out Maya’s Internship Check-In column!  

Marie Antoinette by Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun. Source.

1. Opening of the National Gallery of Canada’s Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun Exhibit

This exhibit arrives in Ottawa after touring Paris and New York, and it explores the life and work of one of the most celebrated portraitists of the 18th century. She is most celebrated for her portraits of French aristocrats and royals, including Marie-Antoinette and her children. For more information on the exhibit and the Gallery's hours click here.

When: Exhibit Opening June 9, 2016 from 5 to 8 pm
Where: Scotiabank Great Hall, National Gallery of Canada
Cost: Free! 

2. Craigleith Heritage Depot Grand (Re)Opening

On Saturday June 18th, take a trip out to the small town of Blue Mountains to join recent MMSt alumna (and former Editor-in-Chief) Madeline as she helps to re-open and rejuvenate Craigleith Heritage Depot! For more information on the Depot, check out their website or search for ‘The Craigleith Heritage Depot’ on Facebook.

Where: 113 Lakeshore Road E., The Blue Mountains, ON
When: Saturday, June 18th, 2016
Cost: Free!

Craigleith Heritage Depot, in the town of the Blue Mountains. Source.

3. Gardiner Museum’s Salon 21

This event is included with half-price Friday admission, and it starts at 7 pm with a brief tour of the museum’s new European Porcelain Gallery. Then, at 7:30 pm, the Salon 21: Soundweavers event begins. Composer Emilie Lebel will be premiering her new work, with a discussion to follow. The Salon 21 event is free, but requires advanced registration here.

When: Friday June 17th, 7 pm
Where: The Gardiner Museum, 111 Queen’s Park, Toronto, Ontario
Cost: Admission to the museum on Friday nights is 4.50$ for students and 7.50$ for adults
RSVP: here

4. The Harbourfront Centre Presents: Mean Girls 

The Harbourfront Centre’s Free Flicks summer movie festival begins with a screening of Mean Girls at 9 pm on June 22nd. For more information on the festival, and to see what other movies are being screened throughout the summer, click here.

When: Wednesday June 22nd at 9 pm
Where: Concert Stage, 235 Queens Quay Wes, Toronto, ON
Cost: Free!

I'm crying with joy at the thought of a free outdoor screening of Mean Girls. Source.

5. Honourable mentions: The following events are taking place at institutions that are hosting MMSt interns, so be sure to check them out!

1. The Ward Museum's "Dishing Up Toronto", a series of food tours co-developed and co-delivered by knowledgeable volunteer guides (intern: Anja Hamilton)
2. Canada's National Ballet School's annual event "Sharing Dance Day" is taking place in cities across the country on Friday June 3, 2016. Click here for locations and more information (intern: Maya Donkers).
3. Mackenzie House presents "10 Minute Talks: A Very Short History of LGBT Issues in Toronto" on June 29 from 7 to 9 pm (intern: Stephanie Read)
4. Mackenzie House, with Stephanie's help, are also working to find out more about the Eaton's employees who served during WWI. To find out more about the project click here.
5. The Koffler Centre's new exhibit 'PED.Toronto' opens with a free reception on June 23 from 6 to 9 pm (intern: Emma Hoffman)

I wish you all a wonderful month of June, and please leave me a comment below if you have any additional events happening at your institution in June!

WHAT'S HAPPENING WEDNESDAY: SPRING IS HERE!

WHAT'S HAPPENING WEDNESDAY

BY: KATE SEALLY

Welcome to the first What’s Happening Wednesday of the summer, folks! I will be posting once a month and I will be including an event from a city where a student is completing their internship. This month features an event at the Koffler Centre of the Arts, where new Musings contributing editor Emma Hoffman is completing her internship.

1. Koffler Salon: Unpublished 

Our first event is a free 'salon' hosted by Koffler Centre of the Arts. You can expect an eclectic evening of art, ideas, live music, conversation and drinks as well as script readings by Josh Saltzman and Julie Tepperman. The Koffler's Raymond Boisjoly exhibit will also be open during this event. And don't forget to keep your eyes peeled for Koffler's newest intern, our very own Emma Hoffman! 

When: Tuesday, May 24 from 7 to 9:30pm

Where: Artscape Youngplace, 180 Shaw Street, Toronto ON

Cost: FREE

The Koffler Centre of the Arts' Salon. Source. 

2. Food Trucks in Museums: Dining with T.rex

The iSchool's Prof. Irina Mihalache presents this talk on how food trucks and museums can collaborate. While food trucks and museums may strike you as two very different things, by bringing food into the museum a visitor's experience can be changed and deepened. 

When: Saturday, May 28 from 9:45 to 10:45am

Where: Sidney Smith Hall, 100 St. George St., Toronto ON

Cost: FREE (RSVP here)

The Royal BC Museum's year long food truck festival. Source. 

3. Doors Open Toronto

Doors Open events take place all across Ontario in May and June. Toronto's Doors Open event will be taking place on May 28 and 29th, so start planning what sites you'd like to visit! I always try to make it to the ones that are normally partially or completely closed to the public. Check out the complete list of Ontario events here, and see the Toronto site listings here.

The Deaf Culture Centre, Toronto. Source. 

When: Saturday and Sunday, May 28-29

Where: Sites across Toronto

Cost: FREE

4. Honourable mentions: Don't forget to check out the following events, all of which are taking place at institutions that are hosting MMSt interns!

• Canada Aviation and Space Museum's Star Trek exhibit, open May 13 to September 5, 2016 (intern: Hayley Mae Jones)
• Black Creek Pioneer Village's Pirates and Princesses Weekend, May 21-23rd (intern: Anthony Badame)
• Canada's National Ballet School Spring Showcase, May 25-28th (intern: Maya Donkers)
• Campbell House's Dangerous, Deceitful, Delicious Melons May 26th (courtesy of Alyssa Trudeau)

I wish you all a wonderful May, and I hope that the spring weather begins to make an appearance soon!

WINDOWS TO THE PAST: MUSEUMS IN PAINTINGS

THROWBACK THURSDAY

BY: KATE SEALLY

I recently got the Google Cultural Institute plug-in for my browser. This plug-in means that every time I open a new tab in my browser, I see a new painting or work of art. The other day, the painting that came up when I opened a new tab was the one below, Jan Brueghel the Elder and Hieronymus Francken II’s The Archdukes Albert and Isabella Visiting the Collection of Pierre Roose.

The Archdukes Albert and Isabella Visiting the Collection of Pierre Roose, c. 1621-23. Source. 

This painting caught my eye because it is set in a cabinet of curiosities. In the painting, Albert and Isabella are visiting Pierre Roose’s private collection of art and artefacts. The painting, completed in the early 17th century, shows an early phase of cabinets of curiosities. During this phase, collections were often encyclopaedic, featuring a variety of objects and art from a variety of periods. In fact, art works, scientific instruments, naturalia and artefacts were all the object of study and admiration. This painting, and others like it, is populated by persons who were as interested in discussing scientific instruments as they were in admiring paintings.

Exploring this painting and its history and background led me to wonder how other artists in different centuries depicted museums and their visitors.

One hundred and fifty years after Brueghel and Francken depicted a private cabinet of curiosity, Johan Joseph Zoffany was commissioned by Queen Charlotte to paint the Uffizi’s Tribuna room, which held some of the Grand Duke of Tuscany’s collection. This painting depicts a real room in a real palace. Zoffany, however, added some artworks to the Tribuna’s walls, some of which were really elsewhere in the Uffizi or even in the Pitti Palace.

The Tribuna of the Uffizi, c. 1772-1777. Source.

Zoffany’s creative liberties also led him to put lots and lots of people in the room, which would not have been normal. In fact, the overabundance of spectators is what led Queen Charlotte to refuse to hang the painting in her private apartments.

The Tribuna was organised to show the different styles of the masters, and Zoffany and the custodians of the Uffizi collection seemed to be more interested in suggesting a multitude of ideas than in providing a coherent program, as we would today.

Bullock's Napoleonic exhibition. Source. 

William Bullock was an English collector who owned and operated a museum-come-exhibition hall. Bullock first opened the Museum of Natural Curiosities in Liverpool in 1795. This museum featured many objects brought back from Cook’s expeditions. Bullock and his collection moved to London, where the Egyptian Hall was erected in 1812. The Egyptian Hall at first held Bullock’s collection of artefacts, but became an exhibition space in 1819 when Bullock auctioned off his 32,000 piece collection.

In 1816, Bullock and the Egyptian Hall hosted an exhibit of Napoleonic objects, including Napoleon’s carriage taken from Waterloo. The exhibition received about 220,000 visitors, which was a significant number since the population of London at that time was just over 1 million inhabitants.

Bullock's Laplander exhibition. Source. 

In 1822, Bullock brought a family of Laplanders (Sami) to London. This exhibition featured a snowy, painted backdrop and the exhibition itself ‘displayed’ a family of Sami and their reindeer.
For modern readers, displaying humans in a museum exhibit is unacceptable. Unfortunately, even 100 years after Bullock's exhibition it remained acceptable to display humans in museum exhibitions. At the Colonial Exposition, held in Paris in 1931, people from colonies all over the world were brought to Paris to be displayed for visitors.

But what do these paintings and postcards tell us about museums in the past, and what lessons do they have for museums today?

As we can see in the Brueghel and Zoffany paintings, display practices in the 17th and 18th century were different than today. Cabinets of curiosities and private collections like the one held in the Uffizi were not necessarily organised by a particular theme. I think that this method of display should not necessarily be discounted by modern museum professionals, since it can allow visitors to make connections between objects or paintings and styles that they would not be able to do if everything was sorted into different rooms.

These paintings and postcards also serve to illustrate how access to museum collections has been growing since the 17th century. For example, in the first painting only Roose and his wealthy elite guests have access to his works of art and artefacts. However, in the early 19th century anyone who could afford the 1 shilling admission fee could see one of Bullock's exhibitions.

Bullock's exhibitions also have two important lessons for museums today: a) museum content should be topical and relevant to its visitors, and b) including interactive elements in exhibits engages visitors. Now these concepts seem obvious to museum professionals today, but I for one was surprised that Bullock's exhibits included these things in the 19th century.

Do you know of any other paintings which feature museums or cabinets of curiosity? Let me know in the comments!