HUMILITY AND ACTION: AN OMA CLIMATE CHANGE WEBINAR

Program Reviews | Samantha Kilpatrick

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On January 16th, the Ontario Museums Association hosted a webinar titled "Climate Change: Implications for your museum practice." Thankfully, if you missed it, you can still find it embedded at the bottom of this article.

I've been thinking about Climate Change more and more the past few months, for obvious reasons, and it can be a hard topic to dwell on without succumbing to angst and despair. When I heard about this webinar, I was looking forward to a talk that gave some direction to that amorphous, all-consuming dread. 

A Photo of the Anthropocene exhibit at the AGO- pictured here, an example of the "good Anthropocene"; these are part of lithium processing, increasingly necessary for the creation of electric vehicles. Photo courtesy of Samantha Kilpatrick. 

Moderated by Robert Janes, founder and Co-chair of Museums for Climate Justice, the webinar featured three museum professionals discussing initiatives they had enacted in their own institutions to address the climate crisis we as a species have found ourselves living in.

 Laurie Carmount, Curator of Minden Hills Cultural Centre & Nature’s Place, spoke about her efforts in using historic collections to demonstrate what a world without plastic might look like, her efforts to improve the sustainability of the physical buildings these sites operate within, and partnerships with local environmental groups.

Shiralee Hudson Hill, Lead Interpretive Planner at the Art Gallery of Ontario, spoke about Anthropocene and the effect of the exhibition rippling through the institution, from attempts to reduce plastic in the gallery's cafeteria and the emotional push in interpretive planning- "revelatory, not accusatory.

Ian Kerr-Wilson, Manager of Heritage Resource Management for the City of Hamilton, spoke about incorporating municipal priorities around sustainability into museum practice, and the use of museums as a tool to work on a problem, rather than an end unto themselves. 

A photo of Hamilton's Ice Harvesting Industry, which Ian Kerr-Wilson notes doesn't exist anymore "for a variety of reasons, including the fact that the harbour doesn't freeze anymore." Image via Hamilton Public Library. 

I am firmly of the opinion that we have now moved beyond the 'raising awareness' stage of the climate crisis. This is not to say that we should stop trying to convince those around us that this is a pressing and important issue, or that convincing people is a waste of time (as many as 8% of Americans have changed their minds in the past year about climate change) but if the only action we are taking as institutions is raising awareness, it will soon be too late to do anything.

Cathedral Grove, British Colombia. The key to wanting to save nature is to love it, but I wonder also at the heartbreak of loss that comes with that, the present certainty of knowing that many of the places you love will be forever changed by climate change that you are helping to cause. Photo courtesy of Samantha Kilpatrick. 

There is a certain humility that you must adopt as an institution attempting to address an issue as large as global climate change. This humility includes putting your trust in other groups, to let your own mission serve as a piece (and only a piece) of something greater. Laurie Carmount shared that the following quote is painted on a wall at Nature's Place:

“Nature is careless of the individual but careful of the species. We have reversed the maxim; we are careful of the individuals and careless of the species. That is the road to extinction. If you kill the species, the individual will follow.” —R.D. Lawrence

Museums are not the species. We are the individual-- part of a much larger web, infinite and wonderful and more delicate than we can possibly imagine. When we make that paradigm shift, when we stop thinking of museums as a network unto themselves and begin thinking of ourselves as points of a much, much wider network, we can begin to think of our impact in a very different way. No individual caused this problem, and no individual can fix it. But no species is made up of anything other than many individuals working together.

So call your MP.

Reduce your plastic consumption.

And think about how your institution can begin working as part of a much, much larger system in a time of crisis.

EXPLORING YOUR DISCOMFORT ZONE

She’s My Muse | Kathleen Lew

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From October 24-26 I attended my first museum conference, the Ontario Museum Association’s Collaborating for Impact: Not Business as Usual. My nerves about attending a professional conference became relatively minor amidst a larger conversation about the value of discomfort in museums. “Not Business as Usual” means questioning existing assumptions about museum practices and acting to change them to better serve audiences. Difficult conversations of self-criticism are uncomfortable, but worth having. This is why “discomfort”—as a feeling and a practice, is an important ‘muse’ to consider.

OMA's conference "Collaborating for Impact: Not Business as Usual" in Toronto, ON.
Photo courtesy of Selin Kahramanoglu.

Who is already uncomfortable?

There are many people who do not want to visit, or feel unsafe visiting, museums because of their elitism and relationship to colonialism and power. As museum professionals, we must sacrifice our privileges of comfort for communities to feel welcome and engaged in the museum space.

Dr. Deborah L. Mack from the National Museum of African American History and Culture (Smithsonian Institution) expressed similar sentiments in her keynote “The Work You Do, The Person You Are.” She stated that people need to feel heard before you can start a dialogue. Mack spoke about how African American communities have felt historically unwelcome at the Smithsonian, highlighting the importance of going out to communities rather than expecting them to come to the museum.

Source.

Who does discomfort benefit?

There is violence in not engaging with discomfort consciously, or not preparing for the potential consequences of discomfort.

Wendy Ng, J’net Ayayqwayaksheelth, and Sarah Chu from the Royal Ontario Museum emphasized in their talk “In a Good Way…Prioritizing Indigenous Education and Learning” that we need to address legacies of historical grief that persist without tokenizing Indigenous peoples. Our discomfort does not benefit communities if we are speaking for others or relying on western academic frameworks. Ally is a verb, not a noun— there needs to be action and we need to hold each other accountable.

As an emerging professional, I hope to become increasingly comfortable at conferences and increasingly uncomfortable when challenging my existing perceptions of museum work.

What does discomfort look like at your institution?

MUSEUMS AS SITES OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

MUSINGS ABROAD

BY: KRISTEN MCLAUGHLIN

Over the last six months or so of me writing the Musings Abroad column, I often think about how the museums I write about work together on an international level. In an increasingly globalized world, what do museums do, both actively and passively, to change, develop, enhance or decrease relationships between different countries, their governments, and their heritage/art institutions?

A Japanese McDonald's sign from 1975 from the National Museum of American History. Source.

What do I mean by international relations between museums? 

Museums are not the neutral and objective spaces many people have liked to believe over the past half a century; museums are political and contribute to social change on a local and wider scale. Museums have the ability to become symbols of cities or nations. Museums contribute to international relations by exhibiting collections from different nations and loaning objects across borders. Museum professionals are working more and more abroad, training in one country and working in another, bringing different policies and methods to different countries. Some museums work directly with different governments to ensure artifacts or remains are repatriated or exhibited, such as museums around the globe working with the Haida in repatriating their ancestral remains with communities and the Canadian/BC government.

Should Museums Care About International Relations?

So far I have made it sound as if international relations are secondary to a museum's purpose as a heritage preservation institution. Rather, I believe international relations are integral to those museums that have international collections. In a world that is becoming more and more globalized, our museums can no longer isolate themselves from their sister institutions across the world. By being proactive in building relationships abroad, museums can be at the forefront of active engagement and participation in issues wider than themselves.

Examples

International Entities - ICOM and UNESCO

ICOM, or the International Council of Museums, is a network of over 37,000 members who are a part of the global museum community. They are a leading entity in museum ethics. There is a specific ICOM Canada website for Canadian entities or individuals interested.

UNESCO or United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, is perhaps one of the more well-known global heritage entities, focused on heritage protection on both a tangible and intangible scale and on world heritage sites. Recently they've been working with museums in war-torn areas to attempt to provide protection and planning for collections.

Individual Museums - The Art Gallery of Ontario

Last month I attended the Ontario Museum Association (OMA) conference, where I sat in on the talk "Ontario Museums and Cultural Diplomacy". An interesting case study was the exhibition Small Wonders, on the Boxwood Miniatures exhibited at the Art Gallery of Ontario. I had seen the exhibit myself and was completely blown away by some of the work they had done in breaking down the layers of these objects and comparing them to worldwide collections. At the conference, Dr. Alexandra Suda from the AGO talked about how it was truly an international collaboration between different museums, not only in researching different collections for their exhibition but in sending the exhibition to two other museums: The Met Cloisters in the USA and The Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands. This demonstrated all the work that goes on behind-the-scenes of an exhibition.

Sample object from the exhibit Small Wonders at the AGO. Source.

Individual Museums - The British Museum

One example stands out as to how cultural exchange can greatly affect political relationships, both negatively and positively. The exhibit in 2005-2006 Forgotten Empire: The World of Ancient Persia, was a global exhibition put on by the British Museum that was planned to travel worldwide as well. Some of the objects in the exhibit were loaned by two Iranian museums, the National Museum in Tehran and the Persepolis Museum. This exhibition occurred during a time of strained political relations with Iran because of its increased nuclear armament. The British Museum had agreed to loan the Cyrus Cylinder in return for their loans; however, with increased political tensions the British Museum released statements declaring they would wait to make sure they were loaning the object into a safe environment. This caused great strife with the Iranian government, which threatened to sever all cultural relations and accusing the Director of wasting time and making excuses.

When the cylinder was finally loaned in 2010, it provided a chance for other discussions to slowly start up again. This entire situation is demonstrative of the fact that museums and other cultural institution do in fact have great political power.

The Cyrus Cylinder. Source.

The Future

I am interested in seeing what the future of international relationships are through museums. We are well aware of presidents and prime ministers traveling the globe on trade missions, discussing topics such as job creation, trade deals, and resources. These talks frequently take place in a cultural context; being shown different dances, cultural practices, important locations, and more. Despite this, the topics of cultural exchange do not seem to make the headlines.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau write messages on traditional Ema wooden plaques at Tokyo's Meiji Jingsu Shrine, one example of many that incorporates a country's cultural values into political visits. Source.

Perhaps this is because the work is being done in the background by different cultural institutions within these nations: partnerships are made, exchanges happen, and citizens from different countries learn about others around the globe by visiting. Is it up to our individual museums and art galleries to create those transnational relationships? Are museums meant to be global or local? Can they be both? These are the questions I want to leave you with as you visit your next museum. Think about the exhibits. Who have they worked in partnership with? Are objects from the local area or from abroad? Where do their staff, visiting interns, and visitors come from? Should museums be doing more or less to contribute to international relations?

RENEWAL, RECONCILIATION, AND RESEARCH: OMA 2017 CONFERENCE REVIEW

RESEARCH COLUMN

BY: SERENA YPELAAR

One of the joys of being in a master's program like Museum Studies is the opportunity to learn directly from working museum professionals. I've always been especially interested in hearing the ideas of those who work in the field - and last week, some of my MMSt colleagues and I attended the Ontario Museum Association (OMA)'s annual conference in Kingston to do just that!

That's why I've decided to write a condensed conference recap for Musings' Research Column, as I believe research is made even more meaningful when situated within practical experience.

At the conference, my classmates and I were privileged to attend talks and panels by museum professionals across the province, which was extremely beneficial for our professional development. Having worked at the OMA last summer, I know the time and effort that goes into organizing the conference, and the OMA did an excellent job on #OMAConf2017!

Kingston City Hall. Photo courtesy of Serena Ypelaar.

The conference theme, "Road to Renewal", highlighted the idea of strong and successful museums moving forward. Ensuring that museums are relevant to the communities they serve meant that this year's theme embodied issues such as reconciliation, diversity, and inclusion, among other approaches. Over the next few days, my classmates and I got to learn from a variety of museums that are actively working toward renewal.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11 

We arrived in beautiful Kingston amid gales of wind (and laughter!) as well as cold rain. We didn't let the weather put a damper on our experience, however; conference delegates enjoyed a 1000 Islands boat cruise on the lake for the Opening Reception.

Source.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12 

Conference started bright and early at the Four Points by Sheraton. This year, the OMA Conference had a Grandmother-in-Residence, eartha, a Mohawk Community Member who was available throughout the conference to answer questions about local Indigenous cultural information and issues. Along with Judi Montgomery, an Algonquin Community member, eartha gave thanks to the living beings of the earth in a beautiful opening to the conference.

eartha gives thanks and opens the OMA 2017 Conference. Photo courtesy of Madeline Smolarz. 

Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson also gave opening remarks for the conference, welcoming us to the City of Kingston, which has the most museums per capita in Canada! Sounds like the perfect place to spend the next little while learning about Ontario's museums and how they're using new ideas to renew their practices.

Our opening keynote came from Dr. Guy Berthiaume, Librarian and Archivist of Canada, Library and Archives Canada. Dr. Berthiaume discussed how GLAMs (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums) need to work together in the digital age to ensure that they as institutions progress and remain relevant to the public.

Dr. Guy Berthiaume discussing GLAMs in the digital age. Photo courtesy of Serena Ypelaar.

The concurrent sessions of the morning focused on collaboration, community partnerships, and social engagement in museums. My former coworker from the Museum of Inuit Art, Lindsay Bontoft, and Janet Reid, both of the Markham Museum, outlined their project "In Our Own Words", in which they used both traditional diaries and social media platforms from new residents to examine life in Markham from the mid-19th century to present-day.

Melissa Eapen of Improbable Escapes.
Photo courtesy of Serena Ypelaar.

Next, we heard from Melissa Eapen of Improbable Escapes, a Kingston escape-room attraction, about how to engage visitors with historic sites through gameplay. Funnily enough, some of my classmates and I had booked into one of their spooky escape games for this trip, in order to enjoy our Friday the 13th - so it was great to hear about non-traditional approaches to learning and get excited for Friday!

After lunch it was time for Ignite talks (one of my favourite ways to learn)! Among the speakers were MMSt alumni (and former Musings contributors!) Stephanie Sukhareva and Jocelyn Kent, who looked at "Engaging Youth Without a Hashtag". We also got to support our classmate Erin Canning as she spoke about introducing hackathons into museum settings and the benefits of making data available for these events.

I also got to attend a talk by Dr. Amy Barron of Scugog Shores Museums and Carey Nicholson of Theatre 3x60, in which they outlined their interpretive practice in creating historical vignettes of people buried in the historic Pine Grove Cemetery. Given that historical interpretation is my area of interest, I found it invigorating to learn about how this community animated the past and engaged visitors.

Keynote speaker Glen Shackleton, founder and CEO of Haunted Walks Inc. Photo courtesy of Hannah Monkman.

Assistant Deputy Minister of Tourism,
Culture and Sport, Kevin Finnerty.
Photo courtesy of Serena Ypelaar.

Our next keynote came from Glen Shackleton, founder and CEO of Haunted Walks Inc. I arrived at this talk with great interest, as I've been on the Haunted Walks in both Ottawa and Kingston before (but strangely never in Toronto, my home city!). Shackleton's approach to learning fascinated me; he also shared how his hiring process is unusual in that he holds improv activities to find out more about the natural personalities of prospective staff.

The day ended with an update from Kevin Finnerty, Assistant Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, one year after the Ontario Culture Strategy was launched back in Summer 2016.

After this update was the Awards of Excellence Gala, and finally, Trivia Night! This year's theme was "Canada 150+", and I'm happy to say that some of your friendly neighbourhood MMSt students won first place!

We won! Clockwise from left: MMSt students Serena Ypelaar, Charlotte Gagnier, Daniel Rose, Kristen McLaughlin, Emily Welsh, Aurora Cacioppo, Sadie MacDonald. Photo courtesy of Daniel Rose. 

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13 

After the OMA's AGM, we heard from keynote speaker Elizabeth Merritt, Vice President, Strategic Foresight & Founding Director, Center for the Future of Museums, American Alliance of Museums. She highlighted how we shouldn't let our fear of failure limit us in our work, and explored the role of empathy in museums.

Elizabeth Merritt speaking on the benefits of risk-taking. Photo courtesy of Serena Ypelaar.

Next, another of our MMSt classmates (and former Musings contributor) Maeghan Jerry spoke about object-centred storytelling in Show, Tell, Bridge, a SSHRC-funded project at the University of Toronto. In the program, people were invited to share an object of their own and tell the personal stories attached to it - it was compelling to learn what information people tended to share when talking about their objects.

The naked mole rat our table was given to scan digitally.
The result was even more bizarre-looking: the technology didn't
quite patch the images together properly, and we finished with a
3D image of a deformed rat! Photo courtesy of Serena Ypelaar.

I subsequently attended Julian Kingston's workshop, "Hacking Immersive Digital Content for Museums". As someone who loves the concept of Augmented and Virtual Reality but lacks the digital know-how to create content, I found this workshop particularly helpful. At our tables we each got a 3D object to scan using mobile software in order to make a 3D digital image, which helped show how museums can make 3D scans of objects and even 3D-print them.

The Indigenous Collections Symposium panel featured new OMA Council President Petal Furness, the iSchool's very own Dr. Cara Krmpotich, Bep Schippers of the OMA, and Jane Holland. This panel was probably one of the most insightful for me personally. I am always striving to learn more about Indigenous collections and decolonizing museum practices, and the panel offered recommendations on how we can move forward in reconciliation. Resources will also be available through the OMA.

"Indigenous Collections: Promising Practices & Next Steps" panel. From left: Petal Furness, Dr. Cara Krmpotich, Jane Holland, Bep Schippers. Photo courtesy of Serena Ypelaar.

iSchool Professor John Summers.
Photo courtesy of Serena Ypelaar.

I had the privilege of attending a workshop given by one of our Internship class professors, John Summers, which was all about rethinking the way we make meaning out of our collections in order to tell stories through exhibitions. After this enlightening workshop, I got to hear what happened when Glanmore House National Historic Site gave their museum over to 13-year-olds (check out their YouTube channel for the details!). 

Overall, my second OMA Conference was enlightening and enjoyable. It challenged me to think outside the box and to not be afraid of taking some calculated risks for the sake of progress: it's the only way museums are going to evolve and remain relevant in times that are changing.

My key piece of advice for MMSt students and for any first-time conference-goers: be not afraid! Try new things, talk to museum professionals and keep your mind open. The OMA conference is a great opportunity to learn about trends in the Ontario museum industry and hear what people are doing in various institutions. #OMAConf2018 will be taking place in Toronto, so all the more reason to attend next year!

To close out the conference, eartha and Judi once again thanked the living beings of the earth, this time drawing upon Mi'kmaq - but they didn't say goodbye to us. (In fact, there is no word for goodbye in Mi'kmaq.) "Goodbye is too final," eartha and Judi said - just as the road to renewal continues on, so must we in advancing our goals for museums.

MMSt 2017 INTERNSHIPS: PART TWO

INTERNSHIP CHECK-IN

BY: TABITHA CHAN

Here is part two of Internship Check-In! Let's jump right into it.

Today's post features:

Jessica Baptista: Museum London - London, ON
Alexis Moline: Museum of Vancouver - Vancouver, BC
Karley Staskus: The Law Society of Upper Canada at Osgoode Hall - Toronto, ON
Breanna Stephenson: Ontario Museum Association - Toronto, ON
Julia Zungri: Halton Heritage Services - Milton, ON

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

Jessica: Currently, I am working on organizing the details of five different outgoing loans that will be leaving Museum London over the course of the summer. I have been condition reporting artworks from closing exhibitions and helping with the preparation for their safe delivery back to the lending institutions. I have also been organizing the physical accession files within the art collection’s archives, learning how to complete accession paperwork following the acquisition of new pieces to the collection, and organizing the catalogue collection within the archives.

Alexis: On a typical day I spend time researching at my own personal desk with my own personal laptop (so adult!). I’m currently assigned to two upcoming exhibitions which has me quite busy. I am lucky enough to be invited to insider meetings with my supervisor and other employees at the museum. There are usually a few meetings a week where I get to sit in, listen and observe all that is involved in curatorial practice and exhibition planning! I have also spent a lot of time in collections handling and reporting on objects to be readied for upcoming shows. Every day is different and I love taking it all on!

Karley: A typical day interning with The Law Society of Upper Canada at Osgoode Hall is not really so typical. My main duties and responsibilities right now are providing summer tours and researching and preparing a mini exhibition. I spent most of the month of May planning and preparing for Doors Open Toronto 2017, which involved sitting in on meetings, preparing volunteer lists and information packages, and preparing signage for Osgoode Hall. I was also here for Doors Open Toronto 2017 and it was a crazy, jam-packed day which was so exciting to be a part of.

Breanna: Typically I am responsible for various tasks related to all OMA programs and conference content. I have two supervisors (one for conference and the other for programming) whom I assist and coordinate various projects with. Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of designing for conference content and creating tracking documents which can be updated with ongoing information. I am also responsible for the OMA Awards of Excellence that will be presented at the conference this year, as well as a promotional video project involving speakers.

Julia: We are working on two major exhibitions with a very tight schedule, so a typical day for me right now is extremely packed! My main duties include conducting research and writing text for the exhibition panels, as well as helping fabricate and design the panels and other exhibit materials. Most of the exhibition development and fabrication gets completed in-house and I love it – there’s never a dull moment! 

Jessica taking a photo in front of her institution, Museum London. 

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

Jessica: I have learned that there are always projects and tasks on the go that need to be constantly monitored and always in the back of your mind as you progress day to day. There are always loans that are arriving and leaving the museum, exhibitions that are being installed and removed, artists arriving with donations and loans and exhibitions that are in progress. While these tasks are occurring daily, there may be last minute inquiries, complications or details that require immediate attention. As an Art Registrar, it's crucial to be able to anticipate events to the best of your ability, and to be able to budget your time effectively so objectives and deadlines are met.

Alexis: That Vancouver is ruled by crows. It’s a very lovely, comforting feeling to be constantly watched by at least 7 gigantic crows wherever you go. #atonewithnature

Karley: Over the last few weeks I have learned that a typical job title doesn't limit your tasks and duties, especially in this field. I also learned that Osgoode Hall is very confusing, and that I am amazing at getting lost trying to find my way back to my office. I have also learned that I am not afraid at the idea of ghosts, but maybe that will change by the end of my internship!

Breanna: That the museum/heritage sector is smaller than one might think. There are people whose names come up multiple times for different projects, and are involved with so many things that I wonder how they manage to do it all.

Julia: I’ve learned that you cannot jump right into a project without considering many, many aspects and going through numerous steps. Although we are working on such a tight deadline for these exhibits, we’ve spent the first few weeks of my time here focusing on what may seem like very minute details but which make the process much smoother in the long run. I’ve also realized that skills which are not often associated with museum studies are in fact extremely useful, such as graphic design and, believe it or not, woodworking.

Alexis striking a pose in front of the Museum of Vancouver!

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

Jessica: I did not anticipate the volume of activity behind the scenes. Hundreds of emails, multiple projects on the go every day, and the number of people involved in museum daily operation.

Alexis: I’ve learned that not everything is planned and to go with the flow. It’s very comforting to see how realistically new tasks and assignments are dealt with as they arise and I’m happy to learn this institution is flexible in how it seemingly effortlessly faces unforeseen challenges.

Karley: N/A! The Law Society of Upper Canada's Osgoode Hall isn't a museum.

Breanna: Since I don’t technically work in a museum, it surprises me how many other people think that the OMA is a museum. There are people who call asking about our ‘collections’ (non-existent) or want information about some random institution in Ontario that may not be a OMA member or affiliated with the organization. We do our best to answer their questions, but I find it strange how little people really know about the OMA and what we really do.

Julia: What I have found most surprising was how much of museum work does not have to be outsourced. Perhaps it is the type of institution that I am working in, but we do everything from research and writing (which seems very typical) to design and fabrication of the panels. What smaller institutions are capable of, especially what I am capable of, has seemed to be the biggest surprise thus far!

Karley interning with The Law Society of Upper Canada at Osgoode Hall.

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

Jessica: I love exploring the museum’s art collections and the vaults where the material objects are housed. Every object has a wonderful story waiting to be told!  

Alexis: I am excited to see how the different stages of exhibition planning unfold. I am working on exhibitions that open in September 2017 and June 2018 and observing a show that will open in a few weeks – it’s so interesting to see the dynamics and energy involved from start to finish.

Karley: I am most looking forward to preparing and presenting my mini exhibition. I have spent the last few weeks researching and choosing objects from the permanent collection that excite me and tell a story. I am excited to see it all come together. What excites me about my internship is that no two days have been completely the same! I also gave my first tour ever this week, which was extremely exhilarating.

Breanna: Something that I am really excited about is assisting with the upcoming OMA conference. I have never attended a museum conference before, let alone helped plan one, but this internship is allowing me the chance to see how much effort and work goes into those few days. Also, heads up, we will be announcing soon when Early Bird Registration will be open for Conference this year, and be on the lookout for possible student/volunteer opportunities!

Julia: What excites me most about my internship is being able to significantly contribute to major projects that have a tangible end result. Being so hands-on and immersed in exhibition development and collections is giving me practical and valuable experience that cannot be taught in class. I thoroughly enjoy not being treated like a student, but as another employee at the institution and therefore given responsibilities that allow me to get my creative senses tingling and learn so much more!

Breanna taking a selfie at the OMA! 

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

Jessica: I hope to gain a well-rounded understanding of the various responsibilities of an Art Registrar.

Alexis: I hope to be able to have an even firmer grasp on the practical, real-life workings of museums. There are things you can’t learn if you don’t experience them firsthand, so I’m hoping to experience it all!

Karley: I hope to prepare and present an exciting online exhibition about an object from the permanent collection. This was one of my hopes coming into the internship portion of the program, and so far it's going really well!

Breanna: One of the main reasons I really wanted this internship was to drastically expand my museum network. The fact that I am emailing, meeting, speaking with numerous museum and heritage professionals is providing me the chance to connect with them, and in turn putting my name out there for future opportunities.

Julia: After only a few weeks, I already know that I will gain valuable experience at my internship that I can use in the future for networking and career building, as well as my second year exhibition project. I also hope to learn much more in areas that I am not so familiar with such as graphic design.

Julia in action! She's getting hands-on experience with exhibit fabrication for an upcoming exhibit at Oakville Historical Society.

What’s your passion?

Jessica: My passion is the conservation and preservation of objects of material culture, particularly glass-plate negatives and anything older than the 20th century.

Alexis: My passion is curation, specifically how research and knowledge can be shared with the public to activate critical thinking and social change.

Karley: My passion is the study of and interpretation of history. I strongly believe that heritage institutions play a vital role in a community's well-being and connection to culture. 

Breanna: I have various passions. But for the sake of this Q&A, I shall limit it to museums. My dream is to be part of an organization that is committed to improving international relations between Canadian museums and other institutions around the world. The potential to open up the channels of communication, to increase the number of art and artifacts that can travel via technology or other means, and to foster more awareness about other cultures and their art forms is right there; we just have to take that first leap.

Julia: My internship has certainly confirmed my passion for curatorial work, particularly exhibition development. I’m fascinated with getting fully immersed into a particular history or story and falling down the rabbit hole of researching and writing.

Big thank you to Jessica, Alexis, Karley, Breanna and Julia for participating in this interview and taking the time to reflect on your experiences. In two weeks, we'll have Part Three of the series!