Tufts Museum Studies

Welcome to our weekly roundup of museums in the news.

First things first: congratulations to all the  MA students in Museum Education, History and Museum Studies, and Art History and Museum Studies who are graduating today, and congratulations to all the certificate students who completed their requirements this semester!

As proof that you can’t please everyone, here are a few reviews of the new Barnes Foundation museum in downtown Philadelphia.

Review: Barnes Foundation museum a bland shadow of once great self

New Barnes museum can’t replicate an idea

A Museum, Reborn, Remains True to Its Old Self, Only Better

(For anyone interested, the 2009 documentary about the fight to move the Barnes Foundation, The Art of the Steal, is streaming on Netflix.)

Bozeman Museum Awarded $2.3M in Donation Lawsuit

Australian art museum lures visitors with ‘poop machine’

This Week in the Museum’s History (Saving Art from Boston’s MFA during World War II)

No sex, please — it’s Ottawa: museum raises age limit for racy exhibition

Helium shortage has NY museum scrambling to fill replica of Civil War reconnaissance balloon

USGA museum in New Jersey burglarized

Taylor Swift gives $4M to Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum for children’s education center

As always, jobs go up immediately on their own page, here. Keep in mind that there are additional job posting websites listed at the top of that page – we don’t claim a monopoly on this game!

• Assistant/Associate Curator of Museum Education [American Philosophical Society Museum] AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY (APS) MUSEUM Assistant/Associate Curator of Museum Education *AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY (APS) MUSEUM* *Assistant/Associate Curator of Museum Education* The APS Museum seeks a highly creative and energetic muse…
• Curator [Fairfield Museum and History Center] Curator, Fairfield Museum and History Center http://www.fairfieldhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/Curator4-12.pdf Position Title: Curator Reports To: Executive Director FLSA Status: Full time, salaried, Exempt Hours: 35 hours / week. Some evening…
• Curator of Collections and Exhibitions [Stamford Museum & Nature Center] *Curator of Collections & Exhibitions* *Stamford Museum & Nature Center* *Stamford, CT* *www.stamfordmuseum.org <http://www.stamfordmuseum.org>* ** Serving as the creative and visionary voice of all exhibitions and the profe…
• Education Coordinator [Museum of Contemporary Art, Cleveland] EDUCATION COORDINATOR, Museum of Contemporary Art, Cleveland *JOB POSTING ­ EDUCATION COORDINATOR* * * *COMPANY: Museum of Contemporary Art* DEADLINE: 2012.05.25** WEB ADDRESS: *mocacleveland.org*** *SCHEDULE: Part time, 24 hours per we…
• Curator of Education, Interpretation and Visitor Experience [Greensboro Historical Museum] Curator of Education, Interpretation and Visitor Experience, Greensboro Historical Museum, NC Primary job function and duties: The Greensboro Historical Museum is seeking an energetic, creative, community-minded person to head the section of Educati…
• Executive Director [E. Stanley Wright Museum] Executive Director E. Stanley Wright Museum, Inc. Wolfeboro, NH The Wright Museum (www.wrightmuseum.org) seeks a full-time Executive Director to advance the museum through successful fundraising and development, and to oversee the day-to-day operat…
• Educator [Hickory Hill] Educator, Hickory Hill, Thomson, GA The Watson-Brown Foundation seeks a professional to manage its history and environmental science education programs.  The *Educator* serves as the lead for all educational services at Hickory Hill and the Tom Wats…
• Director of Education [Queens Museum of Art] Director of Education Queens Museum of Art *Position Posting * *Director of Education * Queens Museum of Art is seeking a Director of Education to lead a team, of nine staff members and fifteen educators, responsible for engaging the public in …
• Education Fellowship [Westport Arts Center] The Westport Arts Center is a non-profit visual and performing arts organization dedicated to creating arts experiences that enrich the lives of area residents and the entire community. For information, go to the website at ww.westportartscenter.org <h…
• ASSOCIATE/ASSISTANT MUSEUM EDUCATOR FOR PROGRAM EVALUATION [Metropolitan Museum of Art] ASSOCIATE/ASSISTANT MUSEUM EDUCATOR FOR PROGRAM EVALUATION, Metropolitan Museum of Art *ASSOCIATE/ASSISTANT MUSEUM EDUCATOR FOR PROGRAM EVALUATION* *Education Department* *The Metropolitan Museum of Art* * * *The Metropolitan Museum of Art…
• Manager, Volunteer and Internship Programs [New England Aquarium] Manager, Volunteer and Internship Programs Posted Date: 03-May-2012 (EST) Closing Date: 31-May-2012 (EST) Department: Volunteers Location: MA, US Pay Type: Salary Employment Type: Full Time…
• Program Coordinator, School Visits [Page Museum] Program Coordinator, School Visits at Page Museum http://www.tarpits.org/our-story/careers The *Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits *is seeking a Program Coordinator, School Visits. As part of the Education & Exhibits Division, the Program Coo…
• Associate Director of Education, Student and Teacher Programs [Adler Planetarium] *Associate Director of Education, Student and Teacher Programs* *at the Adler Planetarium, Chicago* *A full-time position.* The Adler Planetarium, (Chicago, IL), has an opportunity available in the Education Department. Department.  This senior mem…
• Community Initiatives Coordinator [Golisano Children's Museum] Community Initiatives Coordinator Summary: The Community Initiatives Coordinator is responsible for developing, leading, and overseeing the Museum¹s Community Initiatives (Set for School, Shelter Safe Play, and Breaking the Barriers programs) as wel…
• Director [Fitchburg Art Museum] Museum Search & Reference announces the national search for the Director of the Fitchburg Art Museum (FAM) in Fitchburg, MA. FAM seeks a Director for its healthy, growing, AAM-accredited art museum. The Director will lead an institution with an …

Finding a good mentor can be one of the most important steps in your career path. Organizations like AASLH have guided mentoring programs to help you out, or you can seek out your own. But how to find and approach the right mentor?

Mannersmith Monthly, a column by etiquette consultant Jodi R.R. Smith, has a great column up about how to find, approach, and secure a career mentor. It’s good advice from start to finish, clearly explained.

While you’re at it, sign up for Jodi’s newsletter. I’ve been following it for a little over ten years now, and have always enjoyed her timely, clear, and thoughtful advice – you can’t underestimate the value of presenting yourself well in business and social situations!

Just in case you aren’t on the NEMA mailing list, here’s a review of upcoming workshops by Dan Yaeger, Executive Director of NEMA:

On Saturday, May 19, I will be personally leading a workshop called “Your Best Foot Forward: Personal Skills for Professional Success” at the Concord Museum. Designed especially for emerging museum professionals, the workshop draws on insights that my colleagues and I have gained from our own museum careers.

 

We’ll talk about things like personal branding, elevator speeches, getting organized, remembering people’s names, emotional intelligence, and other habits that lead to great leadership. Joining me will be Dan Verrico, a sales and marketing professional with more than 30 years experience, social media guru Erica Holthausen of Honest Marketing Revolution, and Leslie Howard and Kate Laurel Burgess Mac Intosh, co-leaders of NEMA’s YEP program. I hope you’ll join me too!

 

On Monday, May 21, we host “Do-It-Yourself Techie Tools for Museums” at Plimoth Plantation. Leading the session will be Carrie Midura from the Andover Historical Society and Rob Pyles, CEO of Toursphere, a cutting-edge mobile app and web development company.

 

On Friday, May 25, head to Hartford for “Management Skills for Non-Managers,” led by Michael Flinton, known for his contributions to the museum field as Assistant Professor of Museum Administration and Management at the Cooperstown Graduate Program. Michael will give you a solid foundation in things like human capital management, functional team building, problem solving, and building organizational support.

 

Finally, on Monday, July 9, I’m back in the picture again with “Banish the Boring: Developing Effective Presentations” at the Seacoast Science Center with the SSC’s CEO, the inimitable Wendy Lull. Wendy and I will share everything we know about public speaking, perhaps the most essential skill for professional advancement. If you’re presenting at the November NEMA Conference, you can attend the workshop for 50% off.

Welcome to our weekly roundup of news articles featuring museums.

Rosenbach Museum honors Maurice Sendak

Museum will tell story of city’s key role in War of 1812

China Super Rich Use Boom Money To Open Their Own Art Museums

John L. Gray chosen to lead National Museum of American History

Ag museum gets rid of cats couple had tended for years

In Egypt turmoil, thieves hunt pharaonic treasures

10 Museum Tweeters To Know Right Now

Authorities search home, yard of alleged Conn. mobster probed in Gardner Museum art heist

Museum unveils newly acquired Vincent van Gogh watercolor of pollard willow

Do you like learning about museums? Do you like talking about tech prototypes and new ways to interpret exhibits? Do you like the Boston Museum of Science? Do you like hanging out with clever museum people?

Then come to the monthly Drinking About Museums event tomorrow, May 10, at the Museum of Science.

More details here.

PS – If you don’t like the Museum of Science, then we’re no longer friends.

Better late than never: welcome to our slightly delayed weekly roundup of news articles about museums.

World’s most bizarre food museums

A First Look at the New Barnes Foundation

Getty to trim 34 jobs in its museum division

Seventh Grader Sets Met Museum Straight

Turkish Writer Opens Museum Based on Novel

Playground fighter jet now in Pacific Air Museum

Cutty Sark Museum Is Demonstration of How NOT To Mix Old And New

So sorry for the gap in posting over the last week – I’ve been in Minneapolis attending AAM’s Annual Meeting.

I’ll be catching up over today with great new job postings, new museums in the news articles, and stay tuned over the next week for review posts from AAM, summaries of recent NEMA workshops, and an exciting blog contest through the summer.

Welcome to our weekly roundup of news articles about museums!

At Peabody Museum, youngsters recycle trash into artwork

Chicago Art Museum Opens Giant Screaming Palin Head Garden Exhibit.

Getty Museum’s designated director deals with U.K. museum thefts

A Tricky Museum Question

China Extends Reach Into International Art

Jim Crow Museum aims to provoke thought

Colorado history museum lures visitors with new insights and interactive, fun activities

Can the Jim Crow Racism Museum Help Teach Tolerance?

Natural History Museum’s New Front Yard Opens For Expo

South Africa: Four New Legacy Museums, Centre to Launch This Year

Barnum museum damaged by 2010 tornado reopens partially; full restoration to take 2 more years