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Category: Uncategorized (Page 3 of 62)

Museum Job Roundup 1/22/24

Welcome to the weekly roundup! We do our best to collect the latest job openings and welcome submissions from the community. For more opportunities, we recommend the following databases:

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Museum Job Roundup 1/15/24

Welcome to the weekly roundup! We do our best to collect the latest job openings and welcome submissions from the community. For more opportunities, we recommend the following databases:

Featured Job

Public Engagement Manager at The Baltimore Museum of Industry

Full Time

The Baltimore Museum of Industry seeks a confident, ambitious, and creative Public Engagement Manager to join our team and help us realize the vision of our newly created strategic plan and support the museum’s updated mission – to interpret the diverse and significant human stories behind labor and innovation in Baltimore, cultivate a sense of belonging, and to inspire visitors to think critically about the intersection of work and society.


We’re looking for someone full of ideas, willing to try new things and take risks. You’ll join a team of committed, passionate professionals focused on embracing bold and innovative strategies that bring more people to the museum and position the BMI as the leading discussion platform around the past, present, and future of work in Baltimore.

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Childhood Museum Memories

Having completed one semester of the Museum Education program and looking forward to starting my second semester this week, one thing I keep coming back to is the idea that many of the people I’ve met thus far–be they guest speakers, professors, or my classmates–didn’t come to museum work in a linear trajectory. In fact, that’s one of the things I love about the museum profession–so many of us, myself included, have tried other majors, other careers, other paths before landing here. But we all ended up here eventually, often with many positive museum memories sparking an interest, even if they were from quite a while ago. 

John Falk and Lynn Dierking include this concept of memories in their Contextual Model of Learning [1], which has three interlinking contexts (Personal, Sociocultural, Physical) that are constantly shifting and determine a visitor’s experience during a museum visit. Importantly, they also include Time as being part of the Contextual Model of Learning, stating that, “the museum experience begins long before the visitor arrives and continues long after the visit” [2]. Furthermore, “the museum experience can be a launching pad or reinforcement for interests, helping visitors develop a working vocabulary, conceptual knowledge, and personal memories on a subject” [3]

Today, we’ll take a walk down memory lane, embracing Falk and Dierking’s Time context, and hear stories from myself and my classmates of museum memories from childhood.

 

(The author astride a desert tortoise statue, seated behind her sister. Photo courtesy of the author’s father.)

Growing up in Las Vegas in the 90s and early 2000s meant that there weren’t all that many kid-friendly or kid-focused spaces, but we did have the Lied Discovery Children’s Museum (now known as the DISCOVERY Children’s Museum). It wasn’t until I was sitting in class at Tufts, hearing about how the Boston Children’s Museum came to be and seeing pictures of their grocery store exhibit that I was rushed back to my childhood spent in the halls of the children’s museum in Vegas. My absolute favorite exhibit was the grocery store space, where there were child-sized carts, plastic fruit and food, and a self-checkout area so you could complete the entire grocery shopping process. They even made their own Lied Discovery Children’s Museum paper money that you used to pay for the food, a delightful detail made all the more funny by the fact that I amassed so much of this money from my visits that when I cleaned my room in high school I found a huge stack of it stashed away somewhere.

The grocery store wasn’t the only exhibit I loved, though. There was a space exhibit that had boots that you could put on to mimic how hard it would be to walk on the moon because of how the gravity is different there. The fun began for me before I even walked in the doors, though, because at the original location there was a giant desert tortoise that my sister and I would sit on, pictured above. Though the memories of the children’s museum have faded ever so slightly, it’s nice to be reminded that I’ve always been a museum lover, and little Lauryn would probably be thrilled by my career choice–so long as there’s a grocery store exhibit involved somewhere.

 

Isabel Amador, Museum Education first-year student

A timid child, my most harrowing experience came about at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Upon arrival, the second graders of T.H. Rogers Elementary School were escorted to the museum’s classrooms. As we walked down the halls towards our destination a knot in my stomach grew tighter and tighter. First, we passed a stuffed gorilla, then some birds posed mid-flight overhead, then, sending me into absolute panic, a polar bear, raised onto its haunches, teeth bared and eyes blank. Tears silently poured down my face as I turned into the classroom, eager to escape the nightmares disguised as museum exhibits. I didn’t know at this time that at natural science museums, the taxidermy does not stop in the dioramas. No, these monstrosities are seen as educational tools and therefore litter the walls of their classroom spaces. Entering into the classroom sent me into a full-blown panic attack. Heaving and bawling, I was consoled by a kind museum educator how all the animals in the room died peacefully while they were sleeping. As if that was supposed to detract from their stiff corpses being strung up from rafters. I was escorted from the room by one of the parent chaperones, racing to find neutral ground where I could calm down. We settled into the Hall of Gems. Much the same today as it was back then, the Hall of Gems at the Houston Museum of Natural Science is a string of dark rooms with gems and minerals lit with sharp, cool light, resulting in the most brilliant effects the natural world can produce.

Etched in my brain are the towering amethyst geode, cracked into a throne, and the deep red rhodochrosite cluster, glowing in an unearthly hue. I suppose you could draw from this story a message on how museums have something for everyone or how educational topics always have some sort of emotional undertone, but I mostly put it in the context of my own life. On the same day, I had the worst experience I could have at a museum and the best, yet I still eventually decided to work in museums and to this day remember the word rhodochrosite.

Those reading will be happy to know that my taxidermy phobia has since been reduced to mild discomfort and I have since braved the halls of the Houston Museum of Natural Science (only slightly nauseous).

 

Ryan Cabrera, Museum Education student

(Photo courtesy of R. Cabrera/the Cabrera family)

In the third grade, Mrs. Fraider told our class that we were going on a field trip to the Little Red School House. Leaving school to go to another school did not initially feel appealing to me. Why couldn’t we just get ice cream like the other class trips?

After a few minute bus ride, we were deposited at the doorstep of a quaint, one-room historic town grade school. The experience transformed as each student was given early 20th-century school uniform outfits, complete with cute little caps. At this point, I remained unconvinced. It was when we were introduced to our guide for the day—a venerable gentleman who had been a student in this very school during his own childhood, that the inspiration started to flow for me. We were given feathers to use as quill pens, and a cursive writing lesson commenced. The teacher recounted how stern school was in this period, in a time where corporal punishment was not just accepted but encouraged. Students were to be on their best behavior. 

This is the first time that I can remember stepping back in time and learning about how daily life has changed over the generations. In that moment, a portal to the past opened before my eyes, and I found myself immersed in a world where time flowed backward.

 

Samantha Snow, Museum Education first-year student

The Griffith Park Observatory in Los Angeles was one of my favorite places as a space-obsessed kid. Leaning back to watch the stars during the planetarium show, my dreams of becoming an astronaut became real if only for a moment as I explored distant star systems and nebulas with my parents in tow (although my mom sometimes used our space travel time as an opportunity to nap in the reclining seats). I remember watching intently for a half hour or more as the observatory’s Foucault pendulum slowly swung back and forth, knocking over a line of blocks one-by-one. It didn’t matter that I was too young to grasp the science behind the pendulum, it was enough to just experience the shared joy of my family and strangers alike as we cheered the falling of each successive block. My time in the observatory connected me to my family, to a larger community, and to the universe itself and sparked a life-long love for museums.


[1] Falk, John Howard, and Lynn Diane Dierking. “Chapter One: Introduction.” Essay. In The Museum Experience Revisited, 23–34. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press, 2013.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

Museum Job Roundup 12/11/23

Welcome to the weekly roundup! We do our best to collect the latest job openings and welcome submissions from the community. For more opportunities, we recommend the following databases:

Featured Internship

Summer Session Museum Education Teaching Assistant  at The Addison Gallery of American Art (Andover, MA)

Seasonal full-time, stipend starting at $3500 and housing provided

The Addison is seeking a creative and outgoing TA interested in an opportunity to innovate and discover new ways of teaching and learning in all disciplines. The Museum Education Teaching Assistant will work closely with the Addison Gallery of American Art’s Education Department to support the availability of museum resources to Summer Session classes by facilitating two to three museum tours per day, four days per week (Tuesday-Friday). This includes all research and lesson planning for each class on Mondays. While teaching experience is preferred, candidates need not have museum experience, as training will include exhibition content and museum tour methodology. Cara Iacobucci has approved this program for internship credit. 

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  • Museum of the Cherokee People (Cherokee, NC): Registrar

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Winter Magic & Merriment for Museumgoers

Snow has yet to fall in Boston, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get into the holiday spirit! Keep warm and celebrate the start of winter with a few of these festive events and activities. Please note that many of these programs require tickets. 

 

Home for the Holidays – Activities for Children

Boston Children’s Museum

Looking for festive fun for little ones? The Boston Children’s Museum is offering a STEAM Family Workshop where children 6+ can build and program a LEGO robot that can push “snow” away. For children under 3, the museum is also offering a Snow Dough program where young visitors can play with homemade snow dough. Both programs are being offered several times this month, check the Boston Children’s Museum Calendar for all available dates. BCM is also hosting a Happy Noon Year on December 31st with all the fun of a New Year’s celebration (minus staying up until midnight)!

Plimoth Patuxet

Plimoth Patuxet is offering family-friendly holiday activities this month. During the workshop, Hearth Cooking for the Holidays, young culinary fans will enjoy learning how to cook 17th-century winter meals using historic tools, techniques, ingredients, and recipes! Breakfast with Santa is a great opportunity for younger children to meet the jolly man himself and engage in festive crafts. For those who don’t celebrate with Santa, Plimoth Patuxet is holding a Children’s Lantern Making and Story Hour.

Concord Museum

Have a young reader in the family? Nurture their love of literature at the Concord Museum’s 28th Annual Family Trees: A Celebration of Children’s Literature.

Boston Museum of Fine Arts

The Boston Museum of Fine Arts is holding an event which might be interesting to budding movie buffs! Join the MFA for a screening of the stop motion animation classic, The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) in celebration of the film’s 30th anniversary.

 

Bright Lights, Big City – Light Displays in and Around Boston

If you’re anything like my family, holiday light gazing is a must! Luckily there are plenty of options for dazzling displays in the Boston area. For those near Boston proper, ZooLights at Stone Zoo is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the animal kingdom in a festive atmosphere. Southwick Zoo’s Winter Wonderland offers lights, shows, and meet and greets for those wanting a wild holiday. History buffs and botanical enthusiasts will enjoy Winterlights at Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens.

 

Historic Holidays – Celebrate While Learning About History & Culture

Don’t worry, we didn’t forget about the history and culture buffs among our readers!

Boston Museum of Fine Arts

The MFA will be hosting a lively Hanukkah celebration on December 7th which includes an exploration of the museum’s new gallery for Judaica.

Peabody Essex Museum

Fans of Salem will be delighted to know that festivities aren’t limited to Halloween! The Peabody Essex Museum will be hosting a Winter Solstice Celebration which includes Yoga, candle making, live music, and a Winter Solstice ritual.

Old Sturbridge Village

Visitors can experience the fascinating history of Christmas celebrations during Christmas by Candlelight at Old Sturbridge Village. OSV will be offering demonstrations of classic Christmas projects, stories, live music, sweet treats, horse-drawn carriage rides, festive decorations, and a Christmas Tree Trail. 

Andover Historical Society

Celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party with the Andover Historical Society! Tea Sommelier, Allyson Irish, will give a fun and informative talk about the history of tea, the importance of tea in relation to the birth of American independence, and some of the historical tea houses in Andover. The program will also include a “revolutionary” tea tasting.

The Gibson House

The Gibson House’s Annual Holiday Open House offers a wonderful opportunity to experience a 19th century Christmas. Refreshments will be served, and the event is open and FREE to the public (looking at you students)!

 

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