Museum Studies Blog at Tufts University

LGBTQ ISSUES AND REPRESENTATION EDITOR

Are you a museum professional who specializes in LGBTQ issues and representation related to cultural institutions? Would you like the opportunity to write about this topic for a museum-centric blog with other dedicated museum professionals? We are looking for a new LGBTQ editor at Collections and Curators and would love to hear from you.

All Editor Positions are currently unpaid, BUT this is a great opportunity to publish your research/informed opinions (rants) on a regular basis and you will only be expected to create content once every 3-4 months. Likewise, you will have the opportunity to manage guest contributors who write on LGBTQ-related themes, a leadership skill that will compliment your other career roles. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, please send a short (one page or less) writing sample and a brief blurb about why you are interested in the LGBTQ Editor Position tocollectionsandcurators@gmail.com!

SOCIAL MEDIA ASSISTANT

Do you love museums and cultural institutions? Do you want to increase your professional experience with social media? We are currently looking for a Social Media Assistant working with our Social Media Manager build the audience for our website, focused on museums and cultural institutions.

Must have excellent writing and organizational skills. Demonstrated knowledge of Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and have the ability to write in an established institutional voice. If you are creative and willing to learn, this would be a great place to gain some experience. The position is currently unpaid but this is a great opportunity to build up your resume.

If interested, please send a short (one page or less) writing sample and a brief blurb about why you are interested in the Social Media Assistant Position, and your experience (examples of social media posts are not required but would be very helpful) to collectionsandcurators@gmail.com!

STAFF WRITERS

Do you find yourself at every exhibition and museum you can go to? Do you take a million pictures while there? Do you have favorite objects in museums that you visit regularly and know everything about? Do you take any opportunity to participate in museum classes and programs? Do you follow more museum-based websites than your friends? Do you attend museum/cultural property conferences? What about Art Fairs and Festivals? Are you a museum professional who uses specific materials, databases, and computer programs for your work? If you can answer yes to any of these questions then you may enjoy being a staff writer for Collections and Curators.

We are always looking to add qualified individuals to add to our new Resources page. All positions on the site are currently unpaid, but if you are interested, you will also be given the opportunity to submit articles under one of our editorial topics for publication on our articles page. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, please send a short (one page or less) writing sample and a brief blurb about why you are interested in a Staff Writer Position to collectionsandcurators@gmail.com!

On March 14, 2018, the George Lucas Museum of Narrative Art broke ground in Los Angeles. The museum states that it will offer a one of a kind museum experience, when it opens in 2021, focusing on narrative and celebrating storytelling through art.

Narrative Art involves telling stories through various works and mediums such as classical paintings, comics, film, theater, etc, with a focus on how artists capture these stories.

The concept of narrative art  has roots as far back as hieroglyphics, and in all honesty, it shouldn’t be a novel concept in museums. Storytelling is essential to audience engagement with objects and material. Everything from tours to educational programs, to labels, should have a bit of a narrative thread that effectively engages the audience through the stories they tell.

Narratives in museums may come from artistic expression or intent in a piece, visitor interpretation (such as VTS), or interpretive lenses that might draw upon many contexts that are social, political, religious, etc. Whichever form a story may come in, it is the power of narratives that help the visitor connect to the content.

Narratives must involve a structure, from the rising action, there must be a climax, or an “aha” moment, and some type of resolution or conclusion. In museums, the climax, or “aha” moment is a primary goal of interpretation. It is an important aim to have the visitors reach a moment  of realization, connection, provocation, or if we’re really lucky, a transformation in their frame of thinking.

According to the website of the soon-to-be Lucas Museum, the collection will consist of paintings, illustrations, comics, and films, which provides an abundant platform of media to act as various entry points into narratives for diverse audiences. Perhaps this museum will act as a resource and a means to inspire more museums with various media to engage with narrative art in their interpretation practices.