Why I Work in Museums
There are a thousand different reasons why I work in the museum industry, but I want to highlight just a couple of reasons today. When people ask me why I want to work in this field, I’m always a little stumped. You would think after years in the field I would be able to articulate it. It can be difficult to narrow it down. However, this past weekend I had an epiphany. But first, let’s go back in time a bit.
It all starts with (and inevitably comes back to) my mother. The year is 2004 and I am 10 years old. We had just finished reading the classic book, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. For those unfamiliar with the title, the story revolves around two children who run away from home and live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Later that year my parents took us (my sister and I) to that same museum for the first time. This wasn’t my first museum visit but this is the first museum trip I really remember. I remember seeing the looks of joy on my mother and father’s faces as they took us around the museum. Though this was my first museum visit I remember clearly, it was the last one with my mother.
My mother always dreamt of working in art museums. Unfortunately, she finished her art history degree in a similar economic situation that I entered. Museums were downsizing and jobs were difficult to get. Though she never worked in a museum, she passed her love of art and museums to our family. Many people think I went into museums to fulfill her dream. There may be an element of that but there is more to my love of museums than her.
Though my mother wanted to work in this field, I did not make the choice to work in museums solely on that. With my love of art and history, I needed some practical application for that. Luckily Juniata College and their museum studies program helped me figure this out. Juniata and the George Washington University gave me a practical application for my love of history and reminded me that working in a museum is a realistic career!
I always loved history, but it was not my best subject in school. My parents encouraged my love of history through our travels. All our vacations centered around National Parks, historic sites, and museums. I’ll never forget visiting places like John Adams’ home or Colonial Williamsburg. My mother even made my sister and I colonial outfits for Williamsburg and other visitors thought we worked there! You could say I was destined for this field.
The years after graduating were tough, but something my dad said to me has stuck with me. When I was a contractor at the National Gallery of Art, right before COVID shut down the world, I took my father to eat in the staff dining room. It is on the top floor of the East building and overlooks the Capitol. I had just shown my dad around my workspace, and when we sat down, he said, “Your mother would be so proud of you.” I relive this moment all the time, but especially if I am having a more difficult day.
Me infront of my work at the National Gallery of Art in September 2020.
All of these experiences culminated in a weekend I will never forget. I spent the weekend in NYC with my cousin and her family. I’ve always loved touring museums with my family, but this weekend was a little different. My cousin’s daughter asked if she could join me when I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I have minimal experience with kids, so I was a little nervous, but I was so honored that she wanted to come with me I said of course I would take her! We were both a little shy when we started, but once we got going, we had a fantastic time. It was incredible showing her my favorite paintings, telling her my stories, and even laughing together about the art we both thought were ridiculous. Halfway through our time in the museum, I realized I was doing exactly what my mother would have done if she was still living. My mother would have wanted to take my cousin’s kids to the Met for the first time. I was honored to be that person who was chosen to go with my little cousin. I felt like the museum circle of museums had been completed. This isn’t a circle though. My mom instilled the love of museums in my family, now I am helping continue this through more generations. That is why I continue to work in museums, to spread not only my love of them but also of learning to as many people as I can.
