Author: Maggie DeFranco, Class of 2019 I came into the Museology program as an assistant curator and educator. I also came into the Museology program as a person who was attempting to leave the community trauma of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting about 3,000 miles behind me. These two aspects of my life, the professional and the personal, were ones that I had attempted to keep separated as an undergraduate arts management student. As a graduate student, I had the…
Category: Blog
Community Spotlight – Renton History Museum
Author: Sarah Samson, Renton History Museum Curator of Collections & Exhibitions, Museology class of 2005 “Full-circle.” This was how one of my students described the opening of a student-curated exhibit at Renton History Museum (RHM) this May. A group was attending to support one of their fellow M.A. candidates. I first met them one Monday afternoon during their very first quarter. They were all taking my collections history lab, the class I teach for the Museology Graduate Program, which for some…
“Doing Work for the People that I Love” – Josephine Lee (Alumni Spotlight)
Josie Lee (Class of 2013) has her dream job. As Director of the new Ho-Chunk Nation Museum and Cultural Center (opening Summer 2019), Josie puts her Museology degree to use “doing work for the people that I love, utilizing culture, language, traditions, community, and environment all wrapped into one.” In fact, Josie’s desire to serve her community is what initially inspired her to pursue a degree in Museology. She says, “when I started out, I had an idea that I…
“Hero’s Feast: Finding Community through Dungeons and Dragons” (Student Exhibit)
There’s a lot of buzz going around about the fantasy-themed exhibit guest curated by Museology student Allison Moore (class of 2019). Hero’s Feast: Finding Community through Dungeons and Dragons, currently on display at the Renton History Museum, explores the history and impact of the popular game. Moore appeared alongside Sarah Samson, Curator of Collections & Exhibitions at Renton History Museum, on King 5’s New Day Northwest to talk about the inspiration for the exhibit. Moore wanted to connect with the community of…
Count your theses: 31 ways our students are helping us improve our practice
Every year, in the first few weeks of spring quarter, our second-year students pull themselves out of the writing, data collecting, project planning, and analysis to share their thesis work in five minute lightning-style presentations. These thesis preview presentations are a chance for first-year students, staff and faculty to get an early indication of what they have learned at this point in their research or projects. It’s also an opportunity to see the breadth and depth of topics our students cover each year,…
Power Tools and Powerful Words: A Student Perspective on Exhibition Development
All of the last minute, nervous energy fueled tweaks were completed. The signage was adjusted to perfection, the interactive elements were tested and found to be working seamlessly, and the glass of the display cases was as polished as it ever would be. It was opening night of “If You Have Any Regard for Me Left: Writing Home from the Klondike Gold Rush,” an exhibit that was the result of a long-standing partnership between the UW Museology program and the…
Welcoming new faculty: Meena Selvakumar
In addition to welcoming a new cohort at the beginning of the 2018-2019 academic year, we were thrilled to welcome the newest addition to the program’s core faculty – Meena Selvakumar! Meena comes to Museology by way of the Pacific Science Center, where she spent four years as Acting Vice President for Strategic Programs. In this role, Meena brought science to life with her work on the Portal to the Public (PoP) program, which brings together science and technology experts…
Reflection on the Seminar in Exhibitions Course
–Valerie Roberts, Class of 2019 Exhibits are what first got me excited about working in museums. The animatronic dinosaurs, the dioramas depicting ancient worlds, and the rich history displayed through images and text I experienced as a child that first introduced me to my love of learning and museums. There is something about transforming a space to transport a visitor into a completely different world and to help them learn new and interesting information. This was why I was so…
Museum Education Course Highlight
By Seth Margolis, Museology Affiliate Instructor Over the last 20 or so years, I’ve had the opportunity to wear many hats as part of the Museology Graduate Program. I have been a student, an instructor, a thesis advisor, a session panelist, a guest speaker, and (now) even a blogger. One role I have not had has been a perplexed observer. Let me explain what I mean. I lead the Museum Education course, which is run like a museum program. It…
AAM Excellence in Exhibition Label Writing Competition – 2018
–Catherine Wood, Class of 2018 This year I was fortunate to be the sixth student Project Manager for the American Alliance of Museums’ (AAM) Excellence in Exhibition Label Writing Competition. Through this unique partnership I’ve gained practical project management skills, networked with leading museum professionals, and increased my appreciation for exhibit label writing. I knew even before coming to the University of Washington that I wanted to take on the Project Manager role. I first learned about UW’s Museology program…