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,…
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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…
Calaveras & Conversations: Leading Spanish Tours at Bellevue Arts Museum
AUTHOR: Pamela Maldonado, Class of 2018 Last year, I attended the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) conference in St. Louis, Missouri and learned about a Spanish led family program for toddlers that takes place at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago, Illinois. I was blown away by their program that seeks to bring in early learners and their adults to look at art together and participate in activities. I knew in that moment that I wanted to make my…
Curating Topophilia: Exploring Contemporary Art and Building Skills Through the Emerging Curator Initiative (ECI)
AUTHOR: Emily Bowden, Class of 2018. Curator of Topophilia After being accepted into the Museology program at the University of Washington, I began thinking about what my focus in the program could potentially be and what really gets me excited about working in museums. I knew that I wanted to focus on building my curatorial skills. I was very interested in curating my own exhibition, as I had been able to do through a Summer Research Grant at my undergraduate institution….
Exploring Creativity in Art and Science – Amy Oates (Alumni Spotlight)
Amy Oates entered into the Museology Graduate Program knowing that she had a passion for art. But it was her experiences in graduate school that opened her up to the possibilities of where this passion might take her. “I thought that I always wanted to work in an art museum,” she said, “but I began to question that, and even what I meant by ‘art’ and why I valued it.” Thanks to her museology classes, Amy began to unpack these…
Law and Ethics of Ownership in Who Owns Humanity? Course
What appeared to be a small class of about a dozen Anthropology and Museology students has far exceeded what I expected of any organizational development course. In what class might you study The Ghost of the Tsunami and Fake News in one sitting? And how do either of these things apply to our lives? In Who Owns Humanity we are given these material as tools for understanding how changing norms and practices in society raise new and complex distinctions between…