Renae decided to pursue a Museology degree at UW because she saw the value in its interdisciplinary nature. When she joined the program in 2009, she was drawn to the program’s interdisciplinary nature and its focus on how museums serve their communities. “It was very explicit in being focused on museums as institutions that play a role in their communities, and are there to serve people and communities. Those were things that were appealing to me and how I viewed…
Category: Blog
Conversations with Margaret Middleton and Joe Heimlich
This Spring, Museology has hosted a series of informal conversations with visiting museum professionals. Our faculty invited some friends and colleagues to chat with our students about their current work, as well as their career paths. We’ve been delighted with the conversations we’ve had, as their unscripted responses and personal insights illuminate the paths that they took to get to where they are today, and what inspires them to make a difference in museums. On March 31, we were joined…
(Dis)Connected: A Student-Curated Exhibit at the Kirkland Arts Center
During the orientation day my first year of graduate school, I listened eagerly as each Museology instructor explained the exciting courses and opportunities our program had to offer. What stood out most was when Wilson O’Donnell explained the Emerging Curator Initiative (ECI), where Museology students develop exhibit concepts, and one student is selected to curate a show at the Kirkland Arts Center. As I read the description for ECI, I thought about how great it would be to have an…
Museology Students at Museum of Flight’s First Thursday
On March 2, Museology students facilitated hands-on activities at the Museum of Flight as part of the final project for the Seminar in Museum Education course. In the class, students explored learning theory, program development and implementation, and educational programming for various audiences such as families, teens, and early learners. Throughout the quarter, students researched, planned, and evaluated a variety of informal learning programs, with plenty of practical experience to lay the foundation for working as a museum educator. The…
A Seat at the Table – Miranda Belarde-Lewis (Alumni Spotlight)
Miranda Belarde-Lewis has dedicated her career to telling the stories of Indigenous communities and helping Native artists communicate the layers of meaning in their work to the public. Her work designing exhibits, researching pieces, and working with artists has allowed her to strengthen the interpretative strategies of tribal museums, as well as build relationships between museums and Native communities. Miranda’s career has been a series of breaking through glass ceilings to achieve her goals, from her start as a museum…
American Alliance of Museums Career Lab
On February 11, second-year Museology students had the opportunity to attend a career lab with Greg Stevens, the Assistant Director of Professional Development at the American Alliance of Museums–or, as Greg calls it, “the Mothership.” During this event, Greg worked with students students to build their “career toolkit” by learning best practices for cover letters, job applications, networking, résumés, and interviews. The event was a mix of lecture, discussion, and Q&A format, leading to a collaborative atmosphere that helped students…
Dialogue – the antidote to Cacophony?
AUTHOR: Kris Morrissey, Museology Faculty. ‘Cacophony.’ An onomatopoeia for these times. Trying to pronounce it does sounds like what it defines- “a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds”, sort of like an attempt to dislodge something caught in my throat. Maybe that’s why the word keeps popping into my mind when I read newspaper headlines such as “up is down” or “calamity” or see the vitriolic signs amongst the peaceful ones in the marches. What does all that noise mean? Amidst…
Embracing Culturally Responsive Research & Evaluation Practice
AUTHOR: Angie Ong, Museology Faculty Diversity, equity, and cultural competency are hot topics within the museum field today. And without exception, these concepts need to be top-of-mind for those of us working within audience research and evaluation. Because we champion the voice of the visitor, researchers and evaluators must be open to the many voices, perspectives, and beliefs represented in our audiences. It was therefore important that our Introduction to Museum Evaluation class spent time early in the Quarter considering…
Things to do in Seattle this January
One of the things that makes Seattle such an appealing place to live and study is the variety of neighborhoods and community events. Although Seattle has grown significantly in the recent past, there are still many distinct neighborhoods with their own personality. From the student-filled University District to the culturally-rich International District and artsy Capitol Hill, Seattle has a neighborhood for everyone. Seattle also has a range of museums spread across the city. You can visit the Museum of Pop…
Making Heritage Valuable – Chieko Phillips (Alumni Spotlight)
“How do you take something as complicated and multifaceted as a history of a people, a history of African Americans, and try and condense that down into exhibit narratives or public programs?,” Chieko Phillips asks me, with a curiosity and intensity that tells me she’s just as excited about pursuing this question as she ever was. Her work in the museum field reflects her ability to share history in a way that you can relate to. Chieko graduated from the…