Please give a brief background on yourself and your career.
I graduated from Wellesley in May 2014, double-majoring in economics and art history. In September, I became the Coordinator of Lectures, Courses, and Concerts at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. In this role, I help coordinate the ticketed public programs at the Museum.
How has your career changed since you originally envisioned it at Wellesley? What other careers did you consider as a student?
When I first chose to attend Wellesley, it was because I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life; I knew a great liberal arts background would prepare me for any career I wanted. I had ideas of what I might want: I thought very seriously about going into journalism, film, entertainment, or publishing. When I took my first economics class, I thought, “Ah! Perhaps I can do business, or work in public policy.” I found economics very interesting and fulfilling, but I found myself drawn to art history courses as well. A career in a museum did not even cross my mind my first year at Wellesley, and I did not take my first art history course until I was a sophomore.
On campus, I became involved with the Davis Museum Student Advisory Committee, a group dedicated to creating student-friendly programming at the Davis. I loved the mission of the group; it made art accessible, and spread the message that art can and should be enjoyed by all, no matter your background. I found that I greatly enjoyed the museum environment.
Junior year, I landed a job working as a student curatorial assistant in the Davis, assisting with research and developing exhibitions. I also enjoyed doing research in my art history classes, and this is when I began to think that museum curatorial work might be the right career path for me.
I completed a curatorial internship before my senior year working in American Decorative Arts and Sculpture at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. It was here that I learned that to be a curator, you need to go to graduate school. I found most art history masters programs to be cost-prohibitive. Yet, I loved American Decorative Arts and decided to apply to just one graduate program: the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture. I was very confident during my senior year that I would get in, but reality came crashing down when I didn’t even get selected as a finalist. The Winterthur Program is a very prestigious program; it is completely free and only accepts eight students per year. It was a rude awakening, and I had to quickly come up with a new post-graduation plan.
It was through my senior year internship at the Museum of Fine Arts that I became very interested in public programs in museums as well. I loved the idea of creating engaging programs to bring the public into the museum. I learned that I could potentially work in museums, but not in just a curatorial capacity; there are many different types of jobs in museums, and I knew I wanted one of them.
How has Wellesley contributed to your career?
Wellesley has substantially contributed to my career. Working at the Davis Museum and being involved in the Davis Museum Student Advisory Committee were wonderful and unique opportunities. I was able to gain curatorial experience just a five minute walk from my dorm, and I was able to help create public programming in that museum with my wonderful peers in an incredibly supportive environment.
I also had wonderfully supportive professors (in art history and economics) who provided guidance, words of wisdom, and letters of reference. It is no secret that museum internships are for the most part, unpaid or have a very small stipend. I was able to take advantage of several grant programs, including the Global Engagement grant, which funded my internship (and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity) at the Field Museum in Chicago, and the Grace Slack McNeil Summer Internship grant, which funded my summer internship at the Museum of Fine Arts.
What is a typical work day or work week like for you?
My typical work week is always packed! In the beginning of the week, I compile a report of ticket counts to see how well certain events are selling—and which events might need a little extra help from our communications department. My team, which consists of the Curator of Lectures, Courses, and Concerts and the Manager of Lectures, Courses, and Concerts, have a meeting to determine which tasks for the week need immediate attention and which are lower priority. We discuss the events for the week, and events coming up in the next few weeks, and even plan for the next season of programs. Throughout the week, I create contracts, make sure lecturers get paid, and coordinate with other departments in the museum to ensure successful programs, including facilities, Restaurant Associates, and Media Services. I talk to a lot of different people every day, which means I have to constantly be on my game. Sometimes my to-do list can look intimidating, but the fast pace is always interesting and fun!
I also help with event production, which could be anything from setting up food, escorting speakers around the museum, wrapping cables after concerts, to booking an Uber for our celebrity speakers.
Another ongoing project that I work on is in social media. I develop content for the @MFABostonMusic twitter handle (you should all follow it, by the way).
What piece of advice would you offer students looking to get into your area of interest and expertise?
Yes, join the museum world! My advice would be to try to gain a wide variety of internship experiences. I am really glad that I completed internships and volunteered in the areas of visitor services, exhibition development, curatorial, and public programming; I even wish that I tried internships in development and education, just to see what they would be like. But hey, there is only so much time!
Completing all these different internships helped me gain exposure to different aspects of museum work, which helped me make a decision as I searched for jobs. It also made it easier for me to apply to different jobs in museum work. Finally, I was able to make connections with just that many more people, which, again, was useful when I was job searching!
In order to get an internship, or even to be a volunteer, you will need to complete an interview. In order to nail a museum interview, try to show your genuine enthusiasm for the position. Smiling and showing interest in an interview will get you very far!
What do you wish you had known as a student?
As a student, I wish I knew that I had to be patient during the job search. I became very frustrated in those first few unemployed months out of school. Job searching is a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t become discouraged if you don’t have a job immediately upon graduation. At Wellesley, it seems like everyone is employed prior to graduation, but the truth is, the great majority of graduates are not employed (not just at Wellesley, but at every college). Just remember that, and stay positive. I believe in you!
If you could come back and take one class at Wellesley what would it be?
Aw, do I have to pick just one? There is just too much to learn! I think I would take the African American Experience, or another ethnic studies course. I took the Asian American Experience while at Wellesley and found it to be a very meaningful experience. Perhaps I should look into auditing!