Museum Studies Blog

By Marissa Hamm   Although we did not have a class meeting this week, Curatorial Practices students were very busy thinking about the Museum of Broken Relationships Indianapolis exhibit and the idea of “fit,” both physically and theoretically.  One of the major ways we are considering fit is in regards to our satellite display exhibits. For …

By Emily McMath Queer curating can explore the spectrum of sexuality and gender expressions. But it goes well beyond rainbow flags and audacious festivals and bare all shocking images. Queer curating, as we dissected this week, challenges viewers, artists, curators, and exhibition spaces, to think beyond the traditional binary. Beyond black and white, beyond right …

By Alyssa Pier  “Curators are more like landlords than professors.” – Emily Wilkes, IUPUI Museum Studies Graduate Student  I know what you are thinking: curators do not necessarily teach, nor do they necessarily have real estate. What kind of nonsense is this? The quote is just one of the many ideas and revelations that this …

By: Danielle Thomas            My passion for history and the field of museum studies began when I was a child. Like many school children, I took a field trip to a museum as a young student and on this trip, I fell in love with history and museums. My experience as a visitor led me to …

By Abby Zepick Many museums carry thousands of objects within their walls, and most of the time only a small fraction of those objects ever get to be looked upon by the everyday visitor. Exhibitors may feel the urge to put as many objects on display as possible to showcase the wide swath of materials …

By Elise Daugherty   It is easy to get caught up in the academic hamster wheel, constantly keeping track of due dates, studying, readings, networking, and applications. In what is often an intense and fast-paced environment, it can be difficult to actually take stock of what you have learned, reflect on where you are, and …

By Michael Cranick When I visit a museum, I appreciate the opportunity to interact with exhibits and artifacts in different ways. I might take part in a workshop, engage in a conversation with a museum staff member during a presentation, read exhibit labels, or participate in a hands-on activity. As we explored this week, these …

By Kayla McLean This week we considered  several different tools a curator may use and how important they are to creating an exhibit. We started connecting these tools and their importance in curatorial practice using our readings. Of the two tools that stood out the most in our discussion, one was very familiar and the …

By Syd Overtoom (he/they) Are you considering a museum career path? Have you been inspired by a museum education program or two to pursue this world of amazing work? Me, too! I’ve loved the different programs and educational materials I’ve experienced over the years. As we learned this week from Bonnie Sachatello-Sawyer et al. and …

By Peyton Reicherts “Sometimes you walk into a historic house museum looking for volunteer opportunities for college and then you spend the next three years playing the ghost of Jack the Ripper victim, Catherine Eddowes.” This is the beginning of the story I wrote to go along with the broken relationships and objects we came …