How to Get a Job in a Museum Or Art Gallery - By Alison Baverstock Page 0,1
needed by those working in museums and galleries are needed in other working environments too, such as website development, accurate record keeping and an appreciation of wider access. What museums give you is the added interest of applying these skills to something that matters, and the opportunity to engage other people in an area that is so fascinating – and one perhaps they had not thought about before.
‘I would say that the one thing that unites all who work in this world is a respect for the original object; the frisson gained from holding the actual item that has played a part in history. And this is true whether the object is frequently found and of little or no commercial value or a unique and highly valuable specific item, with a charted pedigree; it is the connection to the past that matters. For example, it can be just as fascinating to look at an early example of the sticks used in the millennia-old method of creating fire by rubbing one stick in the hollowed-out centre of another, as a single example of a particular item with a particularly well-documented provenance. When cataloguing the horology collection in the British Museum, I was inspecting the working mechanism of a particular timepiece and was told by the curator that it once belonged to Oliver Cromwell. Those who want to work in museums need to be the kind of people who are excited by this; the tenable connection to the past that they then want to communicate and share with others.’
MALCOLM CHAPMAN, HEAD OF COLLECTIONS, MANCHESTER MUSEUM
Similarly, selling items of historical pedigree or works of art can be a commercial venture, but those handling the sale must feel that what they are offering has a long-term validity and will reflect well on their role as seller in the future. Commercial galleries and specialist retailers want to build long-term relationships with their customers, who view their purchases as ongoing sources of pleasure and investment.
2. The satisfaction of putting on a show
Most galleries and museums have a permanent collection on display and a series of special shows that highlight particular aspects of what they hold (some of which may be from a collection that is not always on view); they may also put on special stagings to celebrate specific anniversaries and national and local events. Many will also receive and house the temporary installation of a touring exhibition as part of a national or international schedule – a bit like theatrical repertory – although in the case of museums and galleries, the collection usually tours the provinces after its main exhibition in a city rather than the other way round. Smaller organisations may have no permanent collection but a rather a series of temporary exhibitions.
There is a lot of creative freedom within museums and galleries in deciding what to feature:
‘This is a non-prescriptive world in which the contribution of the individual is key – the opposite of corporate slavery! There is the opportunity to think for yourself, act laterally, be resourceful and make a personal difference, with all the satisfaction that entails.’
JO PROSSER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, V&A ENTERPRISES
People who work in museums and galleries are likely to enjoy the coming together of an event; the teamwork involved in ensuring the show is ready for opening on the date announced, with the final stages in preparation – catalogue, posters, publicity, local and national PR and related merchandise in the shop – and all the while aware of what might be coming next. This aspect of the work, which can be compared with that of theatre managers leading up to a production or restaurants preparing for their opening, is important because, whether the funding is public or private, the institution will usually be having to justify its budget. Engaging visitors’ interest in the fascination of what is on offer as well as conveying a sufficient sense of urgency so they feel motivated to come along to see it while it’s available, is very much part of this mission.
If you can relate to this sense of putting on a show, drawing your colleagues into the demonstration of something that’s fascinating and that you can all be proud of, then this world may be for you.
3. Educating the public
Museums and galleries share information and often provide understanding to people who have no previous knowledge of a specific subject or area. There is much discussion about how groups who are not used to visiting such institutions can be made to feel more