Welcome to the Museum Studies blog at the University of Michigan!
Museums today are more dynamic than ever: in addition to being a site for the collection, study, and exhibition of objects, they have become vital arenas for civic life and community participation. This blog brings together the Graduate Certificate Program and Undergraduate Minor in Museum Studies to share museum happenings, research, and commentary. Our goal is to connect members of the museum community both at UM and in Southeast Michigan more broadly. Check back regularly for student reflections, exhibition reviews, internship/practicum experiences, alumni spotlights, and more. To submit an entry for inclusion on this page, please contact us at MSPBlogEditor@umich.edu.
I applied for a job as a docent at the Detroit Observatory on a whim. Very quickly, it became a major component of my day-to-day life. I helped to update historic campus tours and design new ones, give lecture-style presentations, and facilitate the various...
Around the same time I was hired by UM’s Institute for Research on Women and Gender (IRWG) as the Graduate Fellow for Exhibits, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine is an important place to me. I spent a year there in 2014-15...
Digitization – the act of creating digital, virtual models of existing museum objects and displays – within the museum space can sometimes be a contentious topic. Curators and museum professionals champion the immersive experience that accompanies a traditional in-person visit, as many exhibits rely...
In the Summer of 2021, I was a Museum intern helping to conceive and research a digital gallery commemorating the role of art in the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies (DAAS) here at the University of Michigan. That summer of work led me...
The romance of the herbarium is not readily apparent upon first approach. I don’t know much about architectural style, but “office building meets warehouse” is the best way to describe the Research Museums Center, where the herbarium is located.
July 3, 2022: It was a hot Sunday afternoon in July, and I was at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The crowds emerged from everywhere as this year’s Fourth of July and Folklife Fest coincided. The buzzing atmosphere reminded me that I was...
