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 [email protected].
Two of the most beloved artifacts of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History (NMAH) in Washington D.C. are R2-D2 and C-3PO. The two iconic robots of the Star Wars franchise are currently featured in the museum’s popular “Entertainment Nation / Nación del Espectáculo”...
My dissertation research examines the invisible labor of women working in museum collections, and the ways they see their labor as gendered. Over the summer of 2024, I completed a museum studies practicum that explored these questions in museums across the United States...
“What’s your favorite plant?” I think maybe I should have anticipated this question. From my seat across the small conference room, I begin to feel nervous for the first time almost a half hour into the job interview. Opposite me sit three of...
I am genuinely awestruck and excited by the cool metallic shelves, faintly buzzing lights, sight of sterile and ordered archival boxes, and the faint musky and woody smell of documents in an archive. However, the warmth of the sun, feeling of walking on...
In November of 2022, I visited the Brays Island Nature Center near where I live in Beaufort, South Carolina. In addition to educating the many owners of the Brays Island Plantation, a 5500-acre residential and sporting community, the nature center stores archaeological collections...
Setting out for my visit to Hadrian’s Wall and the nearby museums, I didn’t expect to find myself stuck outside on a dark rainy evening after my Airbnb for the night fell through. Luckily, I found a pub that was willing to put...
